Nicholas Hall-Patch, Victoria Chapter Secretary-Treasurer
Over the years, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has become a center for marine science and technology, with increasing employment opportunities for engineering graduates.
A collaboration involving the University of Victoria Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ocean Startup Project, COAST, Coast Capital Innovation Centre, along with the Victoria Chapter of the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, resulted in the UVic Ocean Challenge, with the most recent event taking place on 7 December 2023 at the University of Victoria.
The UVic Ocean Challenge is a competition among undergraduate engineering students at the University of Victoria to develop useful prototypes in order to help solve problems within the oceanic world in technology, business, and the environment. The Challenge not only includes the academic resources and technical tools of the University, but also mentoring from the industrial sector to provide latest insights into marine technology.
It involves not just prototype development by the students, but also fosters entrepreneurial skills, and develops networking amongst students, academics, ocean engineering professionals, as well as potential employers in the marine sector.
The Victoria Chapter of the Oceanic Engineering Society has sponsored awards for winners of various categories in the UVic Ocean Challenge, and is pleased to introduce some of the winning projects to the pages of The Beacon.
Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring System: University of Victoria Ocean Challenge Project
Project by: Daniel Kiwilsza, Evan Lee, Mohammadreza Movahedian, Simon Pollak, and William Wu
Supervisor: Prof. Hong-Chuan Yang
Authors: Daniel Kiwilsza, Evan Lee, Mohammad Movahedian, William Wu, Simon Pollak
In a world where environmental challenges are escalating, a team of students from the University of Victoria’s Electrical and Computer Engineering departments—comprising Daniel Kiwilsza, Evan Lee, Mohammadreza Movahedian, Simon Pollak, and William Wu—has made waves with a groundbreaking project. The real-time ocean water quality monitoring system won the top spot at the Ocean Challenge 2023 held by the University of Victoria on December 1st, 2023.
Traditionally, assessing water quality involved manual sampling, laborious lab analysis, and frustrating delays in emergencies. The Internet of Things (IoT) facilitated the team’s deployment of sensors, microcontrollers, and wireless modules for real-time monitoring. This innovative leap allowed for swift and efficient water quality data collection, even in remote locations.
Design Features
Equipped with four sophisticated sensors dedicated to measuring a spectrum of physical and chemical parameters—temperature, pH, turbidity, and total dissolved solids—our real-time water quality monitoring system ensures a comprehensive understanding of the ocean’s current state. These sensors work seamlessly together to give users a holistic view of water quality in real-time.
The system operates as a digital messenger, transmitting data from these sensors in real-time to a dedicated web server platform using Wi-Fi. This platform acts as the command center, presenting the data in an easily understandable format on a user-friendly dashboard. Users gain access to a wealth of information, enabling informed decisions about the water being measured. Historical data is also readily available, allowing for comprehensive analysis and trend identification.
Designed for simplicity, the system adopts a buoy-based approach for deployment. This innovative feature ensures straightforward and hassle-free installation, making it an ideal solution for various ocean monitoring scenarios.
Performance Evaluation
Undergoing rigorous testing against three distinct water samples, the system underwent a comparative analysis with highly accurate lab equipment, generously provided by UVic’s chemistry department. The results revealed comparable accuracy, although the system demonstrated room for improvement in responsiveness. Despite this, the system’s performance surpasses traditional manual methods, showcasing its effectiveness in monitoring water quality.
The team would like to thank Dr. Hong-Chuan Yang and Ali Dehghanian for their guidance and Dr. Juergen Ehlting for his assistance in sensor performance verification. The team also acknowledges Ocean Startup Project for financial support. For those interested in a visual overview of the project, check out the website: https://les01004.wixsite.com/evanlee .
AquaSync Analytics: Pioneering Water Quality Monitoring Through IoT
Project by: John Hubler, Connor Wiebe
Supervisor: Dr. Navneet Kaur Popli
Author: Rudra Pratap Singh
In an era where environmental sustainability becomes increasingly crucial, the AquaSync Analytics project emerges as a beacon of innovation in water quality monitoring. Developed by John Hubler and Connor Wiebe under the guidance of Dr. Navneet Kaur Popli and Rudra Pratap Singh, this prototype system represents a significant advancement in leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology for environmental science.
