Communications of the ACM
Drone Maps Previously Uncharted Ocean Floors Off Alaska, California
Said NOAA's Jeremy Weirich, "This project is an excellent example of how federal agencies and partners from industry, academia, and research institutions can coordinate resources and leverage state-of-the-art technology to explore a remote area together."
Credit: Saildrone/FOX Weather
The Saildrone Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle has completed the mapping of the previously uncharted ocean floors off the Alaska and California coasts.
The sail-, solar-, and diesel-powered drone gathered data via sonar from the ocean’s surface to chart the ocean floor more than four miles down; other instruments gathered sound, ocean, and weather data.
Manufacturer Saildrone said the Surveyor drone is capable of operating in 40-m.p.h. winds and 16-foot swells.
The ocean-mapping project is part of a public-private partnership co-funded by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to define the country's Exclusive Economic Zone, and also to identify Essential Fish Habitats.
From FOX Weather
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