Notice2024-19375
Request for Information (RFI) on Science Research Goals/Objectives Affecting Proposed U.S. Antarctic Science Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) Cable and Route Design
Primary source
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Published
August 28, 2024
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF) requests input from the full range of institutions and organizations across all relevant sectors--industry, academia, non-profits, government, venture capital, and others--to inform the development of a proposed subsea telecommunications cable capable of being equipped with sensors to support science research that would connect the largest U.S. research facility in Antarctica, McMurdo Station, with either the South Island of New Zealand or Southeast Australia. The proposed cable is expected to host the point science sensor concept promoted by the UN IOC/UNESCO Joint Task Force on Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (https://www.smartcables.org/) ("SMART") Cables. NSF requests information regarding the proposed McMurdo SMART Cable project including the cable route that maximizes science output and science sensor and technologies to be considered in designing the project. NSF will provide project information and updates at https://www.nsf.gov/ geo/opp/ail/subsea_cable.
Full Text
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68934-68942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19375]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Request for Information (RFI) on Science Research Goals/
Objectives Affecting Proposed U.S. Antarctic Science Monitoring and
Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) Cable and Route Design
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) requests input from the
full range of institutions and organizations across all relevant
sectors--industry, academia, non-profits, government, venture capital,
and others--to inform the development of a proposed subsea
telecommunications cable capable of being equipped with sensors to
support science research that would connect the largest U.S. research
facility in Antarctica, McMurdo Station, with either the South Island
of New Zealand or Southeast Australia. The proposed cable is expected
to host the point science sensor concept promoted by the UN IOC/UNESCO
Joint Task Force on Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications
(<a href="https://www.smartcables.org/">https://www.smartcables.org/</a>) (``SMART'') Cables. NSF requests
information regarding the proposed McMurdo SMART Cable project
including the cable route that maximizes science output and science
sensor and technologies to be considered in designing the project. NSF
will provide project information and updates at <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/ail/subsea_cable">https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/ail/subsea_cable</a>.
DATES: Interested persons or organizations are invited to submit
responses to this notice on or before 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on November 5,
2024.
ADDRESSES: Options for Responses to this notice are as follows:
<bullet> Electronic On-line Submission: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/subseacable">https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/subseacable</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#febf908a9f8c9d8a979dad8b9c8d9b9fbd9f9c929bd3acb8b7be908d98d0999188"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6c2d02180d1e0f18050f3f190e1f090d2f0d0e0009413e2a252c021f0a420b031a">[email protected]</span></a>. Email submissions
should be machine-readable and not be copy-protected. Submissions
should include ``RFI Response: Antarctic SMART Cable'' in the subject
line of the message.
<bullet> Letter Mail: U.S. National Science Foundation, Geosciences
Directorate, Office of Polar Programs, 2415 Eisenhower Ave., Suite
W7251, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Attn: Patrick D. Smith, Antarctic SMART Cable RFI Response.
<bullet> Telephone: Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Section,
(703) 292-8032.
The preferred method of response is the Electronic On-line
Submission.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick D. Smith, Technology
Development Manager for Polar Research Support, National Science
Foundation, Geosciences Directorate, Office of Polar Programs, 2415
Eisenhower Ave., Suite W7251, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone (703)
292-7455.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
Over 500 subsea fiber optic telecommunications cables, including
both installed and planned cables, cover nearly all ocean regions
including multiple high Arctic cables. NSF is investigating the
implementation of a modern subsea fiber optic telecommunications cable
connecting the largest U.S. Antarctic Program (<a href="https://www.usap.gov/">https://www.usap.gov/</a>)
research facility, McMurdo Station (77[deg]50'47'' S, 166[deg]40'06''
E) (<a href="https://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm">https://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm</a>?t=1), with
either New Zealand or Australia. Although the main scope of the
installation is to provide advanced high-speed, low delay
telecommunications, this cable will contain additional point sensors
(e.g., SMART--Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications) and/
or distributed sensing infrastructure, enabling for the first time
myriad investigations across a broad range of scientific disciplines.
The NSF Directorates for Geosciences (GEO), Computer and
Information Science and Engineering (CISE), and Technology, Innovation,
and Partnerships (TIP) have identified the potential subsea cable as an
opportunity for transformational changes in the conduct of science,
vast improvements in telecommunications capability supporting
Antarctica, and innovative public-private partnerships linking science
and technology.