Innovative Design and Implementation
At the core of AquaSync Analytics lies a meticulously designed network of sensors capable of accurately measuring temperature, pH, and conductivity, interfaced with an Arduino UNO. This setup allows for real-time, precise monitoring of water quality parameters, essential for environmental research and management.
Data Processing and Visualization
Data collected by the AquaSync system undergoes processing through an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipeline, ensuring its readiness for analysis and application. A standout feature of the project is its web application, developed using Python for backend operations and ReactJs for the frontend. This application, as visualized here, provides a user-friendly interface for visualizing water quality data, making it accessible to researchers, environmental managers, and the public.
Adherence to Standards and Safety
The development of AquaSync Analytics was guided by a strong commitment to safety, privacy, and compliance with industry standards. This focus on reliability and security not only enhances the system’s operational integrity but also ensures its sustainability and environmental compatibility.
Implications for Environmental Monitoring
AquaSync Analytics introduces a new paradigm in environmental monitoring, offering a scalable and efficient solution for tracking water quality. Its ability to provide detailed, real-time insights into aquatic environments has profound implications for ecological research, conservation efforts, and policymaking.
Future Prospects and Expansion
Looking forward, the AquaSync Analytics project holds the potential to revolutionize water quality management across various ecosystems. Its scalable design and flexible architecture allow for adaptation and implementation in diverse environmental contexts, promising a broader impact on global conservation efforts.
In conclusion, the AquaSync Analytics prototype stands out as a testament to the power of IoT technology in advancing environmental sustainability. By combining innovative sensor technology with advanced data processing and visualization tools, this project sets a new standard in water quality monitoring, underscoring the importance of technology in safeguarding our planet’s water resources.
Harnessing IoT for Marine Conservation: The KelpNet Prototype
Project by: Brett Dionello, Logan Winter
Supervisor: Dr. Navneet Kaur Popli
Author: Rudra Pratap Singh
In the dynamic landscape of environmental technology, the “IoT Seaweed Farm Water Quality Monitoring” project, developed by Brett Dionello and Logan Winter under the guidance of Dr. Navneet Kaur Popli and Rudra Pratap Singh, represents a pioneering prototype showcased at the University of Victoria’s UVic Ocean Challenge 2023. Named KelpNet, this prototype is a testament to the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in transforming environmental monitoring. As a proof of concept, KelpNet focuses on real-time monitoring of crucial water quality parameters within seaweed farms, utilizing Arduino microcontrollers and Raspberry Pi computers for data collection and analysis. This innovative approach not only highlights the project’s potential impact on sustainable agriculture but also underscores the importance of continued development and testing to realize a fully operational system capable of supporting marine ecosystems globally.
Technological Innovation at Its Core
KelpNet integrates sophisticated Arduino microcontrollers and Raspberry Pi computers to monitor water quality in seaweed farms in real-time. Employing Modbus protocol and MQTT for seamless data transmission to an AWS Timestream database, this prototype promises accuracy and reliability in environmental monitoring.
A Commitment to Sustainability
The developers’ strict adherence to industry standards ensures that KelpNet is not just innovative but also sustainable and environmentally friendly. This commitment extends to ensuring operational integrity and data security, underlining the project’s dedication to tackling marine conservation challenges head-on.
Impacting Marine Ecosystem Management
KelpNet offers invaluable insights into water quality, enabling seaweed farm operators to make informed decisions that bolster both sustainability and productivity. This prototype paves the way for technology-driven environmental conservation, highlighting a proactive approach to global sustainable agricultural practices.
Future Prospects and Expansion
KelpNet’s scalable design hints at a transformative potential for marine conservation and seaweed farming. Its adaptability promises wide-ranging applications, offering a new blueprint for ecological monitoring and conservation strategies. As a prototype, KelpNet is a glimpse into the possibilities that lie at the intersection of technology and marine ecosystem sustainability.
