SeaTrac, USM & NOAA Prove Uncrewed Capabilities for Offshore Hypoxia Mapping

SeaTrac Systems collaborated with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and NOAA to demonstrate the capabilities of uncrewed technologies in collecting real-time oceanographic data related to mapping hypoxic (oxygen-deprived) zones in the Gulf of America. Across two mission phases, SeaTrac’s versatile and durable uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) proved their ability to operate for extended periods, collect high-quality data, and significantly reduce the manpower, cost, and risk associated with traditional crewed operations – demonstrating the scalability and viability of uncrewed systems for a wide range of scientific applications.

Year: 2024
Operational Area: Gulf of America
Scope: Data Collected from 31 Offshore Stations
USV Route: 220 NMs
Max Wave Height & Wind: 8.1 ft. & 36.9 Kn.

Key Benefits

More data with less risk, cost, and emissions
Using uncrewed vehicles to collect the data significantly reduced the cost per day and per data point thus enabling new operational models that can support increased data collection efforts on the same budget.
Continuous offshore operations
Managing the power budget and duty-cycling payloads enabled continuous operations across both phases, including winter conditions and a tropical weather system, while maximizing endurance through efficient speeds and increased battery capacity.
Robust winch for subsea data collection
An advanced winch with bottom-detection enabled precise full-depth measurements near the seafloor and reliable profiling across varied sea states.
Wireless charging capabilities
This wireless charging as a feature for the AML Endura sondes eliminated the need for manual servicing, supporting long-duration, repeatable sampling and higher data density.
Redundant communication links
Multiple, redundant cellular and satellite communication links ensured reliable over-the-horizon command and control, real-time data transmission for QA/QC, and secure onboard data backup.

Purpose

In a first-of-its-kind, multi-phase mission, SeaTrac Systems partnered with USM and NOAA to prove the effectiveness of using uncrewed systems to gather real-time oceanographic data in dynamic offshore environments, while reducing the manpower, cost, and risk inherent to traditional data collection methods. Operational goals included demonstrating remote, 24/7, over-the-horizon operation of SeaTrac’s SP-48 USVs and proprietary winch systems; increasing spatial coverage and data density between phases; and validating that incremental technology improvements – such as increased battery capacity and wireless charging – directly translate into improved mission efficiency and return on investment when mapping potential hypoxic zones in the Gulf.

Method + Equipment

Base Platform and Equipment

SeaTrac deployed SP-48 USVs configured with deep keels, increased battery capacity, and redundant satellite and cellular communication links for offshore operations. Across the two phases, operators managed single and dual USV configurations, demonstrating multi-vehicle oversight by a single shore-based operator. SeaTrac’s advanced winch systems deployed AML sondes with wireless charging capabilities, including both AML-3 and AML-6 configurations, each equipped with Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD), pressure, and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) sensors to ensure consistent datasets across platforms and phases.

An Array of Sensors

Auxiliary sensors were mounted for additional data collection, including:

Teledyne Workhorse Monitor 300 kHZ ADCP
SeaView Systems SVS-603HR wave sensor
AIRMAR 200WX Met Station
AIRMAR DT800 depth and temperature sensor

Testing and Validating

USM personnel remotely piloted and monitored the USVs throughout both phases. During operations, the platforms endured challenging environmental conditions, including winter seas and a tropical system, while maintaining station-keeping, steady survey tracks, and reliable data transmission. Sensor data was streamed in near real time over available communications links to shore-based servers for QA/QC, allowing rapid verification and repeat casts when needed with minimal time penalty. In phase one, USM and NOAA collected comparative data via a crewed vessel to validate the uncrewed results, while phase two increased data collection capabilities with the addition of a second USV, focused on expanded coverage, increased data points, and improved operational efficiency.

“SeaTrac’s SP-48 and transom winch successfully reduced the on-site personnel needed for coastal hypoxia mapping despite unfavorable sea states and congested coastal corridors. Even more impressive was the boat’s connectedness: At no point was the vehicle unresponsive, and all data was received into our CUBEnet portal in a timely manner. We look forward to incorporating SeaTrac technology into future research.”

Jason McKenna, USM Director of Research, Development, Testing, Evaluation, and Training (RDTE&T)

Results

Across both mission phases, SeaTrac’s SP-48 USVs demonstrated exceptional reliability, endurance, and flexibility in scientific operations.

Phase one successfully collected quality data at 31 stations over 220 nautical miles in adverse winter conditions.
Phase two expanded coverage and efficiency, collecting 123 verified data points while reducing manpower and logistical costs through multi-vehicle oversight and fully remote deployment from SeaTrac’s base of operations.

The platforms operated continuously with minimal remote pilot intervention, held position for extended periods, and enabled rapid re-sampling when required. Together, the results confirm that USVs offer a safer, more economical, and highly efficient solution than conventional methods of conducting oceanographic research, ultimately advancing the future of hypoxia mapping and offshore data collection.

Read press release