Additionally, the cable would have the ability to accommodate
additional, multiple forms of distributed fiber optic sensing that are
advancing rapidly in technology maturity (e.g., Distributed Acoustic
Sensing, Distributed Temperature Sensing, State of Polarization, etc.).
Preliminary cable routes have been established using standard subsea
cable industry best practices that avoid areas posing high geophysical
risk, as well as initial feedback from the scientific community via a
virtual workshop in 2021, producing a broad corridor where
opportunities exist to adjust the final route to best align with Earth
science areas of high science research interest.
Further, science research supported by the cable sensors is of
societal relevance on a global scale for a number of reasons, such as
(1) filling significant knowledge gaps of key global ocean processes
and trends for improved understanding and monitoring climate change,
including ocean heat transport, CO<INF>2</INF> sequestration, and sea
level rise; (2) regional seismic monitoring and early warning of
potential tsunami seismic events; (3) global measurements of
geophysical Earth structure; and (4) developing the technological
capabilities to enhance other global telecommunications infrastructure
for scientific research and human benefit.
Science Workshop
In late June 2021, the NSF Directorate for Geosciences, Office of
Polar Programs (GEO/OPP) (<a href="https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OPP">https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OPP</a>)
and Directorate for Computer Information Science and Engineering,
Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CISE/OAC) (https://new.nsf.gov/
cise/
[[Page 68935]]
oac), jointly funded a research community-led science workshop (<a href="https://www.pgc.umn.edu/workshops/antarctic-cable/">https://www.pgc.umn.edu/workshops/antarctic-cable/</a>) to review the scientific
benefits of a sensor-enabled subsea fiber cable. The Workshop endorsed
the cable concept and noted that existing technology and cable systems
make it feasible. The Workshop concluded that the proposed activity
would benefit Antarctic science research by both increasing
telecommunications capacity and including new science sensors in the
cable design.
The Workshop's Executive Summary captured four primary findings:
Finding 1: Existing and future Antarctic research would be
significantly enhanced if bandwidth limitations were eliminated through
the availability of a modern submarine cable system.
Finding 2: A new submarine cable could be constructed with embedded
instrumentation (a Scientific Monitoring And Reliable
Telecommunications, or SMART, cable) that would itself enable
meaningful new research and understanding of the region.
Finding 3: Robust bandwidth for interpersonal connectivity for
scientists and staff, if thoughtfully approached, could be
transformative for research and work functions, participation in
Antarctic science, education, engagement, and community wellbeing.
Finding 4: Construction of a new SMART cable that provides
essentially unlimited bandwidth to McMurdo is feasible and could also
serve as the platform to extend connectivity to deep-field research
sites as well as critical research programs at Amundsen-Scott South
Pole Station. This level of connectivity can transform the science and
research platforms for future generations.
Feasibility Study
In response to the 2021 Science Workshop, NSF contracted a
comprehensive preliminary concept/feasibility study (known as a Desktop
Study, or DTS <a href="https://gbs1.com/desktop-studies/">https://gbs1.com/desktop-studies/</a>), incorporating the
unique attributes of implementing a sensor-enabled cable to Antarctica.
The public version of the McMurdo Cable DTS (<a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/NSF_PublicReleaseDTS_Final.pdf">https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/NSF_PublicReleaseDTS_Final.pdf</a>) was released in October
2023. NSF also provided a summary and news release (<a href="https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=308774&org=OPP">https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=308774&org=OPP</a>).
The DTS addresses two proposed routes for comparison: (1) McMurdo
Station to Sydney, Australia and (2) McMurdo Station to Invercargill,
New Zealand. It includes brief assessments of optional extensions from
the main cable routes to Macquarie Island for potential interconnection
to the Australian research station located there and to nearby
international research stations located in the Western Ross Sea/Terra
Nova Bay area. More details on the proposed routes including landing
sites and relevant diagrams can be found in section 2 of the DTS.
The study Executive Summary summarizes the key study results in a
comparison of the two routes considered.
Both routes were considered technically feasible with the following
observations:
(1) The NZ route is 1,500 km shorter and thus considerably more
economical.