In conclusion, the KelpNet project is a beacon of innovation in the quest for environmental sustainability. As a prototype, it encapsulates the potential of IoT technology in advancing marine conservation efforts, marking a pivotal moment in the journey towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.
Seaker Marine Asset Tracking
Project by: Bradley Scott, Joey Boyer
Supervisor: Dr. Navneet Kaur Popli
Author: Rudra Pratap Singh
Introduction
In an era marked by rapid technological advancement and growing environmental consciousness, the Seaker Marine Asset Tracking system emerges as a beacon of innovation. A prototype developed by a talented team from the University of Victoria, comprising Bradley Scott and Joey Boyer, under the guidance of Dr. Navneet Kaur Popli and Rudra Pratap Singh for the ECE 356 course and UVic Ocean Challenge 2023, this project represents a significant leap forward in the field of marine asset tracking.
The Genesis of Seaker
The inception of the prototype Seaker project was driven by the urgent need for improved marine asset management, particularly in response to the increasing challenges of maritime navigation, logistics, and environmental preservation. Recognizing the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to revolutionize this domain, the team set out to create a system that could offer real-time, accurate tracking of marine assets.
Technological Backbone
At the core of the Seaker system is a sophisticated integration of a Vue.js frontend application with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Timestream database, enabled by a microcontroller. This setup not only facilitates seamless data uplinking but also enriches the user experience with dynamic updates on asset locations, weather forecasts, and tide data through a user-friendly dashboard. The employment of MQTT protocols for efficient message transfer and the implementation of SSL certificates for data security exemplify the project’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to ensure data reliability and system integrity.
Challenges and Innovations
Throughout its development, the Seaker project encountered and overcame various challenges, from ensuring the durability of hardware components in harsh marine environments to maintaining the security of sensitive data. Innovations such as the use of robust encryption methods and the integration of environmental data sources into the tracking system played a crucial role in addressing these challenges.
Impact and Future Prospects
The Seaker Marine Asset Tracking system not only enhances the efficiency and safety of maritime operations but also offers a powerful tool for environmental monitoring and conservation efforts. By providing detailed, real-time information on marine conditions, the system enables more informed decision-making and strategic planning for preserving marine ecosystems.
Conclusion
The success of the Seaker project at the UVic Ocean Challenge is a testament to the power of collaborative innovation and technological ingenuity in addressing contemporary challenges. As the system continues to evolve, it holds the promise of setting new standards in marine asset tracking, opening up new possibilities for safeguarding our oceans and ensuring the sustainability of marine operations.
Suleman Mazhar has been working as a professor in Information & Communication Engineering at Harbin Engineering University (China) since July 2019. He did PhD from Tokyo University (Japan) and postdoctorate from Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA). He had BS-CS from FAST-NUCES (Lahore) and MS from GIK Institute (Pakistan). He is TYSP young scientist fellow (Ministry of Science & Technology China) and have won several research grants from international organizations such as DAAD (Germany), ICIMOD (Nepal), NRPU (Higher Education Commission Pakistan), WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) Pakistan. His research focus is deep learning and signal processing applications for environmental monitoring, with particular focus on underwater acoustics, and marine mammal conservation. He is a reviewer for professional journals such as Journal of Acoustical Society (America), IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, IEEE Sensors Journal, Applied Acoustics, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.
Peng Ren is a full professor with the College of Oceanography and Space Informatics, China University of Petroleum (East China). He is the director of Qingdao International Research Center for Intelligent Forecast and Detection of Oceanic Catastrophes. He received the K. M. Scott Prize from the University of York, the Natural Science award (first rank) from China Institute of Electronics, and the Eduardo Caianiello Best Student Paper Award from 18th International Conference on Image Analysis and Processing as one co-author. He has served as an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.
Mohd Rizal Arshad is a full professor at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia, where he specializes in ocean robotics technology and intelligent system. He received his B.Eng. in Medical Electronics & Instrumentation and PhD in Electronic Engineering from University of Liverpool, UK in 1994 and 1999, respectively. He completed his MSc. in Electronic Control Engineering from the University of Salford, UK in Dec 1995. He has supervised many postgraduate students and published extensively in local and international publications. He is a senior member of the IEEE, and was awarded IEEE OES Presidential Award in 2019.
