NOAA Ocean Exploration and geotechnical company Fugro have signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) “to develop and use uncrewed systems for ocean exploration to enhance the efficiency, reach and impact of NOAA’s mission to explore the deep ocean,” according to a joint statement issued Sept. 17.
The collaboration seeks to use NOAA’s scientific and operational abilities with Fugro’s technological expertise. By focusing on uncrewed systems including surface, undersea and electric remotely operated vehicles, the partnership “will make ocean exploration more cost-effective and accessible to scientists nationwide,” according to NOAA and Fugro.
Key objectives include better ways to operate ocean exploration missions using remote technology; developing tools that enable scientists to control underwater robots in real-time from distant locations; and creating new sensors that can aid in environmental baseline studies, including the observation of critical minerals in the deep ocean.
NOAA and Fugro will coordinate on using ships, USVs, underwater devices and buoys that transmit data, to advance remote mission control, develop cloud-based workflows and improve real-time data delivery through high-bandwidth communications.
“NOAA Ocean Exploration is on a mission to accelerate the scope, pace and precision of ocean mapping and characterization, and this strategic partnership will help us do exactly that,” said NOAA Corps Capt. William Mowitt, the acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration. “By enabling remote operations and enhancing the use of innovative technologies, we can reduce costs and expand our reach, unlocking the ocean’s potential at a scale and speed needed to keep pace with America’s growing demands for ocean resources and information.”
Agreement outlines a plan for joint technical workshops focused on launching mutually beneficial projects. These may include demonstrations of digital workflows, the development of new sensor technologies, assessment of cloud-based data integration to support habitat mapping, the observation of critical minerals and other mission-critical objectives.
“We’re entering an exciting new era of deep ocean mapping, one where data can be collected and delivered without a single person at sea,” said Céline Gerson, Fugro’s group director for the Americas and president of Fugro USA. “Our more than 25-year collaboration with NOAA has paved the way for this progress. From introducing remote survey operations on crewed vessels to advancing fully remote, cloud-connected systems, we’re proud to help NOAA shape the future of ocean science through innovation and shared purpose.”
“While Fugro and NOAA Ocean Exploration will develop specific projects together in the coming months, the CRADA lays the groundwork for ongoing collaboration and innovation between the public and private sectors,” according to the partners.
