GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – Collecting and analyzing data from the Gulf of Mexico dead zone is no easy task.
That's why the University of Southern Mississippi and technology company SeaTrac are working to make that process more efficient, cost-effective and safer.
On the surface, the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) appears to be abandoned. In reality, however, the vessel is used by many researchers to explore the bay.
SP-48 is a remotely operated USV that collects real-time data 24/7 in hypoxic zones, which are underwater oxygen-depleted dead zones.
“Working with our partners at NOAA and Sea Trac, we've demonstrated that we can do this efficiently, cost-effectively, better, faster and above all, safer,” said Jason McKenna, director of Research, Development Test Evaluation and Training.
The partnership between USM and SeaTrac is designed to advance operational oceanography and enhance future mission capabilities in collaboration with NOAA's Office of Marine and Air Operations.
Here's how autonomous vehicles collect data:
“You attach this transom to a winch on the back of a SeaTrac platform, or in this case an unmanned surface vessel, and you actually attach this to a winch, lower it, and cast it up and down within a metre or so of the ocean floor, and the automation allows you to slow down and sample that last metre or so,” McKenna says.
During the 14-day mission, students and officials analyzed potential dead zones in the bay and how they might affect marine life in the future.
“All of the data that we're collecting for hypoxia mapping comes through this winch. The transom with the sensor that I showed you earlier fits here and is lowered on this winch,” McKenna explains.
The advantage of unmanned surface vehicles is that data collection can be done safely, regardless of water conditions.
“Any time you're out at sea there's risk; things can go wrong and become dangerous, so unmanned vessels provide a way to collect data when the seas are rough or you don't want to be out at sea with a crew on board,” McKenna says.
The solar- and battery-powered vehicle is a step toward creating a more sustainable Gulf Coast.
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