(2) The Australian route has additional geophysical risk to the
cable arising from a crossing of the seismically active Macquarie Ridge
Complex to the north of Macquarie Island.
(3) The New Zealand route covers more regions of science interest
as indicated by science researcher input to the study. Seismologist
interests obtained during the study proposed cable branching units
located at 60[deg] S and 50[deg] S for future sea bottom seismometer
instruments tapping the cable's power and communications.
(4) The risk from ice scour appears reasonable based upon detailed
near-shore bathymetry--the Antarctic SMART Cable landing risk
mitigation uses standard subsea cable landing techniques called
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). Bathymetry and iceberg keel
depth studies pertaining to the cable route transit across the Ross Sea
continental shelf yield a similar low risk assessment.
(5) Environmental assessments and permitting will be a significant
component of future work, as is the case with all subsea cable
projects, and will include the Antarctic Treaty Committee on
Environmental Protection protocols. Coordination with the Committee for
the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) will be
needed as the proposed cable route transits the CCAMLR governed Marine
Protected Areas in the Ross Sea region.
Subsea Cable Industry Considerations
A subsea cable installation represents a substantial economic
investment. As such, modern subsea telecommunications cables are
designed with a 25-year or greater lifetime and thus are designed for
high reliability and low maintenance. The introduction of SMART sensors
into commercial subsea telecommunications cables is a new phenomenon,
with the Government of Portugal-sponsored Atlantic CAM cable (<a href="https://www.infraestruturasdeportugal.pt/pt-pt/ip-e-asn-assinam-contrato-para-construcao-de-novo-anel-cam">https://www.infraestruturasdeportugal.pt/pt-pt/ip-e-asn-assinam-contrato-para-construcao-de-novo-anel-cam</a>) and the TAMTAM cable connecting New
Caledonia and Vanuatu (<a href="https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/announce/news/contract-signed-vanuatu-new-caledonia/">https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/announce/news/contract-signed-vanuatu-new-caledonia/</a>) being the first examples.
The introduction of sensors into a standard telecommunications cable
meeting scientific requirements and inherent cable design life/
reliability requirements represents both a new market opportunity and a
new technical frontier for industry that will influence the design and
adoption of SMART sensors. Point sensors also complement and enhance
commercially available cable sensing technologies such as distributed
fiber sensing.
Resources
NSF, United States Antarctic Program Portal; https://www.usap.gov/
NSF, Office of Polar Programs; <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OPP">https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OPP</a>
NSF, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure; <a href="https://new.nsf.gov/cise/oac">https://new.nsf.gov/cise/oac</a>
NSF, McMurdo Station Webcams; https://www.usap.gov/
videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm
Joint Task Force on Science Monitoring And Reliable
Telecommunications, SMART Cables; https://www.smartcables.org/
Neff, P.D., Andreasen, J.R., Roop, H.A., Pundsack, J., Howe, B.,
Jacobs, G., Lassner, D., Yoshimi, G., and Timm, K. (2021). 2021
Antarctic Subsea Cable Workshop Report: High-Speed Connectivity
Needs to Advance US Antarctic Science. October 1, 2021. University
of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA; <a href="https://www.pgc.umn.edu/workshops/antarctic-cable/">https://www.pgc.umn.edu/workshops/antarctic-cable/</a>
ICPC, Minimum Technical Requirements for a Desktop Study (6 March
2012), Recommendation No. 9, at pp. 4-8; <a href="http://www.iscpc.org/publications/recommendations">www.iscpc.org/publications/recommendations</a>
NSF, Connecting the Last Continent: New desktop study on
Antarctica's potential subsea telecommunications cable, with link to
study, 27 December 2023; <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=308774&org=OPP">https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=308774&org=OPP</a>
Infraestruturas de Portugal, IP and ASN sign contract for the
construction of a New CAM Ring, 13 March 2024; <a href="https://www.infraestruturasdeportugal.pt/pt-pt/ip-e-asn-assinam-contrato-para-construcao-de-novo-anel-cam">https://www.infraestruturasdeportugal.pt/pt-pt/ip-e-asn-assinam-contrato-para-construcao-de-novo-anel-cam</a>
University of Hawai'i, Contract signed for world's first SMART
subsea cable, connecting Vanuatu, New Caledonia, School of Ocean and
Earth Science and Technology, 29 February 2024; <a href="https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/announce/news/contract-signed-vanuatu-new-caledonia/">https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/announce/news/contract-signed-vanuatu-new-caledonia/</a>
Definition of Terms/References
[[Page 68936]]
2021 Antarctic Subsea Cable Workshop: <a href="https://www.pgc.umn.edu/workshops/antarctic-cable/">https://www.pgc.umn.edu/workshops/antarctic-cable/</a>
Branching Unit (BU): <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_branching_unit">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_branching_unit</a>
Ocean Bottom Pressure A-0-A Technology: https://
oceanobservatories.org/pi-instrument/a-0-a-calibrated-pressure-
instrument/
#:~:text=TheAD0DAmethod,pressureinsidetheinstrumenthousing.
