Voyager maritime drones map unexplored areas of the Gulf of Maine

While the ocean covers nearly 70% of the Earth’s surface, 95% has gone unexplored, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The difficult conditions and inhospitable environments found in the unexplored ocean make mapping it a perfect job for robotics.

Saildrone Inc. is creating robots for just this task. Its Voyager uncrewed surface vehicles, or USVs, can cost-effectively gather data for science, fisheries, weather forecasting, and more. The Alameda, Calif.-based company uses USVs to deliver observations and insights about activity above and below the ocean surface.

Voyager is powered by renewable wind and solar energy. It can continuously feed data in real time to drive more informed decision-making across maritime security, trade, and sustainability.

Last year, Saildrone put the Voyager to the test, surveying 1,500 square nautical miles (5,144.8 sq. km) in a north-central area of the Gulf of Maine. The marine robots mapped areas that had never been mapped in high resolution.

The Gulf of Maine, which is bordered by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, as well as the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is home to a diverse array of economically important fisheries, including Atlantic cod, herring, lobster, and scallops.

Additionally, it houses unique underwater habitats, including kelp forests, eelgrass beds, and deep-sea coral. All of these may provide shelter and breeding grounds for many marine organisms.

Saildrone’s mission primarily focused on the Jordan and Georges Basins, at depths of up to 300 m (984.2 ft.). The data it collected in the Gulf will inform new species-distribution models, which were previously not possible due to the lack of high-resolution seafloor information. These new maps will also help update nautical charts and aid navigation, filling important gaps in bathymetric coverage.

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