Clarenville wins regional remotely operated vehicle competition

Clarenville High School has emerged as the winner of the Marine Advanced Technology Education Centre (MATE) Remotely Operated Vehicle NL regional competition

Monday, May 9, 2011

The event, held annually at the Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland’s flume tank, attracted 14 high schools from across the province to MI on May 6 and 7, catching the attention of the general public and the provincial media.

“On behalf of the Marine Institute, I want to congratulate Clarenville High School for their performance at the MATE ROV competition. They were well prepared, received great support and advice from their mentors and rose to the occasion,” said Glenn Blackwood, executive director, MI. “I also want to praise the efforts of all the participating schools. Each team demonstrated a passion for remotely operated vehicles and ocean technology and deserves a pat on the back for their strong showings. It was a privilege to have the Marine Institute act as host of an event that attracts some the brightest high school students in the province.”

O’Donel High School of Mount Pearl finished second at the competition, with Botwood Collegiate claiming third spot. As a result of the 2011 final standings, Clarenville and O’Donel have earned the opportunity to participate in the MATE International ROV Competition in June at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, Texas.

“The international event is a great opportunity for these teams to take what they have learned about ROVs and ocean technology and advance that knowledge even further by competing against some of the best ROV teams from around the world,” said Dwight Howse, head, School of Ocean Technology, Marine Institute. “Traditionally, ROV teams from Newfoundland and Labrador have done very well at the international competition and we are confident Clarenville and O’Donel will continue this tradition.”

articipating students at the MI-hosted ROV event were given an opportunity to design, build and operate a remotely operated vehicle to execute specified tasks defined by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre of Monterey, California. The theme of the regional competition was to highlight the role ROVs play in the offshore oil and gas industry.

There was a strong focus on the challenges the devices and their operators faced during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the students took part in several mission tasks, including removing a damaged riser pipe, capping a wellhead, collecting a water sample, measuring depth and sampling organisms. The event was designed to be a learning experience that provided the students with a look into the exciting careers that exist with remotely operated vehicles.

“Students were given the opportunity to develop and utilize several skills, including project management, innovation, and technical and teamwork abilities. It's the same qualities we teach our Marine Institute graduates as they begin careers as leaders in the Newfoundland and Labrador ocean technology industries,” said Howse.

The provincial high school MATE ROV competition was supported by the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development; ExxonMobil; Terra Nova; AMEC; Subsea 7 Inc.; Husky Energy; GRI Simulations; and DOF Subsea. Participating high schools in the event included Ascension Collegiate of Bay Roberts; St. James Regional High of Port aux Basques; Botwood Collegiate of Botwood; Heritage Collegiate of Lethbridge; Corner Brook Regional High School of Corner Brook; Carbonear Collegiate of Carbonear; Holy Spirit High School of Conception Bay South; O’Donel High School of Mount Pearl; Clarenville High School of Clarenville; Lakewood Academy of Glenwood; Mount Pearl Senior High School of Mount Pearl; Queen Elizabeth Regional High School of Conception Bay South; Mealy Mountain Collegiate of Happy Valley-Goose Bay; and Crescent Collegiate of South Dildo.