2013-2014

News Release

REF NO.: 113

SUBJECT: Junior and high school students compete in regional remotely operated vehicle competition

DATE: May 1, 2014

Note to editors:
Junior and high school students from across the province will convene at the Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland from May 2-3 for the Marine Advanced Technology Education Centre (MATE) remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Newfoundland and Labrador regional competition.
The junior high MATE ROV scout competition will take place in the Marine Institute’s flume tank on Friday, May 2, from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
The high school MATE ROV ranger competition will begin with opening ceremonies in the MI gymnasium at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 2. The ROV competition will take place on Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Marine Institute’s flume tank.
Media and the general public are invited to attend both events.
Students from 14 junior high and 21 high schools will have the opportunity to design, build and operate remotely operated vehicles that can deploy scientific instruments to execute specific tasks defined by MATE.
The 2014 regional competition is supported by the Hibernia Management and Development Company, Suncor, Statoil, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Subsea7, Husky Energy, the Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development and the Marine Institute./
The regional competitions are part of the MATE ROV international competition, which consists of 22 regional contests that take place across Canada, China, Scotland, Japan, Egypt and the U.S.
This year marks the 13th year of the MATE international competition. The competition will highlight the role that remotely operated vehicles play in exploring and documenting shipwrecks, studying sinkholes and conserving our national maritime heritage sites.
The top two teams from the high school ranger regional event will earn the opportunity to participate in the MATE international ROV competition at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Mich., from June 26-28. Memorial University’s post-secondary Eastern Edge Robotics team will also join the top ranger teams at the international competition, competing in a separate class.
Junior high schools taking part in the scout regional competition include Beaconsfield Junior High, Brother Rice Junior High, Clarenville Middle School, Frank Roberts Junior High, G.C. Rowe Jr. High School, Holy Trinity, Leo Burke Academy, Lewisporte Intermediate, MacDonald Drive Junior High, Mount Pearl Intermediate, Pasadena Academy, St. Mark’s School, Villanova Junior High and Hillview Academy.
High schools taking part in the ranger competition include Ascension Collegiate, Belanger Memorial, Carbonear Collegiate, Clarenville High School, Corner Brook Regional High, Gonzaga Regional High, Heritage Collegiate, Holy Spirit High School, Holy Trinity High, Leo Burke Academy, Lewisporte Collegiate, Mount Pearl Senior High, New World Island Academy, O'Donel High School, Pasadena Academy, Pearson Academy, Prince of Wales Collegiate, Queen Elizabeth Regional High School, St. Lawrence Academy, St. Mark’s School and St. Michael's Regional High.

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