Disclosed herein are undersea optical cable connection assemblies and systems. In some embodiments, a retainer is operable to arrange a plurality of SCFs and a plurality of microsplints, the retainer including a main body having a first section and a second section. The retainer may further include a first channel and a second channel extending through the first section, wherein a first set of SCFs extend through the first channel, and wherein a second set of SCFs extend through the second channel. The retainer may further include a third channel and a fourth channel extending through the first section, wherein a first set of microsplints extends through the third channel, and wherein a second set of microsplints extends through the fourth channel. A third set of microsplints extends through the third channel, wherein the first and third sets of microsplints are separated from one another by a padding layer.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a unique new approach to generating operating condition information used for assessing flow assurance and structural integrity. More specifically, apparatuses, systems and sensor housing assemblies configured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention utilize fiber optic sensors for enabling monitoring of operating condition information within one or more elongated tubular members within a subsea environment. To this end, such fiber optic sensors connected by lengths of optical fiber are strategically placed at a plurality of locations along a length of each elongated tubular member thereby allowing critical operating conditions such as strain, temperature and pressure of the elongated tubular member and/or a fluid therein to be monitored. A viscous media is used for mitigating attenuation associated with exposure of optical fiber exposed to forces generated by pressure within the subsea environment.

Embodiments presented provide for a method for locating or placing fiber optic cable on a sea floor. The placement of the fiber optic cable may be performed in a transition zone that typically causes errors in conventional placement technologies.