by Overview of Oceanographic Monitoring System
The oceans cover over 70% of our planet and play a critical role in regulating Earth’s climate and weather patterns. However, due to their vast size and remote nature, continuously monitoring ocean conditions in real-time has proved challenging. Traditionally, oceanographic data has been collected through infrequent shipboard observations or sparse moored buoy networks. These methods provide only fragmented snapshots of ocean conditions and miss observing rapid changes. Advances in autonomous technologies are now enabling more continuous, real-time ocean monitoring on both regional and global scales.
Autonomous Surface Vehicles Expand Monitoring Capabilities
Autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) have emerged as a cost-effective platform for continuously monitoring ocean conditions over large areas. ASVs can operate for months at a time, traveling pre-programmed routes to collect a variety of oceanographic measurements. Sensors commonly installed on ASVs include thermal sensors to measure sea surface temperature, salinity sensors, weather instruments, and water quality probes. ASVs also carry advanced water sampling systems to collect samples for laboratory analysis. With their ability to loiter at sea for extended periods, ASVs expand scientists’ monitoring capabilities far beyond what research vessels can provide alone.
Several marine technology companies have developed versatile ASV platforms ranging from small boats to vessels over 30 feet long. These ASVs are pre-programmed for Oceanographic monitoring systems allowing them to efficiently conduct repetitive survey routes. They transmit observational data in real-time via satellite systems, providing scientists with important insights into changing conditions. For example, ASVs deployed off the coasts of Australia and Africa are used to monitor warming ocean temperatures, changes that could impact fishing and weather patterns. Large ASV fleets could someday create a global observation network for continuous real-time ocean and climate monitoring.
Ocean Gliders Provide In-Depth Profiling
In addition to surface observations, continuously monitoring conditions at varying ocean depths is important for understanding multi-layer ocean systems and detecting changes over time. Autonomous underwater vehicles known as ocean gliders have emerged as a highly effective tool for prolonged sub-surface monitoring. Powered by changes in their buoyancy, gliders have wing-like structures that allow them to move up and down through the water column in a sawtooth pattern. With each cycle they are able to gather detailed conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) profiles down to 1,000 meters or more.
Gliders can actively control their buoyancy, propelling themselves forward at speeds around half a knot while profiling the water column. Their slow speed and lack of propellers allows them to efficiently operate for intervals of 6 months to over a year on single battery charges. A variety of other sensors measuring parameters like dissolved oxygen, turbidity, fluorescence, and nitrates can also be integrated onto glider payloads. Gliders operate autonomously, adapting their vertical profiling based on evolving conditions and transmitting data in real-time via satellite. Over the past decade, large glider fleets have helped scientists gather the first basin-scale observations of metrics like sub-surface temperature, transforming our understanding of ocean systems.
Integrating the Fleet for Oceanographic Monitoring System
While autonomous vehicles like gliders and ASVs have dramatically expanded ocean monitoring capabilities individually, researchers are working to further leverage their combined strengths. Coordinated fleets allow observing the oceans across a diversity of scales. For example, gliders can provide deep CTD profiles across wide regions that ASVs traverse more frequently, gathering higher resolution surface data along the way. Data from these heterogeneous sensors networked together can offer novel insights into physical and biological couplings between the surface and interior ocean. Technical challenges remain in seamlessly fusing information streams from assets traversing varied domains over long durations and distances, but emerging integration strategies hold promise.
Researchers are also starting to deploy adaptive sampling strategies that autonomously optimize vehicle routing based on real-time evolving conditions. For instance, detecting anomalies like algal blooms or upwelling events could trigger a glider to hold station for repeated high resolution profiling while rerouting an ASV for closer investigation and sampling. Over time, machine learning applied to data from sustained integrated fleets could help automate detecting hard to observe phenomena or projecting future conditions. Realizing the full potential of networked autonomous ocean monitoring will require continued technological and coordination advances, but promises to revolutionize ocean and climate science capabilities for years to come.
*Note:
1.Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2.We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author - Ravina Pandya
Ravina Pandya,a content writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemicals and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals. LinkedIn Profile
