December 10, 2019
The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, through the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP), has awarded a three-year grant to the University of New Hampshire, Saildrone, Inc. of Alameda, California, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to develop ocean exploration applications for a new unmanned wind-powered sailboat-like vehicle capable of long-duration missions to collect vital ocean mapping information.
Partners will use multibeam sonar on the Saildrone Surveyor, a new 72-foot unmanned surface vehicle scheduled to be deployed in spring 2020, to collect detailed mapping data of the seafloor and water column that can be transmitted back to shore in real time, allowing for identification of exploration targets of interest. The Saildrone Surveyor will also be equipped with a complete suite of environmental sensors to support studies looking at harmful algal blooms, microbial ecology, water quality, and environmental DNA (eDNA) indicative of invasive species and larger animals.
Such exploration, mapping, and characterization of areas within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and international waters contribute to Seabed 2030 efforts to produce a bathymetric map of the world ocean floor by 2030 and support key NOAA, national, and international goals to better understand and manage the ocean and its resources.
NOPP facilitates partnerships between federal agencies, academia, and industry to advance ocean science research and education. Since 1997, NOPP has funded over 200 projects that address our nation’s economic development, national security, quality of life and science education.