JASCO scientist Özkan Sertlek receives the A B Wood medal
The Institute of Acoustics in the UK annually honours with the prestigious AB Wood medal an individual whose contribution to the field of underwater acoustics has been particularly noteworthy. The recently announced recipient for 2024, Dr Özkan Sertlek, is being recognised for his leading work in underwater acoustic propagation methods, modelling of sound sources, and sound mapping. The models he has developed for acoustic propagation based on hybrid-mode flux theory (SOPRANO) and airgun source signatures (AGORA) are shared as open-source software and have benefited a variety of international projects.
The A B Wood medal and attendant prize is awarded in alternate years to acousticians based in the UK/Europe (even years) and in the USA/Canada (odd years). The award is aimed at early career researchers, under 40 years of age, whose work is associated with the sea. It celebrates the legacy of Albert Beaumont Wood (1890-1964), one of the first two research scientists at the UK Admiralty to work on antisubmarine defence. He designed the first directional hydrophone and was well known for the many contributions he made to the science of underwater acoustics and for the help he gave to younger colleagues. The award was instituted after his death by his many friends on both sides of the Atlantic.
Özkan Sertlek received PhD degrees in underwater sound mapping from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, in 2016, and in time-domain pulse propagation from Gebze Technical University, Turkey, in 2019. His career has brought him to work as a researcher at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, the NATO Undersea Research Center in Italy, and the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. Since 2022 he is a senior scientist with JASCO Applied Sciences’ Netherlands based team.
Özkan accepted the award and gave a keynote lecture entitled Sound energy density and its applications to underwater sound mapping during the International Conference on Underwater Acoustics (ICUA 2024) in Bath, UK, on 19 June.
As part of his contribution to ICUA 2024, at the invitation of the Institute of Acoustics Özkan recorded the brief video below in which he answers questions about his research interests and his journey in underwater acoustics.
About JASCO Applied Sciences
JASCO Applied Sciences is a world leader in the science of underwater sound and its effects on marine life. A global company founded in Victoria, Canada, in 1981, JASCO provides services from offices in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. We provide support for all stages of environmental reviews and assessments of underwater sound for the renewable energy, oil and gas, marine construction, shipping, and defence sectors. We design, develop, and manufacture state-of-the-art oceanographic data acquisition systems to meet project demands for quality, endurance, reliability, and performance. We enable our clients to satisfy regulatory requirements by providing scientifically defensible assessments of their projects to government regulators and the public. For more information, visit: www.jasco.com.
About SeaTrac Systems, Inc.
SeaTrac Systems, Inc. manufactures, sells, and leases cost-effective, multi-purpose, long-endurance solar-powered Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) for commercial, scientific, and military applications. SeaTrac’s USV can carry various sensors and custom payload modules that make it perfect for research, monitoring, or surveillance tasks where autonomy, cost, and ease of deployment matter. For more information, visit our website at seatrac.com.
