Abstract Oysters perform critical roles in shoreline ecosystems by improving water quality, providing habitat for species, and preventing erosion. These ecosystem functions are present even when oysters are farmed. Because of this, and the lack of need for nutrient inputs, oyster farming is often viewed as environmentally friendly. However, fossil fuels play a large part in oyster farming practices. Fossil fuels are used to power boats, tools, and farming equipment. Oyster tumbling machines, which are used to control biofouling and produce a desirable shape and size, use a significant amount of energy and are often powered by diesel generators. As the oyster farming industry grows and practices such as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture expand, decarbonization of the industry becomes more important. One solution may be “ocean-powered” tumbling, whereby oyster grow-out gear is designed to use a range of ocean movements to tumble oysters gradually as they grow. This solution eliminates the need for fossil fuel‐powered tumblers and tends to be less labor intensive. A wide range of ocean-powered gear is used by farms across the United States. New approaches and designs are being explored, making ocean-powered oyster tumbling accessible in different environments. Water movements at oyster farms are primarily driven by tidal exchange, currents, wind waves, or a combination. This paper compares methods of ocean-powered tumbling, explores the transition from standard fossil fuel‐powered tumbling techniques to ocean-powered tumbling, and estimates the emission reductions of decarbonizing oyster tumbling practices.
Abstract Efforts to advance ocean exploration-driven seafloor mapping have resulted in scalable frameworks well-suited for adoption by large-scale initiatives aimed at closing bathymetric gaps. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have developed complementary frameworks that address key aspects of data collection, management, and integration. These frameworks, when combined, ensure the long-term utility, accessibility, and interoperability of seafloor mapping data for a broad range of applications. Ocean exploration shares a common goal with initiatives such as the Nippon Foundation-General Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean Seabed 2030 Project and the National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization: to close critical bathymetric gaps in the world's ocean. The frameworks described herein provide a practical model for advancing this shared vision. By building upon established frameworks rather than creating them anew, the global ocean mapping community can focus efforts on addressing the challenges that remain for completing the global bathymetric map.
Abstract The necessity to develop and make a high-resolution global ocean map available to facilitate the sustainable use of maritime resources is more than evident. By the close of 2024, ~26% of the ocean was mapped at high resolution, according to the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), meaning that much more work is needed to fill in the gaps. Centered on achieving a fully mapped ocean by 2030, The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project's core approach proposes science-backed ocean knowledge sourced from global input to provide tools to design adequate strategies for the sustainable use of marine resources. However, the inequity in technology and knowledge access complicates this challenging goal, and even after identifying data gaps and understanding the context in nations with severe needs, completing the puzzle remains a significant undertaking. There is a great advantage in leveraging frameworks and data-sharing mechanisms established through global initiatives such as The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project. Countries with limited access to technology could identify the appropriate approach based on access to existing documentation and resources. This paper focuses on the specific scenario of using existing local initiatives to enhance participatory seafloor mapping and advance local knowledge and expertise within the Western Indian Ocean region. We highlight major problems common across the region and propose a call to action to increase the involvement of stakeholders to close gaps and contribute to the global endeavor of mapping the ocean.
Abstract In response to the call for this special issue of MTS to discuss “The role of industry, governments, institutions, volunteer effort, citizen science and indigenous knowledge” in mapping the gaps, we discuss these roles in the South Pacific with examples from Papua New Guinea and Kiribati in particular. The authors discuss their views of the importance of ocean mapping to indigenous knowledge in building a future of thriving culture, biodiversity, and economic growth while facing pressing challenges such as climate change, sea-level rise, and natural disasters. Small island nations of the Pacific have extensive territorial waters and marine-dependent economies, but many have not had infrastructure to do their own seafloor mapping with modern equipment. Ocean mapping serves as a bridge between the past and the future, integrating traditional knowledge with scientific innovations to address pressing challenges. There have been many successful partnerships between local communities, researchers, explorers, and organizations to advance ocean mapping efforts in the South Pacific and support the Seabed 2030 mission. One example is led by Inkfish, an organization dedicated to providing support and services to marine researchers worldwide. Below, we explore Inkfish’s impact on deep-water mapping, where larger vessels and deep-water multibeam echosounder systems are essential for collecting bathymetric data. Bathymetry data are a cornerstone of creating conservation and sustainable growth plans for the huge territorial waters and exclusive economic zones of the South Pacific, and we hope others may learn from these examples.
