Today (11 March) at Oceanology International (Oi26) in London, the announcement was made that Nick Ramsey, Fugro’s GeoConsulting Leader – East Australia was the winner of the Society for Underwater Technology’s (SUT) 2025 Mick Cook Marine Site Investigation Award.
Aptly the announcement was made by Mick Cook, during Oi26’s Site Investigation – Marine Geology and Geophysics session. The Award is open to all working in the field of marine site investigations and characterisations globally, regardless of where they are in their career. It recognises industry professionals who have made a significant contribution to Marine Site Investigation and Characterisation, covering the broad disciplines of Geophysics and Geotechnics. Nick Ramsey will receive £1000, a trophy, and a certificate at a later date as he is unable to travel to Oceanology International. Previous winners of the award are Geotechnical Consultant Tor Inge Tjelta of Equinor and Philippe Jeanjean, Senior Advisor, Geotechnical Engineering at bp.
As Mick Cook, a long-standing SUT member and former Chair of the OSIG Committee, and also a Past Treasurer and Council Member, and now Chair of the SUT UXO Special Interest Group, explained: “Nick’s 40+ years career has been characterised by a consistent focus on the integration of geophysical, geological, and geotechnical data to develop robust, cost-effective, and project-specific ground models. Long before such integration became widely recognised as best practice,
“Nick was advancing methodologies that bridged disciplinary boundaries and directly improved engineering decision making, risk management, and foundation performance across complex environments. His work has influenced how ground investigations are planned, how data are interpreted, and how uncertainty is managed in offshore and nearshore geotechnical engineering.”
He added: “Importantly all his strengths align with the principles of the Mick Cook Award
- Pioneering integration of geophysical, geological, and geotechnical data.
- Advancement of in-situ and laboratory testing interpretation.
- Global influence on offshore and coastal geotechnical practice.
- Sustained service to SUT and the wider geoscience community.
- Mentorship, education, and dissemination of best practice over four decades
“The judges’ decision was unanimous in rewarding his work with this richly deserved award.”
Hearing of his win, Nick Ramsey said: “I feel incredibly honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious award! Firstly, I would like to thank my colleagues in Fugro for nominating me. Secondly, I would like to thank the Mick Cook Award committee for accepting my nomination. Our profession contains so many outstanding people who have made significant contributions, it must have been a difficult decision. Thank you, again!I am sorry not to be with you but look forward to joining you all for next year’s OSIG2027 in London and saying a very special ‘thank you’ then.”
Nominations for this year’s Award will open 1 September with the winner presented with the Award at SUT’s OSIG Conference in September 2027.
Oceanology International is being held at London’s ExcEL and is open until tomorrow afternoon (12 March). Registration and further information is at https://www.oceanologyinternational.com
Looking forward to OSIG2027
The Call for Abstracts is now open for the SUT’s 10th International OSIG Conference (OSIG2027). taking place 14–16 September 2027 at the prestigious Central Hall, Westminster, London, UK. The 2023 edition attracted 600 delegates from all around the world.
The conference brings together professionals from offshore site investigation, geotechnics, geophysics, and geoscience. Attendees will explore the latest research, innovative technologies, and practical solutions shaping the offshore energy sector.
Time to submit OSIG2027 abstracts
Authors are invited to submit abstracts of up to 250 words for papers related to any of the seven offshore energy themes:
- New and novel developments in data handling, geoscience and AI
- Improving understanding of seabed & sub-seabed mapping, marine geohazards & their implications
- Data integration and ground modelling for bridging geology, geophysics and geotechnics
- Advances in geotechnical GI, in-situ / laboratory testing & parameter derivation
- Key developments in physical and numerical modelling
- Advancing design and installation for future energy challenges
- Addressing shallow infrastructure engineering challenges and solutions
Abstract submission deadline is 30 April 2026; they should be submitted here: OSIG2027 Ex Ordo Portal. All accepted papers will be Scopus-indexed and assigned a DOI, and the conference proceedings will be published with an ISBN number.
SUT is offering Early-Bird sponsorship opportunities, available until 1 April 2026. Sponsoring OSIG2027 provides visibility to a global audience, showcasing your organisation as a leader in offshore site investigation and geotechnics. Further information at www.osig2027.com
