Biodivalue produces first results
The Biodivalue project, funded by the Operational Programme I Italy-Malta 2007-2013, has started to yield the first benefits, including the monitoring of vessels fitted with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) through the installation of an...
The Biodivalue project, funded by the Operational Programme I Italy-Malta 2007-2013, has started to yield the first benefits, including the monitoring of vessels fitted with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) through the installation of an antenna capable of receiving signals and through the development of an ad hoc digital interface.
Following the International Maritime Organisation’s International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, all ships with a gross tonnage of 300 or more, as well as all passenger ships, must be fitted with an AIS transponder.
The project also aims to develop a towed underwater platform, known as a Towfish, which will be equipped with sensors to measure a number of different water-quality parameters, as well as to collect good-quality video images, as it glides through the water.
The Department of Mech-anical Engineering of the University has engaged two project assistants to help Martin Muscat in the design and construction of the Towfish, which is being developed in conjunction with the University of Catania.
There is a total of nine partners within the Biodivalue project, of which two are the University of Malta, represented by the International Ocean Institute – Malta Operational Centre (IOI-MOC) and the Gal Xlokk Foundation, a union of local councils.
The project, which runs until January 2015, has a budget of approximately €2.4 million.
The members at IOI-MOC working on the project include Cedric Camilleri, Joel Azzopardi, Adam Gauci and project manager Alan Deidun.