Abstract The International Hydrographic Organization emphasizes the critical role of high-resolution bathymetric and hydrospatial data in addressing marine governance challenges, including environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and resource management. Algeria, however, faces substantial obstacles in this domain, such as outdated datasets, restrictive data-sharing policies, and limited technical infrastructure. To address these challenges, Algeria could implement the Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol and prioritize crowdsourced bathymetry. These approaches provide cost-effective and scalable methods for improving bathymetric data collection, standardization, and accessibility. The integration of these tools with traditional mapping methods can enhance the precision and efficiency of Algeria's marine management initiatives. This commentary explores Algeria's hydrospatial domain, underscoring the importance of international collaboration, open-data frameworks, and advanced technologies to address gaps in bathymetric data. These efforts are pivotal for aligning Algeria's marine policies with the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, fostering environmental resilience, economic growth, and cultural heritage preservation, while addressing climate and anthropogenic challenges.
Abstract In 2024, six expeditions aboard National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ship Okeanos Explorer mapped over 250,000 square kilometers of deep water seafloor (> 200 m) in Hawai‘i and Johnston Atoll, increasing modern mapping coverage of the U.S. Pacific Islands and territories by ~5%. These efforts advance NOAA Ocean Exploration's commitment to accelerating the goals of the National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization and Seabed 2030 through interagency collaboration, open data access, and stakeholder engagement. This paper highlights the outcomes of these expeditions, emphasizing the role of diverse partnerships, community-driven approaches, and interagency coordination in achieving national and global ocean mapping objectives. Additionally, it outlines future initiatives designed to build on the foundations established by the 2024 field season and prior exploration efforts.
Buoyancy-driven underwater gliders are essential components of the global ocean observing system. While traditional gliders have demonstrated remarkable endurance and operational reliability across a range of scientific missions, their limited energy and payload capacity constrain their use for complex, long-duration, multisensor deployments. The Teledyne Webb Research Sentinel glider represents a generational advance in this platform lineage. With significantly increased battery capacity, expanded buoyancy control, and support for high-power sensors, Sentinel enables persistent, basin-scale ocean monitoring that integrates physical, chemical, and biological observations within a single platform. Here, we present an overview of the Sentinel platform and discuss a set of hypothetical, yet transformative, applications enabled by recent advances in glider technology, including multisensor ecological monitoring and edge-based adaptive sampling. Sentinel offers a critical step toward globally distributed, intelligent ocean observation. Its inaugural global circumnavigation mission will demonstrate both the technical viability and scientific potential of this next-generation glider class.
We report the preliminary results of the international MASTR (Mini-Adaptive Sampling Test-Run) Experiment under the UGOS (Understanding the Gulf Ocean Systems) Program. The experiment utilized cutting-edge ocean observing technologies, including autonomous platforms, moorings, aircraft, and high-frequency radar, to collect near-real-time temperature, salinity, and velocity observations in the southeastern Gulf of America and Yucatan Channel. These observations provided critical insights into the complex dynamics of the Loop Current (LC) and its associated eddies, which influence regional circulation and operational predictability. Six ocean buoyancy gliders were deployed in the western Yucatan Strait near Mahahual, Mexico. Four gliders were deployed from January to April 2024; and two, from July to November 2023. The high-frequency radar system near Cancun, Mexico, operational throughout the experiment, observed surface velocity patterns and extreme weather events, including Hurricane Idalia (August 26 to September 2). Radar data captured the spatial and temporal position of the Yucatan Current speed core and revealed the LC system's evolution from a retracted state. Observations exposed the complexity of the LC system, influenced by topographic, tidal, geostrophic, ageostrophic, and wind forcing. Nearly 3,900 temperature and salinity profiles were collected, significantly improving LC and hurricane intensity forecasts. Integrating near-real-time observations into federal and industry models enhanced forecast accuracy. This experiment underscores the value of adaptive sampling in advancing regional circulation understanding and operational forecasting. Findings will inform the 2025 Grand Adaptive Sampling Experiment, support cost-effective observing systems, and improve offshore risk management and hurricane predictions.