Repeater: S. Lentz and B. Howe, ``Scientific Monitoring And Reliable
Telecommunications (SMART) Cable Systems: Integration of Sensors
into Telecommunications Repeaters,'' 2018 OCEANS--MTS/IEEE Kobe
Techno-Oceans (OTO), Kobe, Japan, 2018, pp. 1-7, doi: 10.1109/
OCEANSKOBE.2018.8558862. (pg. 2) <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329618575_Scientific_Monitoring_And_Reliable_Telecommunications_SMART_Cable_Systems_Integration_of_Sensors_into_Telecommunications_Repeaters">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329618575_Scientific_Monitoring_And_Reliable_Telecommunications_SMART_Cable_Systems_Integration_of_Sensors_into_Telecommunications_Repeaters</a>
SMART Cables: <a href="https://www.smartcables.org/smart">https://www.smartcables.org/smart</a>
Technology Readiness Level (TRL): <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_readiness_level">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_readiness_level</a>
Information Requested
Through this notice, NSF seeks information from the public to
evolve the development of the Antarctic SMART Cable. NSF requests
information regarding the subsea cable route that both minimizes the
risk to the cable and maximizes science research potential, the range
of potential science sensors to include, as well as their geographic
distribution, the locations of powered cable branching units for future
sensor cable build-out or undersea observatory-style point sensor
arrays, concepts for the incorporation of existing or promising
distributed fiber sensing techniques, and suggested paths to catalyze
the necessary technology to develop such a cable system. Additionally,
NSF seeks information relevant to partnership opportunities with the
public (U.S., international) and private (academia, for-profit and non-
profit) sectors that will facilitate the conceptualization,
development, deployment and sustainment of the cable system and related
scientific infrastructure.
The information requested here will be used to inform the proposed
Antarctic SMART Cable project via the NSF Major Research Equipment
Facilities and Construction (MREFC) program that funds the development
of facility infrastructure. MREFC projects are funded via a separate
appropriation intended for large capital-intensive investments,
distinct from the NSF appropriations funding research and related
activities.
Responses submitted via Email and Letter Mail are requested to
follow the Electronic On-line Submission data capture questions and
format for ease in analyzing responses. These responses may address one
or as many topics as desired from the enumerated list provided in this
RFI, noting the corresponding number of the topic(s) to which the
response pertains. Written submissions must be type-written and not
exceed 3 pages (exclusive of cover page and accompanying graphics) in
11-point or larger font, single spacing and with a page number provided
on each page.
Comments containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published or widely available should
include copies or electronic links of the referenced materials; these
materials, as well as a list of references, do not count toward the 3-
page limit. No business proprietary information, copyrighted
information, or personally identifiable information (aside from
optional information requested below) should be submitted in response
to this RFI. Comments submitted in response to this RFI will be used
internally at NSF and may be shared with other Federal agencies and NSF
contractors assigned to process the responses.
Responders are asked to answer one or more of the following
questions in responses to the RFI. There are no known risks to
participating, and participation is voluntary. Unless provided by you,
no identifying information will be collected; therefore, all responses
will remain confidential, anonymous, and reported in the aggregate.
While there is no sensitive content, you may skip a question at any
time.
