Uncrewed Systems & Acoustic Sensors Unlock Near-Real-Time Deep Ocean Monitoring

A recent technology collaboration has successfully demonstrated a new method for monitoring deep ocean currents in near-real-time using uncrewed systems.

Sonardyne and SeaTrac Systems partnered with the University of Rhode Island (URI) to deploy advanced sensors and Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) in the US Gulf of Mexico.

Funded by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program, the project delivered data on the Loop Current System directly to scientists without requiring personnel offshore. The mission utilized Sonardyne’s Origin 65 seabed acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and SeaTrac’s SP-48 USV.

Over an 18-month period, four Origin 65 units and five pressure inverted echosounders were positioned at depths ranging from 1,800 to 3,200 meters, approximately 200 nautical miles off the coast of Louisiana. The Origin 65 is a low-frequency, deepwater profiling ADCP rated for 4,100 meters, capable of profiling up to an 800-meter range with integrated Edge processing.

To retrieve the data, the solar and battery-powered SP-48 USV navigated the Gulf’s variable currents and weather conditions. Using a Sonardyne HPT 7000 transceiver, the USV acoustically harvested data from the seabed sensors. The vessel then transmitted this science-ready information to shore via dual Iridium and Starlink satellite links, ensuring high-data rate and real-time communications.

Randy Watts, Professor of Oceanography URI, said, “Sustained deep-ocean measurements remain rare despite their importance. This project demonstrates how commercially available instruments and uncrewed vehicles can deliver science-ready data in strong current systems – overcoming the dual challenges of station-keeping where most USVs fail and cost-effective deployment without expensive research vessels.”

The operation consisted of three deployments spanning more than 30 days. The SP-48, capable of sustaining 2 to 3-knot operations with sprints up to 5 knots, covered roughly 1,500 nautical miles. During this timeframe, the system harvested over 135 GB of high-resolution ocean current and parameter data.

Michelle Barnett, Business Development Manager for Ocean Science at Sonardyne, noted, “With SeaTrac, we’ve proven that long-term, persistent monitoring of powerful and dynamic ocean systems with USVs instead of traditional vessels is now a reality. Remote-commanded systems can reliably deliver the high-quality oceanographic data researchers and industry need, when they need it with lower operational costs than traditional vessels.”

The data collected will assist in improving models that forecast currents, specifically topographic Rossby waves. This provides critical insights for offshore infrastructure safety and enhances the scientific understanding of ocean circulation and climate processes.

Hobie Boeschenstein, Director of Operations and Business Development at SeaTrac, added, “This mission has demonstrated a new global precedent for using USVs to make critical, sustained ocean data accessible, consistently – with zero crew risk, zero emissions and a repeatable approach we can scale to other regions. Deploying advanced technologies like those from SeaTrac and Sonardyne is key to deepening our understanding of the world’s oceans. There is still so much to explore, and our teams are proud to help scientists safely reach and study some of the most challenging marine environments on Earth.”