Platform

1. In oceanographic terminology, any man-made structure (aircraft, ship, buoy, or tower) from, or on which, oceanographic instruments are suspended, installed, or operated. 2. Any offshore fixed or floating structure providing a flat or specially designed working surface above the water which serves a specific and/or specialized purpose; e.g., drilling, survey, research, potable water intake, swimming-diving, or storage functions. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory Glossary, 2015)