SeaNet: Extending the Internet to the Oceanographic Research Fleet

Lead PI: Dr. Ellen Kappel, Joint Oceanographic Institutions

The Partnership will develop a common, underlying infrastructure necessary to integrate the oceanographic research fleet and to implement some production units optimized for intermittent Internet connections. The infrastructure includes building a shore-based operations center; providing updated satellite and cellular communications for a number of UNOLS vessels; developing shipboard communications servers designed specifically for the support of shipboard science and technical support applications; and, supporting the integration of emerging (less expensive) communications technologies in the future. Once this infrastructure is in place and operational, the incremental cost of adding more ships to the SeaNet network will be relatively small.

Requested Funding: $1.5M

Partners:

• Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Washington, DC
• Columbia University, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Omnet, Inc., Staunton, VA
• U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA

For a world chart showing current locations of the SeaNet equipped ships, click here.