Itzik Klein is an Assistant Professor, heading the Autonomous Navigation and Sensor Fusion Lab, at the Charney School of Marine Sciences, Hatter Department of Marine Technologies, University of Haifa. He is an IEEE Senior Member and a member of the IEEE Journal of Indoor and Seamless Positioning and Navigation (J-ISPIN) Editorial Board. Prior to joining the University of Haifa, he worked at leading companies in Israel on navigation topics for more than 15 years. He has a wide range of experience in navigation systems and sensor fusion from both industry and academic perspectives. His research interests lie in the intersection of artificial intelligence with inertial sensing, sensor fusion, and autonomous underwater vehicles.
John R. Potter (IEEE M’94, SM’02, F’18) graduated in the previous century with a joint honours Mathematics and Physics Degree from Bristol and a PhD. in Glaciology and Oceanography from Cambridge, UK studying Antarctic ice mass balance, where he spent four consecutive summers. This work helped underscore the non-linear fragility of polar ice to climate change and led to him receiving the Polar Medal from Queen Elizabeth II in 1988.
Nick is a Visiting Fellow at the UK National Oceanographic Center, Southampton His nomination was endorsed by the Underwater Acoustics Technology Committee. He had worked as a Research Associate and Lecturer at University of Birmingham and has been working as a Research Scientist at the Applied Research Laboratory, University of Texas, Austin. He has also served as a Program Officer at the Office of Naval Research Global. He is a senior member of IEEE (OES) and a Fellow of Acoustical Society of America (ASA). Nick has also been serving as Assoc. Editor for IEEE JoE and JASA. He is widely acknowledged for his expertise are seabed acoustics, parametric array modeling, sonar beamformer, underwater signal processing.
Maurizio Migliaccio (M’91-SM’00-F’17) is Full professor of Electromagnetics at Università di Napoli Parthenope (Italy) and was Affiliated Full Professor at NOVA Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL (USA). He has been teaching Microwave Remote Sensing since 1994. He was visiting scientist at Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fur Lüft und Raumfahrt (DLR), Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. He was member of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) scientific committee. He was member of the ASI CosmoSkyMed second generation panel. He was e-geos AdCom member. He was Italian delegate of the ESA PB-EO board. He was Member of South Africa Expert Review Panel for Space Exploration. He serves as reviewer for the UE, Italian Research Ministry (MIUR), NCST, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong Research board. He lectured in USA, Canada, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Italy. He was Italian delegate at UE COST SMOS Mode Action. He is listed in the Italian Top Scientists. He is an IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing AE, International Journal of Remote Sensing AE, and was IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering AE Special Issue on Radar for Marine and Maritime Remote Sensing, IEEE JSTARS AE of the Special Issue on CosmoSKyMed, Member of the Indian Journal of Radio & Space Physics Editorial board. His main current scientific interests cover SAR sea oil slick and man-made target monitoring, remote sensing for marine and coastal applications, remote sensing for agriculture monitoring, polarimetry, inverse problems for resolution enhancement, reverberating chambers. He published about 160 peer-reviewed journal papers on remote sensing and applied electromagnetics.
He has developed various types of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and related application technologies including navigation methods, a new sensing method using a chemical sensor, precise seafloor mapping methods, a precise seabed positioning system with a resolution of a few centimeters, a new sensing system of the thickness of cobalt-rich crust; and more. He has shown, by using these technologies that AUVs are practicable and valuable tools for deep-sea exploration.
