The present invention provides a system, apparatus, and method for harvesting objects from the bottom of aquatic environments. The invention preferably provides a system, apparatus, and method for utilizing swarms of autonomous harvesting vehicles to harvest polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor.

A method and equipment for harvesting natural gas from seabed hydrates are disclosed. The preferred equipment includes a mobile riser, a water injection nozzle, a gas collector, a gas separator, a gas compressor, a water pump, and a water boiler. A fraction of produced gas is used to heat water which is in turn injected to seafloor for dissociating gas hydrates. The preferred method of the invention comprises producing natural gas from seabed hydrates using a production ship with a moving riser installed. This method eliminates the need of drilling wells and thus cuts cost of gas production tremendously.

A system for dredging a seabed includes a trailing suction hopper dredger. The trailing suction hopper dredger includes a hull, a rail coupled to the hull, and a dredge arm coupled to the rail. The dredge arm includes an upper suction pipe coupled to a lower suction pipe. A pump is coupled to the upper suction pipe and is configured to draw material toward the upper suction pipe from the seabed. A visual marine life deterrent is coupled to the dredge arm and is configured to direct light toward the sea floor where marine life may be located. Another visual marine life deterrent includes a silhouette of a marine life predator. The visual marine life deterrents are configured to be observable by the marine life and cause marine life to move away from the dredge arm.

A system for performing underwater earthworks, the system including a power pack situated outside the water, at least one submersible operating unit for performing underwater earthworks, wherein the operating unit is connected with the power pack through power supply means, and a control unit connected via data communication means with the power pack and the operating unit and with instrumentation indicating location and depth of the operating unit.

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus and method for seabed resources collection. The apparatus comprises a main module and a plurality of seabed resources collecting devices releasably attached to the main module, wherein the main module and the plurality of collecting devices are configured to be launched from a surface vessel towards a seabed; the main module includes a control module which is configured to determine a mining path for each of the collecting devices based on characteristics of the seabed, control each of the collecting devices to collect seabed resources along the determined mining path and control transfer of the seabed resources collected by the collecting devices, wherein each collecting device is configured to be released from the main module after the apparatus is launched, and to collect seabed resources along the mining path determined by the main module after being released.

The present application discloses a dredging system for a pre-paved gravel foundation bed surface in open sea deep water, including a dredging mechanism, which includes a dredging suction head, a power component and a dredging pipeline, wherein the dredging suction head is connected with the dredging pipeline; the dredging pipeline is communicated with the power component; the dredging suction head includes at least one ridge surface suction port and at least one furrow suction port; the openings of all the furrow suction ports are lower than those of all the ridge surface suction ports; a lifting mechanism, which is connected with the dredging suction head and is used for lifting the dredging suction head to the gravel foundation bed surface; a moving mechanism, which is connected with the lifting mechanism and is used for driving the dredging suction head to move within a dredging range of the gravel foundation bed surface. By the adoption of the dredging system for the pre-paved gravel foundation bed surface in the open sea deep water of the present application, the dredging suction head includes the ridge surface suction ports and the furrow suction ports, and may suck mud on the top surfaces of gravel ridges and the mud in furrows between two gravel ridges at the same time, thereby guaranteeing the dredging quality of the gravel foundation bed surface and improving the working efficiency. The dredging system is simple in structure, convenient to use and good in dredging effect.

The invention relates to a manoeuvrable trailing dredging vessel comprising; a vessel propulsion member coupled with a propulsion shaft provided with a single gear for driving the propulsion member, a drive system having a central drive shaft coupled with the vessel propulsion member for providing power to the vessel propulsion member, a transmission device having at least a trailing transmission shaft provided with a trailing pinion and a sailing transmission shaft provided with a sailing pinion, wherein the central drive shaft is coupled with the single gear of the propulsion shaft through one of the trailing transmission shaft and the sailing transmission shaft.

An overflow system for a hopper dredger comprises an overflow tube; an inlet for taking in head water from the hopper; and a collector to collect the flow of head water entering the inlet and guide the flow to the overflow tube. The collector comprises a substantially horizontal top portion which delineates a top of a flowpath for head water into the collector to ensure substantially radial flow into the collector. At least one of the overflow tube and the inlet is adjustable for controlling flow into the overflow system.

Microdredging systems comprising a pumping platform and loading platform are described. In certain embodiments, system operates autonomously and is adapted to allow the loading platform undock from the pumping platform for disposal of the removed sediment.

The invention relates to an excavation installation, comprising excavation means (1,2) in which more than one excavation means (1,2) is positioned offset next to another in a row (34,35) of excavation means (1,2). In use the excavation installation may excavate a horizontal bottom of water (102) in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the rows (34,35) of excavation means (1,2). The excavation means (1,2) are connected to a rigid construction, in which the rigid construction (3) is positioned vertically above the excavation means (1,2). The rigid construction (3) is resiliency connected to a bridge (5) that is positioned vertically above the rigid construction (3) and connected by means of actuators (7).