Technical Program

2000-2017 acoustic research in the Gulf of Mexico: approaches, lessons, and look into the future

Natalia A. Sidorovskaia is the Coca-Cola/BORSF Endowed Professor of Physics, the director of the multidisciplinary multi-institutional consortium “Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center – Gulf Ecological Modeling and Monitoring” (LADC-GEMM), and the Chairperson of the Department of Physics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She received an M.S. Degree (1990) in radiophysics from the Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) State University, Russia, an M.S. Degree (1996) in physics and a Ph.D. Degree (1997) in Engineering and Applied Science from the University of New Orleans. After a two-year career in industry with Landmark Graphics Corporation, she joined the Department of Physics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) in 2000. She has published over 40 scientific papers including contributions to four books on ocean acoustics. Dr. Sidorovskaia has been awarded over eight million dollars in external funding while at UL Lafayette. Her research interests include ocean acoustics and signal processing leading to the understanding of sound propagation and scattering in the ocean, marine mammal acoustic communication and interaction with environment, impact of humans and climate changes on oceanic ecosystems. She has been actively involved in studying Gulf of Mexico whales by means of passive acoustic monitoring since 2001. Dr. Sidorovskaia is an active promoter of science in the Lafayette community and a founder of the UL Lafayette SMART (Science Meets ART) festival. She is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and a member of Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society.

Combining acoustic data and statistical modeling to understand marine mammal population dynamics and abundance

Azmy S. Ackleh is Professor of Mathematics and Dean of the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Dr. Ackleh received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1993. He then joined the Center for Research in Scientific Computation at North Carolina State University as a postdoctoral fellow. In 1995, he came to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as Assistant Professor of Mathematics, moving through the ranks to Professor of Mathematics in 2003 and heading the Mathematics Department from 2011-2013. He was appointed Dean of the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences in 2013. Ackleh's main research focus is Mathematical Biology. Some of his recent projects involve amphibian dynamics, the interaction between blue and yellow irises, and the impact of oil spills on marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles and a graduate-level textbook. He has served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering since 2009. He served as the major advisor for 15 Ph.D. students who have graduated and is currently directing two more Ph.D. students. From 2003-2011, he served as the project director of the Undergraduate Biomathematics Program and directed the research of more than 30 undergraduate students. He obtained more than $8M in grant funding from agencies including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.

Unmanned Surface Vessels and Applications

ASV Global is a world leader in unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). This game-changing technology is developing quickly with vessels of various size, capability, and endurance. Use of USVs for scientific, commercial, and military applications will become common place over the next decade. As satellite telepresence is integrated with USV technology, researchers from across the globe will be able to conduct maritime projects from their desks. This presentation will describe the various USVs that ASV Global has developed and their respective advantages and constraints. Many of the current and prospective applications of the USVs will also be highlighted. The audience will gain an understanding of the current status of USV technology, its capabilities, limitations, applications, and future possibilities.

Mr. Chance is founder and CEO of ASV Global, and founder and former owner of C & C Technologies. ASV Global is a leader in unmanned vessel technology. With 75 employees in offices on both sides of the Atlantic, ASV Global has built more than 80 USVs for defense, scientific, and industrial sectors worldwide. C & C Technologies is an offshore surveying and mapping company headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana with 500 employees in 10 offices across the globe. C & C is a world leader in deep water AUV operations having done enough AUV surveys to encircle the globe more than eight times. In 2015, Mr. Chance sold C & C Technologies to Oceaneering International. Mr. Chance has a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from LSU, a Master’s in Engineering from Purdue University, and a Master’s in Industrial Administration also from Purdue. He has been involved with several marine related professional organizations and has received numerous awards for business and ocean technology.