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Mid-Atlantic Contaminated Sediment/Soils Symposium
Feb 19, 2010
Wednesday March 24, 2010 -
Liberty House Restaurant, Jersey City, NJ
Over the past 35 years Aqua Survey, Inc. has collected and tested thousands of sediment cores and has performed hundreds of sediment toxicology studies here in the region. Our team of professional mariners, geophysicists and environmental scientists are almost always the first to know when a client’s sample has contaminant “issues.” When we report this data to our clients or their representatives, we are often asked, “What are our options?” and then, “Do you have any idea how much they cost today?” This one-day symposium has been designed to answer these questions and others you may have.
Our Symposium speakers have regional, national and international practical experiences to share. They are recognized contaminated sediment and soils experts and leaders. They will provide attendees with examples of clearly directed programs, well run assessments and cost-effective remediation strategies. Speakers will each conclude with a short list of do’s and don’ts.
Abbreviated list of confirmed speakers:
Eric Stern-U.S. EPA Region 2
Robert Engler-Moffatt & Nichol Engineers
Stany Pensaert-DEME Environmental Contractors
Dennis Grubb-Schnabel Engineering
Phil Spadaro-Arcadis U.S.
Richard Traver-CH2M Hill
Lyle Trumbull - O’Brien & Gere
Mary Sorensen - Environ Corporation
Tom Fikslin - DRBC
William Priore - GeoSyntec Corporation
Scott Douglas - NJDOT/OMR
William Potter - de maximis
-Also-
Guest Luncheon Speaker:
Abora III Expedition Leader Dominique Görlitz
Seating is limited. Registration is FREE. Contact Don Nazario at to register today.
Liberty House Restaurant
Inside Liberty State Park
76 Audrey Zapp Drive
Jersey City, NJ 07304
(210) 395-0300
http://www.libertyhouserestaurant.com
Hotel Choices
Westin Jersey City Newport
497 Washington Blvd., Jersey City, NJ
201-626-2900
Doubletree Hotel Jersey City
455 Washington Blvd., Jersey City, NJ
201-499-2400
Courtyard by Marriott
540 Washington Blvd., Jersey City, NJ
201-626-6600
Marriott Newark Intl.
Hotel Road - Newark Airport
Newark, NJ
973-623-0006
Shuttles -
State Shuttle
Phone 800-427-3207
approx. $32 to Jersey City Hotels
City Line Limo
201-333-3335
Cleopatra Exhibit Soon to Make American Debut
Jan 13, 2010
”The World’s Most Fascinating Woman”
As a little kid I grew up watching National Geographic specials and the series Bold Journey. On a daily basis I went on expeditions into the swamps near my childhood home in New Jersey. Back in the 1950’s and 60’s I never imagined someday I would be a scientist working with an international marine archeology expedition in Egypt. That would all change when I received a phone call from the Smithsonian’s Nile River Delta expert Dr. Jean Daniel Stanley. He invited Aqua Survey to provide high-resolution sediment coring services in, of all places, Egypt. Stanley told us our cores would be used to try to determine why Cleopatra’s recently found, long-lost palace was now submerged under the murky water of the Mediterranean. We mobilized people and equipment to Alexandria; collected dozens of sediment vibracores and then packed the samples for shipment to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. It was fascinating to watch The Discovery Channel film crew capture our amazing adventure on film.
This June, Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute will be featuring an exhibit on Cleopatra’s palace and possibly reveal what forces sent the palace to its watery grave. The last time I held some of the artifacts to be displayed, they were neatly organized in large bins soaking in freshwater (the first step in curation). No doubt, I won’t be allowed to touch them again in Philadelphia.
Aqua Survey would like to encourage you to visit the exhibit this summer. We are planning an Aqua Survey reception at the Franklin Institute to celebrate the exhibit. On-hand to interpret the exhibit will be Eric Smith (archaeological diver from Franck Goddio’s team and now ASI employee) and me. We look forward to sharing our personal experiences in Egypt. Goddio has often referred to Cleopatra as being the most fascinating woman to ever live. Visit Franck Goddio’s website or visit the Franklin Institute to see if you agree. Visit Aqua Survey’s website to find out more about how we are currently using geophysical tools to locate cultural artifacts. Let us know if you would like more information on the reception at the Franklin Institute.
Ken Hayes
President and Founder
Aqua Survey , Inc.
Samurai Invasions, Stepping Stones & Human Ingenuity
Jan 06, 2010
Ancient Korea’s Struggle For Survival
by Garrett Hayes, Aqua Survey Staff Writer
The year is 1592 and the Joeson Dynasty of Korea is about to be confronted by one of the world’s fiercest professional armies, the Japanese samurai. After more than one hundred years of civil war, Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan has recently unified his country. Suddenly faced with a large force of battle-hardened, aggressive Japanese soldiers with little to do, Hideyoshi decides to invade China and use its small neighbor Korea as a mere stepping stone. Better to attack a neighbor now than to deal with the possibility of a military coup.
Suffering from a mismanaged government and a poorly trained army, Korea most likely would have suffered quick defeat by the Japanese had it not been for the efforts of one man and his innovative vessel design. That one man was Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Admiral Yi would not only go down in history as the brilliant strategist and charismatic leader who led the Korean navy to victory against the Japanese, but, to many Koreans, he would also be remembered as the inventor of the infamous Turtle Boat.
