RESTON, Va., June 7, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), North America's premier provider of mobile satellite communications services, in conjunction with Global Synergies, LLC., an e-mail, GPS tracking and data services provider to the maritime sector, is providing a critical satellite data link for a four-year National Science Foundation-funded research program in the Bahamas that may help geologists understand the dominant ecosystems that flourished on Earth billions of years ago.
To access a photo of the weather station featuring a packet data terminal, access: http://www.msvlp.com/images/UCONNBahamas.jpg.
The program, called The Research Initiative on Bahamian Stromatolites, is funded with a $2.5 million grant. Principal investigators include researchers at six U.S. universities, including University of Connecticut, University of Miami, University of South Carolina, Florida State University, Duquesne University, and University of Maryland, as well as researchers with the NASA Ames Research Center, which hopes the study will help them detect evidence of life on Mars through studying rocks when astronauts begin bringing back rocks from Mars in five years. The focus of the research is on layered deposits of calcium carbonate known as stromatolites, the oldest macroscopic evidence of life on Earth that first appeared in the geological record at least 3.5 billion years ago, and that only thrive today in parts of the ocean around the Bahamas.
"The major excitement of this research is in the geological world -- understanding how life on Earth was 2 billion years in the past when these were the dominant ecosystems. The Bahamas is the only place where these ancient structures are alive today," says Dr. Pieter Visscher, associate professor at the University of Connecticut's Department of Marine Sciences, who is leading the biology aspect of the program. "Studying microbial life in these rocks has implications in the biomedical field, including insights into bone generation."
The 10-foot tall weather station, featuring two solar panels, a data logger and a PDT-100, was established at the end of March on the remote island of Highborne Cay located 40 miles east of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. It is situated at the edge of the beach where the dunes begin. The proximity of the weather station to the water ensures that it can accurately measure the extreme conditions to which the stromatolites are exposed. MSV's packet data service, working with Global Synergies' software platform, transmits critical wind speed, wind direction, temperature and photosynthesis measurements via satellite every two hours.
"The satellite component is an integral part of our monitoring program -- providing us with near real-time information on the conditions of these structures when we are not on site, while also giving us a heads up when something changes. This is very important because these structures are actually the motor of the bacteria community," Visscher explains.
MSV and Global Synergies already provide the satellite connectivity for the University of Connecticut's data buoys that serve as an ocean observatory to track weather and water conditions in Long Island Sound. The data buoys, in operation since 1999, transmit weather and water-quality information as well as waves in near real time over the web site, (www.mysound.uconn.edu), which is frequently accessed by educators at the middle school and high school level, environmental managers, the recreational boating community and commercial shipping companies that transit Long Island Sound. The University's marine science research vessel, the RV Connecticut, relies on MSV and Global Synergies for remote e-mail access when researchers are at sea.
About Global Synergies
Global Synergies, LLC., with headquarters in Milford, Conn., provides satellite email, GPS tracking and real-time data services for a variety of industries including: maritime, trucking, aviation, recreational vehicles, yachts, scientific research, environmental monitoring, government and homeland defense. For more information, visit www.globalsynergies.net.
About MSV
Mobile Satellite Ventures is North America's premier provider of mobile satellite communications services. Delivering service since 1996, MSV offers customers a wide choice of wireless data, voice, fax and dispatch radio services via its two MSAT satellites. MSV provides superior capacity and reliability for customers across North America, northern South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Hawaii and up to 200 miles offshore.
MSV is dedicated to developing the next generation hybrid wireless network over North America that will utilize a powerful satellite constellation working in unison with MSV's patented ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) technology to deliver seamless wireless services to end-users over standard wireless devices.
MSV is headquartered in Reston VA with an office in Ottawa ON. For more information, visit MSV online at www.msvlp.com.