University of Miami selects SPOT for ocean flow study in Gulf of Mexico

Sept. 1, 2015
Globalstar has announced that the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science will deploy SPOT Trace satellite trackers in its continued research expedition with the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment.
COVINGTON, LA, Sept. 1, 2015 -- Today, Globalstar Inc., a provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, announced that the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (UM) will deploy SPOT Trace satellite trackers throughout the Gulf of Mexico in its continued research expedition with the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE).

The project studies ocean flow as it relates to the dispersion of pollutants and the effects of hurricanes on the dissemination of environmental hazards over time. This is an extension of an ongoing project that launched in 2012 after the BP oil spill to monitor how pollutants behave in normal and emergency conditions, collecting over six million data points.

SPOT devices are cost-effective, rugged, pocket-sized devices that use satellite messaging technology to allow users to communicate from remote locations around the globe. The SPOT product family uses the GPS satellite network to determine a customer or asset's location and transmit messages and GPS coordinates to others, independent of cellular phone coverage or radio frequency range. As a result, SPOT devices fulfill a variety of purposes including emergency services, recreational/asset tracking and scientific studies.

For the first time, CARTHE's field work at sea, combined with laboratory experiments and development of interconnected modeling systems, will produce a comprehensive modeling hierarchy that provides a four-dimensional description of oil/dispersant fate and transport in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal environments across all relevant time and space scales. CARTHE was also able to provide useful data and coastal models to emergency responders after the 2013 explosion of the Hercules 265 drilling rig and the Santa Barbara oil spill earlier this year.

“SPOT is at the very heart of our upcoming expedition in the northern Gulf of Mexico, just like in our 2012 study. Almost every aspect of the experiment is tailored around these devices. Such massive simultaneous information has never been obtained before, and we expect that SPOT will provide unprecedented scientific information about ocean currents so we know what to anticipate in the event of future oil spills,” said Tamay Özgökmen, professor of ocean sciences and CARTHE director.
See also:

"Study estimates total mass of oil reaching Gulf shore in wake of Deepwater Horizon spill"


About Globalstar, Inc.

Globalstar is a provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, leveraging the world's newest satellite network. Customers around the world in industries like government, emergency management, marine, logging, oil & gas and outdoor recreation rely on the company to conduct business smarter and faster, maintain peace of mind and access emergency personnel. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications. Its products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, Sat-Fi satellite hotspot, Simplex and Duplex satellite data modems, tracking devices, and flexible service packages. For more information, visit www.globalstar.com.

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