Taking into account the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses, Yi’s Turtle Boat would play an integral role in the repulsion of the Japanese invasion. At one hundred ten to one hundred twenty feet in length the Turtle Boat featured a U-shaped hull constructed of thick timber as well as what amounted to a heavily armored “turtle shell” which covered the entire top deck of the vessel to protect combatants from enemy fire. In order to counter the Japanese’s favored battle strategy of grappling onto and then boarding enemy vessels to engage in hand-to-hand combat, this shell was covered with iron spikes, which would impale anyone who attempted to board the vessel. This design played to the Koreans’ favor in that they were very advanced in terms of cannon weaponry. A small group of Turtle Boats could rapidly close in on the enemy to deal out massive damage through cannon fire while sustaining little damage themselves.
Over the course of the war, perhaps a dozen Turtle Boats were constructed. None of them have ever been seen by modern man. To this day no one has found the remains of a single Turtle Boat. To make matters more complicated, Admiral Yi is said to have won every single naval engagement in which he was a part of, thus making the locations of his battles unlikely areas to search. What happened to the Turtle Boats? Perhaps part of the answer lies in the Battle of Chilcheonryang, one of the few naval engagements during the war in which Admiral Yi was sidelined and did not lead Korea’s fleet. The Battle of Chilcheonryang was by all accounts a Korean slaughter. The Korean fleet lost 157 ships while the Japanese sustained only minimal damage. Does the bottom of the Chilcheonryang hold the remains of one or more of Yi’s Turtle Boats? Other Turtle Boats survived the war, but have seemingly disappeared into the annals of history. Can a Turtle Boat be found and excavated? And if so, what will be the key to finding its location?
Under contract to the prestigious Marine Resource and Cultural Foundation, Aqua Survey is slated to arrive with their advanced geophysical survey instruments this Spring to attempt to locate a Turtle Boat.
EM-Tipped Jet-Probe™ Detects Metals
Nov 06, 2009
A new proprietary hybrid system combines Geonics’ EM-61 consoles with Aqua Survey-developed electromagnetic sensor tipped jet-probes. This combination allows divers as well as topside and terrestrial technicians to advance an EM probe by utilization of a water-jet at the tip of the probe while at the same time detecting both ferrous and non-ferrous buried metals. The probe can be attached to various length handles (2-40 feet). Operators are alerted both visually and audibly when metal objects are detected in advance of the probe. This system provides a safe, efficient and cost effective alternative for the probing of sediment or soils for metal objects. Probes can also be operated without water-jetting in unconsolidated sediments.
South Korean Cultural Foundation Selects Aqua Survey
Sep 23, 2009
If you’re like many of us, the first thing you think of when someone mentions Korea is a show close to many of our hearts. With endearing characters like Hawkeye and Radar and a poignant subject matter, it’s easy to understand why M*A*S*H not only had 11 seasons but lives on today in syndication. Korea is a lot more than M*A*S*H, however. For instance, did you know that over 400 years ago one of the greatest battles in naval history was fought near the southern tip of Korea by one of the most brilliant naval strategists to have ever lived? Today, not many people outside of Korea know of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his ingenious Turtle Boats, but to Koreans they are the stuff of legend. We here at Aqua Survey didn’t know much about this episode in history until we were contacted by the Marine Resource & Cultural Foundation of South Korea and given the great honor of a very special mission: to locate and raise one of Admiral Yi’s famous Turtle Boats, an intriguing assignment considering that modern man has never seen one.
What exactly is a Turtle Boat? And what exactly did Admiral Yi do to be regarded as not just a brilliant leader, but a true hero and a country’s national pride? Where will we search and with what tools?
Aqua Survey is gearing up to head over to South Korea next month to begin a geophysical investigation to find a 400 year old lost Turtle Boat. We believe our recently developed electromagnetic metal detection system will play a pivotal role in our success. Each week our email newsflash will explore a different aspect of Turtle Boats and the adventure of using proprietary survey equipment to locate a sunken Turtle Boat. Soon emails in this series will feature live updates from the project site in Busan, South Korea.
Aqua Survey presents at HDC SETAC Meeting
Apr 28, 2009
Don Nazario from Aqua Survey, Inc. recently presented a talk titled “Introduction to Geophysical Surveys” at the 2009 Annual Spring Meeting of the Hudson-Delaware Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (HDC SETAC). The meeting was held April 23-24, 2009 at the Overlook Lodge in Bear Mountain, NY. The SETAC attendees consisted of university students, EPA, NOAA and NY State regulatory officials and individuals from private industry. Included in the presentation was a 10 minute video that showed the geophysical survey tools that have been used on the Atocha project in Key West, FL and metal detecting services that are used for unexploded ordnance (UXO) markout.
An Old Friend Visits the US
Mar 27, 2009
Abora IV Trans-Atlantic Sailing Expedition
Recently Jon Doi and I had the pleasure of visiting an old friend. We attended a presentation on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at the German Consulate in New York City. The speaker was the botanist and experimental archeologist Dominique Goerlitz. Those of you who have subscribed to our company email flashes will remember Aqua Survey’s coverage of the historic Abora III expedition during the summer of 2007 (see Aqua Survey Video). Dominique was back in New York City to offer experiences from his last transatlantic voyage but also to discuss his upcoming Abora IV expedition.
The invited guests were treated to dramatic pictures and video of the Abora III voyage along with personal stories and insights by Dominique. Mr. Goerlitz is not only a very popular scientist but he is an authentic personality and came across as very likeable and positive-thinking. As an inspiring and compelling speaker, he also addressed issues such as project management and team building that is extremely important for a successful expedition.
Aqua Survey, Inc. looks forward to supporting Dominique Goerlitz and his team as they pull together resources and begin the construction of the Abora IV right here in NJ! The expedition has selected Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ as the building location for the Abora IV. The building area at Liberty Science Center provides a fascinating location for viewing the progress of this historic voyage.
We wish Dominique and his devoted team members the best of luck and look forward to supporting him on his next transatlantic voyage, The Abora IV!
Ken Hayes