Demographic Questions
1. In which sector do you currently work?
(a) Academia
(b) Private or publicly traded company
(c) Government agency/public sector
(d) Non-governmental organization/non-profit
(e) Venture capital/private equity
(f) Other (Please specify)
2. Please select up to three (3) areas of expertise/interest:
(a) Physical Oceanography
(b) Cryosphere
(c) Biochemistry
(d) Science Education
(e) Geodesy
(f) Hydrology
(g) Climate Change Research
(h) Marine Geology/Geophysics
(i) Natural Hazards
(j) Solid Earth Geophysics
(k) Subsea Fiber Optic Cable Systems
(l) Sensor/Instrumentation Development
(m) Data Management
(n) Distributed Fiber Sensing
(o) Other (Please specify)
3. For how long have you been working in your current field(s)?
(a) Less than five years
(b) Five to less than ten years
(c) Ten to less than twenty years
(d) Twenty years or more
(e) Prefer not to answer
SMART Cables and Antarctic SMART Cable Science Objectives
4. How familiar are you with the overall SMART Cable concept?
Very familiar
Familiar
Somewhat familiar
Not very familiar
Not at all familiar
5. Prior to the NSF Federal Register Notice and this Electronic On-
Line Submission, how familiar were you with the nascent Antarctic SMART
Cable project?
Very familiar
Familiar
Somewhat familiar
Not very familiar
Not at all familiar
6. Which of the following major research areas do you see the
observational capability of the cable supporting? Select all that
apply.
Climate Change Research
Acoustic Monitoring
Long-Term Global Ocean Observations (general)
Seismology Research
Earthquake/Tsunami Monitoring
Sea Level Research
Deep Ocean Circulation Research
Southern Ocean Research
Other (Please specify)
None of the above
7. If you selected ``NONE OF THE ABOVE'' in the previous question,
please elaborate here:
[[Page 68937]]
Current and Future Sensors
The initial SMART Cable sensor concept incorporates three basic
measurements: Ocean Bottom Pressure, Ocean Bottom Temperature, and
Seismic Ground Motion (seismic acceleration and/or velocity). At the
time of the release of this survey, the supplier for the two commercial
SMART Cable systems under development is finalizing their sensor and
vendor selection process, but future systems--like the Antarctic SMART
Cable--may have some limited flexibility in the types of sensors which
can be incorporated. The following questions explore the range of
potential sensor capabilities under consideration for inclusion in the
Antarctic SMART Cable.
8. How important is it for the sensor to measure each of the
following?
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[[Page 68938]]
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9. If you'd like, please use this space to elaborate on your
answers to Question 8.
10. How important is it for the sensor to measure each of the
following?
11. If you'd like, please use this space to elaborate on your
answers to Question 10.
[[Page 68939]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN28AU24.404
12. How important is it for the sensor to measure each of the
following?
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN28AU24.405
13. If you'd like, please use this space to elaborate on your
answers to Question 12.
14. How important is it to include the following additional sensors
in the cable?
[[Page 68940]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN28AU24.406
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15. In the previous question, for any selections you indicated were
``important'' or ``very important,'' please explain why you feel these
sensor types should be included on the cable:
16. In question #14, for any selections you indicated were ``not
very important'' or ``not important at all,'' please explain why you
feel these sensor types are not needed:
17. In your view, how do SMART and distributed fiber sensing (i.e.,
DAS and DTS) complement one another?
18. What new scientific discoveries or breakthroughs do you
anticipate as a direct result of having access to the long-term
measurement data collected by the cable's sensors?
New Sensor Technologies
To catalyze rapid sensor development and increase their Technology
Readiness Levels (TRLs) for inclusion in the Antarctic SMART Cable, a
range of organizational approaches may be necessary.
19. Should NSF facilitate further development for SMART Cable
sensors? If so, how (i.e., research labs/institutions/industry/
partnerships, etc.)?
Yes
No
Don't know
20. If you'd like, please use this space to elaborate on your
answer to question 19.
Location of the SMART Cable, Sensors, and Future Cable Expansion
For some segments of the cable, it may be possible to shift the
cable's path slightly in some locations to accommodate additional
science or enable long-term monitoring of specific scientific targets.
Further, depending upon the final technological solution(s) for how
sensor units will be incorporated into the cable, there may be
opportunities to select the locations of some of the sensor modules.
