Team

GEOMAR – Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Leader of the project (Germany)

GEOMAR is Germany’s largest marine science research organisation with more than 1000 employees and large-scale infrastructure including four research vessels and state-of-the art equipment such as ROV, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), and 3D seismic imaging capabilities. The most recent program-oriented funding evaluation concluded that GEOMAR is among the top 5 marine research institutions worldwide. Prof. Christian Berndt is head of the department of Marine Geophysics. He has been working on fluid flow in marine sediments, seismic imaging, and tectonics for the past 20 years and published widely on these subjects. He has been chief scientist on more than 20 marine geophysical expeditions. Prof. Berndt has contributed to undergraduate and graduate degrees and student training cruises organised by the University of Kiel. Prof. Aaron Micallef is a marine geologist within the same department. His expertise is marine geology, seafloor surveying and habitat mapping, and throughout his research career he has developed novel methodologies for the quantitative analyses of seafloor data. Through participation in more than 30 research cruises around the world, Dr Micallef is experienced in the acquisition, processing, interpretation and analyses of marine acoustic and sedimentological data using a wide range of specialised instruments and software. Dr Micallef is chairman of the Submarine Geomorphology working group within the International Association of Geomorphologists. He also organises annual training courses in seafloor mapping and surveying, with the latest focusing on coral reef mapping, and has contributed to summer schools (e.g. Malta, Maldives).

Marine Geophysics and Hydroacoustics,
Institute of Geosciences. German partner

The working group ‘Marine Geophysics and Hydroacoustics’ was established within the Institute of Geosciences (IFG) at the University of Kiel in 2012 and is led by Prof. Krastel. The University of Kiel has a long tradition in marine sciences. IFG is one of the key members of Kiel Marine Science, a Centre for Interdisciplinary Marine Science. IFG offers BSc programs in ‘Physics of the Earth’s System’ and ‘Geosciences’, as well as MSc programs in ‘Geosciences’, ‘Geophysics’, and ‘Marine Geosciences’. Prof. Krastel and Dr. Jens Schneider von Deimling teach courses in all programs, focusing on seafloor mapping with seismic and hydroacoustic methods.

Each year, the working group organises a 10-day long student cruise to the Baltic Sea to teach seabed mapping techniques in the field. In 2021 the cruise was led by Dr. Jacob Geersen, who is investigating sedimentary and tectonic processes in the oceans by applying geomorphologic methods to bathymetric data. The working group Marine Geophysics and Hydroacoustics is leading and co-leading many seagoing research activities focussing on seafloor and sub-seafloor mapping.

Prof. Krastel has conducted several summer schools on seafloor mapping (e.g. in Thailand, Uruguay) and is leader of the ‘Training’ work package in a recently submitted Horizon 2020 proposal with a strong focus on morphological mapping. Currently, Dr. Schneider von Deimling is co-ordinating a large EU project on habitat mapping (BONUS ECOMAP) and has recently led 2 international summer schools on habitat mapping using innovative opto-acoustic methods. Dr Geersen is teaching quantitative submarine geomorphologic methods in the BSc and MSc programs at the University of Kiel..

Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB)
Colombian co-lead applicant

UPB, located in Medellín, is one of the largest private universities in Colombia and is ranked within 1001-1258 institutions of THE World University Ranking. The UPB has 8 different schools and >60 research groups and labs. One of the strongest groups is the Automation and Design Group (A+D), which has been operating since 1995. The Group A+D of UPB is an interdisciplinary group that carries out research on automation, mechanical design, control theory, mechanisms theory, and mechatronics, and it supports several BSc, MSc and PhD programs. One of the main research topics of Group A+D during the last 15 years has been underwater robotics and technology. Four remotely operated underwater vehicles have been developed in the last 20 years. The A+D Group is interested in research, development and innovation activities on marine systems, ocean science and technologies, and is particularly committed to the utilisation of technologies (remote sensing, drones, ROVs, AUVs, among others) for the integrated evaluation and conservation of underwater environments. A+D has been working towards the development of a generalised framework that integrates engineering tools and methods for the characterisation of underwater ecosystems.

Dr. Paula Andrea Zapata is a professor at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), working at the Faculty of Mechanical engineering at A+D group. Dr Zapata’s interests focus on remote sensing approaches for seafloor assessments such as habitat mapping techniques with the aim to evaluate and research new exploration frontiers. She has a PhD from Universitá Politecnica delle Marche, Italy where she evaluated the use and application of marine technology (e.g ROV, Remote sensing, Machine learning) to support Marine Protected Areas management and design and Marine Spatial Planning decisions. She was also a postdoctoral researcher at the Marine Geosciences Department at University of Miami -RSMA, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Rafael E. Vásquez received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA in 2011. Rafael is currently Full Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the UPB, in the area of dynamics, systems and control. His research interests are focused on: robotics; marine systems; ocean sciences and technologies; navigation, guidance, and control of unmanned vehicles; vibrations; machine monitoring; machine learning and intelligent systems; advanced manufacturing; process control; renewable energies; and engineering education.

Carlos Alejandro Zuluaga Toro has been an Electronic Engineer since 1999 and received a M.Sc. in Engineering from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Medellin, Colombia. He currently works in the Faculty of the Department of Electronic Engineering at the UPB0, where he is Full Professor in the area of automatics, systems and control. Mr. Zuluaga’s research comprises interdisciplinary work on different topics related to electronic engineering, maritime systems, and ocean science and engineering, considering three objectives: knowledge generation, industrial development, and sustainable use of natural resources.

Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos S.A.
Ecopetrol is the Colombian oil company, and it operates in Colombia, Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico. The company’s activities include exploration and production, transportation and logistics, and refining, petrochemicals and biofuels. Recent discoveries of Kronos-1 well and Orca-1 well located in the Colombian Caribbean confirm the high potential of marine basins.

Servicio Geológico Colombiano-(SGC)
The Colombian Geological Survey (formerly INGEOMINAS), is a scientific agency of the Colombian government. The mission of the institution is to contribute to the economic and social development of the country, through research in basic and applied geosciences, evaluation of the potential of its resources, monitoring of geological threats of geological origin, and the management of geoscientific knowledge.

Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia (PNN)
PNN is a special administrative unit created in 2011 under the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. It is in charge of managing the areas that make the National Natural Parks System, and coordinating the National System of Protected Areas. Its purpose is the conservation of national biological and ecosystem diversity, the provision and maintenance of environmental goods and services, the protection of cultural heritage and natural habitat where traditional cultures develop, and the contribution to human sustainable development.

Geomares S.A.S
Geomares is a Colombian medium-sized company (SME) comprising an independent and multidisciplinary team that has ample experience in the fields of consulting and engineering. It specialises in hydrography, marine geology and geophysics as well as aquatic environmental management.