Shallow waters (< 30 c.a. m deep) represent at once the most accessible region of the world's oceans and coasts, but its most challenging in terms of efficient broad-scale, high-resolution mapping, hazard identification, and habitat characterization. Hazards to navigation are primarily a coastal threat and thus the requirement for high-resolution (< 1 m) maps are critical for well-traveled parts of the coastal ocean. Traditional sonar mapping approaches rely on acoustic swath widths that are proportionally wider with increasing water depths. High-resolution landscape-scale maps in shallow waters thus require numerous closely spaced transects that may be prohibitive in ship time and data processing costs. Alternatives to multibeam, single beam, and side scan sonar include satellite-derived bathymetry, airborne Light-Detection and Ranging, autonomous surface and underwater vehicles, and, increasingly, the use of crowd-sourced bathymetry to gather and disseminate depth sounder data from community participant vessels. Each of these approaches has its advantages (e.g., resolution, synopticity, calibration/validation, utility in turbid waters, efficiency for repeat measurements) and drawbacks (e.g., costs, platform availability and logistical considerations). Local requirements, challenges, conditions, and capacities will dictate which techniques or combinations render adequate resolution. As an alternative to a single technology solution, we advocate multisource coupling to blend information from multiple mapping approaches with the overall goal being a synthesized map explicitly depicting uncertainties in bathymetry due to differences in observational characteristics of technologies employed. Higher resolution technologies can be deployed where the accuracy of the map is commensurate with elevated threats/ interests. Principles of multiplatform data acquisition, data processing, and display for shallow water bathymetry are illustrated using data collected during the Tampa Bay Bathymetry Experiment conducted in 2021-2022.
Marine fouling, or the unwanted accumulation of plants and animals on submerged surfaces, can lead to many functional and financial setbacks. Standard methods of combating fouling can be labor intensive or otherwise limiting in their effectiveness and value. Thus, novel efforts are being studied to achieve antifouling in more cost-friendly and environmentally sustainable ways. One emerging approach is the application of ultraviolet C (UVC) light. This study compared the results from modeled relative irradiance to in situ observations by analyzing consequential field effectiveness and other secondary UVC impacts. UVC-emitting lamps (254 nm) were modeled using ray tracing simulations to mimic light scatter underwater. Simulations contained surfaces placed at 25-mm intervals from the light source until a consistently negligible UVC reach was found at 150 mm. The computed findings were then validated through comparison to field immersions in the marine environment of Port Canaveral, FL. Test surfaces and the UVC lamps were placed in frames with 25-mm and 50-mm standoff distances (from light to panel). Surfaces were exposed for 10 min/day for 8 weeks with respective resulting UVC doses of 636.20 mJ/cm(2) and 429.67 mJ/cm(2). Following underwater immersion, surfaces were examined for fouling development and other UVC impacts. The field results resembled the modeled simulations in both fouling and surface degradation patterns, with the most impact occurring in areas of the highest modeled irradiance. This improves understanding of how modeling can be used to predict impacts of UVC exposure in optimizing fouling prevention, including considering photodegradation and energy usage. Additionally, numerical data were gathered, which helps to inform species- and material-specific thresholds to be used in future development of biofouling management systems.
The utilization of remote operated vehicles (ROVs) has become essential across various subsea industries, such as oil and gas exploration and offshore wind energy, yet significant challenges remain in achieving effective human-ROV interaction. Despite advancements, ROV operations are hindered by complex control systems, high physical and cognitive demands on pilots, and a lack of sensory feedback mechanisms that fully convey the underwater environment's dynamics. This study addresses these gaps by surveying ROV pilots and industry stakeholders to identify prevalent operational challenges, essential skills, and perspectives on integrating novel teleoperation technologies, including mixed reality and haptic feedback. Findings reveal a strong industry interest in technologies that enhance situational awareness and ease control demands, although concerns remain regarding practical integration and operator fatigue. By highlighting the critical skills required and potential benefits of human-centered augmentation systems, this study provides insights to inform future ergonomic designs, training frameworks, and technology development aimed at advancing safe and effective ROV
There is a global need for skilled workers across multiple sectors within the blue economy. To prepare this workforce, the Marine Technology Society is leading an initiative to establish innovative, agile, and attractive educational opportunities. These opportunities capitalize on skill sets for a range of workers and encourage engagement pathways for lifelong learning through obtaining stackable microcredentials. These pathways can promote personal growth, keep pace with technological changes, and capitalize upon employment opportunities within and across sectors utilizing marine technologies. The goal of the microcredentials initiative led by the Marine Technology Society is to create a cross-sectoral, consensus-based set of competencies for multiple levels of learning and establish a partnership program for local implementation of the microcredentials.
