CERES Missions & References
Hydrographic and geophysical investigations
Salvage operations and underwater interventions
Maritime and underwater expertise
SURVEY, UXO, SALVAGE
SURVEY UXO / SWITZERLAND - Lake Geneva
CERES is carrying out a new phase of UXO investigation, searching for, locating and identifying submerged munitions in Lake Geneva in preparation for clean-up operations. Several weeks of surveys are planned using side-scan sonar, a multibeam echosounder, a sub-bottom profiler, a magnetometer and an ROV, over several consecutive years.
CERES UXO in Mer & Marine
WRECK / The trawler "RAVENEL"
In February 1962, the trawler Ravenel disappeared off Saint-Pierre and Miquelon with 15 local seamen on board. More than 60 years later, Bertrand SCIBOZ and a CERES team were commissioned to relocate and identify the wreck.
Ravenel, la première plongée MR (3)
SALVAGE / THE CAMALEA
On Saturday, 24 March 2018, the 100 t fishing vessel Camalea sank off Dieppe in 45 m of water after being towed following an onboard fire. Just a few weeks later, CERES located and surveyed the wreck, before dismantling and recovering it a few months later.
SURVEY UXO / Solomon Mission
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) survey in the Solomon Islands by the CERES team
Unexploded ordnance (UXO), including bombs and other explosive remnants of war, can continue to pose a risk of detonation.
Guillaume and Bruno carried out this marine survey in the Solomon Islands using multibeam bathymetry, side-scan sonar, a magnetometer and a sub-bottom profiler.
SALVAGE / LA MARIE-MADELEINE
Salvage of the historic sailing vessel Marie-Madeleine using subsea lifting bags off the Saint-Marcouf Islands.
Salvage of the historic cutter Marie-Madeleine, a listed historic monument, which sank at the Saint-Marcouf Islands, followed by towage to Saint-Vaast on 25 September 2015.
Survey / Seine Flood Risk Prevention Plan.
Development of a two-dimensional hydraulic model, flood-hazard maps and exposure maps.
Within the Seine Flood Risk Prevention Plan between Giverny and Vironvay, the Eure DDTM and BRLi commissioned CERES to provide survey data for a two-dimensional hydraulic model, flood-hazard maps and exposure maps.
Working with Euclyd-Eurotop, CERES carried out additional surveys in September and October in three phases:
• topographic profiles and surveys of structures;
• multibeam bathymetric surveys;
• single-beam surveys in areas inaccessible to the multibeam system.
SALVAGE / CHARLEMAGNE Dredger
Side-scan sonar search, identification and barge-assisted recovery of a 24 t dredge suction pipe from a water depth of 45 m off Boulogne-sur-Mer.
In March 2019, the dredger Charlemagne lost its 24 m, 24 t suction pipe in bad weather before returning to Calais.
In early May, CERES searched for, located and identified the equipment using side-scan sonar and its commercial divers. The pipe was found in 45 m of water.
In July 2019, CERES recovered it with Dutch partner NSIBV, the NSI Worker barge and a 42 m multicat.
SALVAGE / BRO NYBORG
Side-scan sonar search and recovery of an 8 t anchor in the Rouen port anchorage area.
Recovery of an 8 t anchor with 11 shackles of chain, for a total weight of 40 t, in collaboration with BBTM.
SALVAGE / SEPHELLE
Sonar search, investigation, salvage and demolition of the fishing vessel "Sephelle" / Le Tréport
Friday 9 August 2019, at 06:45, the French Navy lookout station at Ault was alerted by the fishing vessel Flots Bleus to the sinking of the Sephelle about 1 nautical mile (1.8 km) off Le Tréport. It immediately notified CROSS Gris-Nez, the SDIS 80 fire and rescue service and the Channel and North Sea maritime operations centre.
Two fishermen were on board: the skipper and a deckhand. CROSS broadcast a Mayday Relay to vessels in the area.
After several hours adrift, both men swam to the beach at Bois de Cise, south of Ault, where firefighters assisted them at around 07:00.
CROSS then cancelled the distress relay, and the maritime authorities issued an urgent notice to mariners reporting the wreck.
SURVEY / LES DUONS - ROSCOFF
Morpho-bathymetric, sediment-morphology and benthic-habitat studies. Multibeam bathymetry, side-scan sonar mapping, sampling and ROV survey across the DUONS marine aggregate extraction area in northern Brittany.