Donna Kocak has had an outstanding career in defense and scientific projects developing and applying solutions in subsea optics, imaging and robotics. She graduated with an M.Sc in Computer Science in 1997 from the University of Central Florida; an MBA in 2008 from the University of Florida; and M.Sc in Industrial Engineering in 2011 from the University of Central Florida. She is currently a Senior Scientist, Advanced Concepts Engineering, and Fellow at the Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida, where she has developed novel optical imaging and communication solutions for under-sea defense and scientific projects. Prior to 2008 Donna Kocak was Founder and President of Green Sky Imaging, LLC (GSI) who developed laser/video photogrammetry software for underwater inspection and survey. Her earlier career positions were with Naval Training Systems Center, Florida; Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Florida; eMerge Interactive; and the Advanced Technologies Group in Florida.
John Potter has a Joint Honours degree in Mathematics and Physics from Bristol University in the UK and a PhD in Glaciology and Oceanography from the University of Cambridge on research in the Antarctic, for which he was awarded the Polar Medal in 1988. John has worked on polar oceanography, underwater acoustics, ambient noise (including imaging), marine mammals, communications, IoUT, autonomous vehicles and strategic development. He has 40 years’ international experience working at the British Antarctic Survey in the UK, NATO in Italy, SIO in California, NUS in Singapore and most recently at NTNU in Norway. John is a Fellow of the IEEE and MTS, an Associate Editor for the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, IEEE OES Distinguished Lecturer, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer & an International Fellow of the Explorer’s Club.
Dr. James V. Candy is the Chief Scientist for Engineering and former Director of the Center for Advanced Signal & Image Sciences at the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Candy received a commission in the USAF in 1967 and was a Systems Engineer/Test Director from 1967 to 1971. He has been a Researcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory since 1976 holding various positions including that of Project Engineer for Signal Processing and Thrust Area Leader for Signal and Control Engineering. Educationally, he received his B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Cincinnati and his M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is a registered Control System Engineer in the state of California. He has been an Adjunct Professor at San Francisco State University, University of Santa Clara, and UC Berkeley, Extension teaching graduate courses in signal and image processing. He is an Adjunct Full-Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Candy is a Fellow of the IEEE and a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and elected as a Life Member (Fellow) at the University of Cambridge (Clare Hall College). He is a member of Eta Kappa Nu and Phi Kappa Phi honorary societies. He was elected as a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Candy received the IEEE Distinguished Technical Achievement Award for the “development of model-based signal processing in ocean acoustics.” Dr. Candy was selected as a IEEE Distinguished Lecturer for oceanic signal processing as well as presenting an IEEE tutorial on advanced signal processing available through their video website courses. He was nominated for the prestigious Edward Teller Fellowship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Candy was awarded the Interdisciplinary Helmholtz-Rayleigh Silver Medal in Signal Processing/Underwater Acoustics by the Acoustical Society of America for his technical contributions. He has published over 225 journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports as well as written three texts in signal processing, “Signal Processing: the Model-Based Approach,” (McGraw-Hill, 1986), “Signal Processing: the Modern Approach,” (McGraw-Hill, 1988), “Model-Based Signal Processing,” (Wiley/IEEE Press, 2006) and “Bayesian Signal Processing: Classical, Modern and Particle Filtering” (Wiley/IEEE Press, 2009). He was the General Chairman of the inaugural 2006 IEEE Nonlinear Statistical Signal Processing Workshop held at the Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge. He has presented a variety of short courses and tutorials sponsored by the IEEE and ASA in Applied Signal Processing, Spectral Estimation, Advanced Digital Signal Processing, Applied Model-Based Signal Processing, Applied Acoustical Signal Processing, Model-Based Ocean Acoustic Signal Processing and Bayesian Signal Processing for IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society/ASA. He has also presented short courses in Applied Model-Based Signal Processing for the SPIE Optical Society. He is currently the IEEE Chair of the Technical Committee on “Sonar Signal and Image Processing” and was the Chair of the ASA Technical Committee on “Signal Processing in Acoustics” as well as being an Associate Editor for Signal Processing of ASA (on-line JASAXL). He was recently nominated for the Vice Presidency of the ASA and elected as a member of the Administrative Committee of IEEE OES. His research interests include Bayesian estimation, identification, spatial estimation, signal and image processing, array signal processing, nonlinear signal processing, tomography, sonar/radar processing and biomedical applications.
