The project found a new way to monitor hidden and disruptive deep-ocean currents in near-real time
A recently completed unmanned technology collaboration in the US Gulf of Mexico has found a new way to monitor previously hidden and disruptive deep-ocean currents in near-real time
Marine technology companies Sonardyne and SeaTrac Systems utilised advanced sensors and uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to provide science-ready deep-ocean current data on the Gulf's Loop Current System directly to scientists' desks in near-real time.
The project was commissioned in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island (URI) to develop reliable, on-demand, and sustained high-resolution observations of powerful and dynamic systems without sending people offshore.
The project also aimed to improve scientists' ability to develop predictive models, helping industry and science understand and mitigate the hazards posed by disruptive deep-ocean currents, such as the Loop Current System.
Completed during Fall 2025, the project was funded by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Gulf Research Programme.
Randy Watts, professor of oceanography at 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.”
Michelle Barnett, business development manager for Ocean Science at Sonardyne, said, “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.”
Hobie Boeschenstein, director of Operations and Business Development at SeaTrac, said, “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.”
The collaboration used Sonardyne's Origin 65 seabed acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and SeaTrac's SP-48 USV to collect near-real-time current profile data from the Loop Current System.
Four Origin 65s and five pressure-inverted echosounders were deployed in 1800m to 3200m in water depth for over 18 months, in the centre of the LCS, 200nm off the coast of Louisiana.
Origin 65 is a 4100m-rated, low-frequency, deepwater profiling ADCP capable of profiling up to 800m range in time-aligned, high-resolution, and can include a pressure-inverted echo sounder (PIES) functionality. The Origin 65's integrated Edge processing capability and acoustic modem enabled SeaTrac's remotely piloted USV to acoustically harvest data from the surface, utilising a Sonardyne HPT 7000 transceiver.
The solar- and battery-powered SP-48 was tasked with navigating variable ocean currents and weather conditions in the Gulf to reach the sensor locations and collect data. It then sent the science-ready data to shore via its dual Iridium and Starlink satellite links, which also enabled high-data-rate, real-time communications back to shore.
Three deployments covering over 30 days, the SP-48, capable of sustaining two to three kt operations and sprints up to five kt, covered 1500nm. During this time, over 135GB of high-resolution ocean currents and related parameter data at up to 800m above the bottom were gathered.
The data collected during the mission will help enhance models that forecast currents, such as topographic Rossby waves, delivering vital insights for science and safety in the region and leading to new research directions.
The project showcased a scalable model for autonomous ocean observation worldwide. It demonstrated how marine autonomy can provide near-real-time data to improve the prediction of disruptive deep currents that could threaten offshore infrastructure, as well as advance scientific understanding of ocean circulation and climate processes.
Boeschenstein said, “Completion of this project marks another successful demonstration of USVs in offshore data collection and marine science. 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.”
