SeaTrac & Sonardyne Push Boundaries of USVs for Offshore Data Harvesting

SeaTrac Systems and Sonardyne partnered to demonstrate the feasibility of remote data collection using a novel approach that combines their technologies. Supported by the University of Rhode Island (URI), the team integrated Sonardyne’s underwater technology with SeaTrac’s SP-48 uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) to research a critical part of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, which is crucial for understanding subsea operations, predicting hurricanes, monitoring marine life, and more. Representing the first of four project phases, this initial mission demonstrated the transformative benefits of using USVs and advanced acoustic technology in lieu of manned vessels to collect data from offshore seabed sensors.

Base Platform and Equipment 

Fundamental to the mission was SeaTrac’s SP-48 USV, a solar- and battery-powered platform capable of operating remotely in offshore waters. Incorporating Sonardyne’s HPT 7000L transceiver, the novel pair excelled at remotely harvesting and transmitting data from offshore seabed sensors. 

Innovative Underwater Technology 

Prior to the first phase initiation, Sonardyne and URI deployed Origin 65 Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) and Current Pressure Inverted Echo Sounders (CPIES) on the seabed of offshore U.S. Gulf waters to collect long-term data on the Loop Current System (LCS). A total of nine sensors installed at depths ranging from 1,800 to 3,200m below sea level continuously measured ocean currents and other relevant parameters. Sonardyne’s HPT 7000L transceiver was affixed to the SP-48, which would travel to each of the array elements to acoustically harvest the seabed sensor data.

Navigate, Gather, Repeat

The SP-48 launched from LUMCON in Cocodrie, La., and was piloted remotely by SeaTrac’s operations team in Marblehead, Mass. Traveling 200 nautical miles offshore, the USV located the first seabed sensor and used the HPT 7000L transceiver to acoustically retrieve data before moving through the array. After covering more than 580 nautical miles, the SP-48 returned to LUMCON, completing the mission.

Results 

The mission proved that remote data collection at sea is a viable and accurate method of oceanography that vastly reduces operational risks and costs, as well as environmental impacts.

The continuous data collected will provide valuable insights into the LCS and its impact on marine life and operations. This can be applied to other near-shore areas of interest to inform decision-making in areas such as offshore energy development, fisheries management, coastal planning, and other consequential ocean factors.

Future Phases

The Sonardyne ADCP and CPIES sensors remain on the seafloor and continue to collect long-term LCS data. Through the summer of 2025, SeaTrac harvested several additional sets of data and transmitted them over the horizon in real time via satellite connection from offshore staging points.