Oceaneering International, Inc. is pleased to announce the successful completion of a field trial of its patented Ocean Perception™ (Percepção do oceano) marine mammal and wildlife mitigation software solution in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. The trial was conducted aboard an offshore wind installation vessel in collaboration with client Van Oord.
Ocean Perception is an intelligent, automated monitoring platform designed to enhance marine wildlife protection and environmental compliance while reducing project downtime. The system integrates 360-degree thermal imaging cameras for full visibility in low-light and night-time conditions, radar for marine wildlife detection, and a centralized onboard monitoring station. During the trial, the platform demonstrated its ability to detect and track bird activity, critical for offshore wind operations in the North Sea, where avian interaction is a key regulatory and ecological concern.
This latest trial builds on the success of a 2023 field trial on the U.S. East Coast, where Ocean Perception successfully tracked and identified whale movements in support of construction operations. By enabling accurate, real-time detection of protected species, the system helps reduce false positives often encountered with traditional monitoring methods, opening additional operational windows—particularly at night—and enhancing overall project efficiency.
Remote access capabilities allowed Oceaneering’s onshore operations centers to support real-time decision-making during the trial, further demonstrating the platform’s scalability and flexibility for global offshore applications.
Blanca Montoya, Product Manager at Oceaneering, commented: “We are excited by the results of this latest trial, which confirms Ocean Perception’s ability to deliver reliable, real-time wildlife monitoring in the North Sea. The ability to track birds and marine mammals, even in challenging low-visibility conditions, not only improves environmental stewardship, but also enables more efficient and flexible offshore operations.”
Caitlin Holzhauser, Environmental Engineer, Offshore Energy, at Van Oord, said: “As a leading marine contractor, Van Oord is proud to support new technologies in the Marine Mammal Observation space.”
Aniruddha Paranjape, Environmental Engineer, Offshore Energy, at Van Oord, added: “Ocean Perception’s ability to detect marine fauna in varying conditions is an extremely useful resource that enables more informed and responsible decision making during offshore operations. We look forward to seeing the Ocean Perception technology evolve further, contributing to the shared goal of protecting marine fauna.”
Gerwin Guichelaar, Environmental Engineer, Offshore Energy, at Van Oord, said: “The possibility to select a high viewing point on the vessel enables optimal observation of the water surface during rough seas as well. Furthermore, the reduction of required cabin space can prove to be extremely valuable during certain projects.”