Kenneth Foote is a Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from The George Washington University in 1968, and a Ph.D. in Physics from Brown University in 1973. He was an engineer at Raytheon Company, 1968-1974; postdoctoral scholar at Loughborough University of Technology, 1974-1975; research fellow and substitute lecturer at the University of Bergen, 1975-1981. He began working at the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, in 1979; joined the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1999. His general area of expertise is in underwater sound scattering, with applications to the quantification of fish, other aquatic organisms, and physical scatterers in the water column and on the seafloor. In developing and transitioning acoustic methods and instruments to operations at sea, he has worked from 77°N to 55°S.
René Garello, professor at Télécom Bretagne, Fellow IEEE, co-leader of the TOMS (Traitements, Observations et Méthodes Statistiques) research team, in Pôle CID of the UMR CNRS 3192 Lab-STICC.
Professor Mal Heron is Adjunct Professor in the Marine Geophysical Laboratory at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, and is CEO of Portmap Remote Ocean Sensing Pty Ltd. His PhD work in Auckland, New Zealand, was on radio-wave probing of the ionosphere, and that is reflected in his early ionospheric papers. He changed research fields to the scattering of HF radio waves from the ocean surface during the 1980s. Through the 1990s his research has broadened into oceanographic phenomena which can be studied by remote sensing, including HF radar and salinity mapping from airborne microwave radiometers . Throughout, there have been one-off papers where he has been involved in solving a problem in a cognate area like medical physics, and paleobiogeography. Occasionally, he has diverted into side-tracks like a burst of papers on the effect of bushfires on radio communications. His present project of the Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network (ACORN) is about the development of new processing methods and applications of HF radar data to address oceanography problems. He is currently promoting the use of high resolution VHF ocean radars, based on the PortMap high resolution radar.
Hanu Singh graduated B.S. ECE and Computer Science (1989) from George Mason University and Ph.D. (1995) from MIT/Woods Hole.He led the development and commercialization of the Seabed AUV, nine of which are in operation at other universities and government laboratories around the world. He was technical lead for development and operations for Polar AUVs (Jaguar and Puma) and towed vehicles(Camper and Seasled), and the development and commercialization of the Jetyak ASVs, 18 of which are currently in use. He was involved in the development of UAS for polar and oceanographic applications, and high resolution multi-sensor acoustic and optical mapping with underwater vehicles on over 55 oceanographic cruises in support of physical oceanography, marine archaeology, biology, fisheries, coral reef studies, geology and geophysics and sea-ice studies. He is an accomplished Research Student advisor and has made strong collaborations across the US (including at MIT, SIO, Stanford, Columbia LDEO) and internationally including in the UK, Australia, Canada, Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, India, Sweden and Norway. Hanu Singh is currently Chair of the IEEE Ocean Engineering Technology Committee on Autonomous Marine Systems with responsibilities that include organizing the biennial IEEE AUV Conference, 2008 onwards. Associate Editor, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 2007-2011. Associate editor, Journal of Field Robotics 2012 onwards.
Milica Stojanovic graduated from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, in 1988, and received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, in 1991 and 1993. She was a Principal Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in 2008 joined Northeastern University, where she is currently a Professor of electrical and computer engineering. She is also a Guest Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Milica’s research interests include digital communications theory, statistical signal processing and wireless networks, and their applications to underwater acoustic systems. She has made pioneering contributions to underwater acoustic communications, and her work has been widely cited. She is a Fellow of the IEEE, and serves as an Associate Editor for its Journal of Oceanic Engineering (and in the past for Transactions on Signal Processing and Transactions on Vehicular Technology). She also serves on the Advisory Board of the IEEE Communication Letters, and chairs the IEEE Ocean Engineering Society’s Technical Committee for Underwater Communication, Navigation and Positioning. Milica is the recipient of the 2015 IEEE/OES Distinguished Technical Achievement Award.
Dr. Paul C. Hines was born and raised in Glace Bay, Cape Breton. From 1977-1981 he attended Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, graduating with a B.Sc. (Hon) in Engineering-Physics.