Finally, the cable may be able to include one or more Branching Units
(BUs). A BU can be used for multiple purposes, such as adding another
cable branch, attaching a localized device, or providing an entry point
for including a localized network of sensors focused on a specific area
or areas.
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[[Page 68941]]
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Figure Caption: Potential routes for the Antarctica SMART Cable system
based on the 2023 Desktop Study (<a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/NSF_Public%20Release%20DTS_Final.pdf">https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/NSF_Public%20Release%20DTS_Final.pdf</a>). Thick white dashed lines
represent primary McMurdo Trunk and three proposed cable segments with
optional landings at (a) Macquarie Island, (b) Invercargill, New
Zealand, and (c) Sydney, Australia. Proposed Cable Landing Stations are
marked by white circles. Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem (VME) areas near
McMurdo Station are shaded dark gray. The dark gray zone around trunk
and cable options shows buffer zones where Branching Unit (BU) stubs
could extend. Tectonic plate boundaries (AU: Indo-Australian Plate; AN:
Antarctic Plate; PA: Pacific Plate) are denoted by thin black lines.
21. Referring to the above Figure and noting the region of
potential cable locations, would you shift the position of the proposed
cable route within the buffer zone (dark gray area in the figure)? If
so, where? Note that cable path shifts will be minimal without
additional engineering evaluations for deployment feasibility and cable
safety.
[[Page 68942]]
Yes
No
Don't know
22. If you'd like, please use this space to elaborate on your
answer to question 21.
23. How valuable would it be to your research to be able to select
the specific locations of the SMART sensor modules along the cable?
Very valuable
Valuable
Somewhat valuable
Not very valuable
Not valuable at all
24. How important is it to include one or more Branching Units?
Very important
Important
Somewhat important
Not very important
Not important at all
25. In terms of current and future research, in your view what are
potential uses for Branching Units?
26. Referring again to the above Figure and noting the corridor
available around the trunk lines to deploy stubs from Branching Units
(dark gray shaded areas surrounding the white dotted lines), would you
place additional BUs?
Yes
No
Don't Know
27. If you'd like, please use this space to elaborate on your
answers to question 26. If you answered yes, please indicate where and
why.
28. What potential do you see for the cable to enable the vision of
the networked ocean as a relay platform for an ``internet of Underwater
Things'', such as subsea gliders, submersible float sensors, ROVs and
similar submersible autonomous instrumentation systems?
Partnerships and the Project
The Whitepaper (<a href="https://goosocean.org/news/un-ocean-decade-challenge-7-white-paper-a-roadmap-for-the-observing-system-we-need/">https://goosocean.org/news/un-ocean-decade-challenge-7-white-paper-a-roadmap-for-the-observing-system-we-need/</a>)
addressing Challenge 7 (``Expand the Global Ocean Observing System'')
from the UN IOC/UNESCO Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development (2021-2030) (``Ocean Decade 2030'') program indicates that
significant investments will be needed to meet the challenges for
global ocean observation goals while current investments and mechanisms
are inadequate. There is a clear call for multi-sector engagements such
as public-private partnerships and international collaborations for a
``new economic thinking'' to provide the resources needed.
29. What private and/or public sector groups (e.g., academic, non-
profit, industry, etc.) do you think may have an active interest in
partnership activities with NSF for aspects of the cable system
development?
Contribution of the Antarctic SMART Cable To Resolve Global Challenges
30. Beyond the potential direct benefits to support science in the
Antarctic and the region covered directly by the Antarctic SMART Cable,
there may be broader benefits to developing the Antarctic SMART Cable.
In your view, what are the global, national, and societal benefits of
this cable?
Future Science Workshop
31. A successor science workshop is being considered for 2025 to
build upon and extend the work of the June 2021 workshop and this
Electronic On-Line Submission. How interested would you be in attending
virtually or in-person, provided full or partial travel expenses could
be provided?
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN28AU24.408
Final Thoughts
32. If there is anything else you'd like to share or elaborate upon
regarding the topics mentioned here, please provide them here.
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Name-------------------------------------------------------------------
Affiliation------------------------------------------------------------
Title/Position---------------------------------------------------------
Email address----------------------------------------------------------
(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1861, et al.)
Dated: August 23, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024-19375 Filed 8-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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