Page 35: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2024)

© Alseamar cations range from environmental and marine assessments to industrial, government studies and offshore oil and gas. The

SeaExplorer Shallow is well suited for coastal exploration, navigating in shallow water ef? ciently and collecting chemi- cal and physical data, as well as that on marine life.

A new dual-thruster option further enhances maneuverability beyond shallow areas, enabling operation in strong currents.

Additionally, the AURIS passive acoustic sensor features four hydrophones and an open-system design that allows for on- board processing of acoustic data using a Jetson Nano com- puter. Full integration into the SeaExplorer glider allows for user access in near real time and it can collect ambient noise, as well as detect and classify speci? ed sound sources.

ROBOTS TO THE RESCUE

Rudnick and Sevadjian remarked that the future of ocean observation and exploration is robotic. Quinn agreed, adding, “I expect we’ll see more and more oceanographic survey and data gathering work rely on autonomous systems to gather, process and dispense information across several ? elds. An in- crease in persistent, uncrewed oceanographic monitoring in remote areas will have a profound impact on how we under- stand the oceans, weather, climate and more—and I believe gliders have an important role to play in that data ecosystem.”

As the need for ocean data intensi? es in the face of climate change, gliders present a unique solution amongst other ma- rine vehicles. Their versatility, long range, and autonomy al- low for conditions and trends to be identi? ed in even the most remote, extreme, or dif? cult to navigate environments. With new projects and advancements on the horizon, ocean gliders have only begun to ful? ll their mission. www.marinetechnologynews.com 35

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