Efficient and effective mapping of bathymetry in coastal regions requires sustained effort from a diverse set of stakeholders. These contributors include federal and state organizations, industry, and private citizens. A research priority of the Center for Ocean Mapping and Innovative Technologies, an academic-government mapping center funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Coast Survey, is to address the complexities of collecting bathymetry in shallow water areas that are consistently in flux. This paper discusses the development of a regional crowdsourced bathymetry (CSB) program in the Tampa Bay region of Florida that capitalizes on the broadly termed boating "crowd" to harvest opportunistic depth sounding data from participating vessels and return those data to participants via a transparent and accessible process. One of the key ingredients in making a CSB program possible and sustainable is the development and maintenance of a stakeholder engagement program. Here, we discuss the makeup of Tampa Bay's "crowd," our current processes and structure, and plans to expand this regional CSB effort. The goal of this pilot project is to realize a fully developed, operational, and transferable CSB program based on the Tampa Bay region.
U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue (SAR) missions require environmental information (winds, waves, and surface drift) to plan operations focused on saving lives and aiding those in distress. SAR is one of the six central operational missions for the U.S. Coast Guard where they respond to approximately 16,000 cases each year. The collected environmental information is also used to organize marine protection efforts such as predicting fate and transport of oil spills and other hazardous discharges. SAR planning, until 2005, was based on atmospheric wind drift combined with tidal predictions near the coast to inform SAR response. Over the last decade, there has been significant development utilizing surface current measurements from high-frequency radar (HFR) systems to improve SAR efficacy. In the Mid-Atlantic Bight, an HFR network was deployed and operated from 2007 to present making hourly measurements of sea surface currents in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Several studies have shown that HFR in the Mid-Atlantic was able to reduce search areas by 66% compared with global models. HFR data are also assimilated into a range of models to provide forecast products. Based on data provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, products that assimilate HFR are the most requested product with 37 average daily requests. Incorporating HFR data into SAR planning has proven to significantly improve accuracy and efficiency, making it a critical and frequently requested tool for the U.S. Coast Guard's environmental monitoring and rescue operations. The HFR network in the Mid-Atlantic is reaching 20 years of operation, with some stations reaching 25 years of service life. The focus of this paper was to take assessment of the status of the network and discuss how the data have been used by the U.S. Coast Guard for SAR justifying reinvestment in the network. This observational design provides a useful deliverable to key marine stakeholders that could be adopted internationally. The data stream and forecasts provide a safer environment for the mariner if trouble strikes, leading to a stronger and more prosperous maritime economy.
Responding to the global priority for focus on socio-ecological small-scale fisheries, maps are used to link current resource status to change priorities, including chronic fisherfolk malnutrition. A ridge-to-reef approach to biodiversity connectivity is partitioned into ecosystem component depictions. Results demonstrate how the capacity to utilize cartographic technology is being extended to local communities through citizen science, institutions, and jurisdictions. A management and bioregional education outline for North Philippine Sea (NPS) marine resources is supported by illustrative approaches to coastal complexity, consideration of marine-based food security, and biodiversity erosion. This NPS development is described as a prototype for programs in the other five Philippine marine bioregions and establishment of a national program under the Philippine Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Based upon completed research, emphasis is placed upon the consensus perspective of fisherfolk regarding their willingness to be involved in collaborative education program development that includes local and Indigenous knowledge. The community-based food security lens provides a foundation for Southeast Asia resource-use depictions, with emphasis on the NPS and description of prototype restoration programs at the Philippine local government unit levels of: province, municipality, and barangay. Action research outputs are reported for completed and current efforts in the eight municipalities of Aurora Province, with several examples down to the barangay level. Building off a local strategy that has a history of Indigenous use of 3-D map construction for development purposes, specific details are provided on the illustrative capacity of Story Maps to link communities to critical bioregional parameters such as pelagic fish stocks.
The exploration and documentation of underwater archaeological and historical sites have been significantly enhanced by the utilization of marine robotics of various sizes, propulsion capabilities, sensor configurations, and autonomy levels. Highly flexible and articulated underwater vehicles, also referred to as kinematically hyper-redundant robots, have garnered a lot of interest in subsea operations in the last few years, thanks to their high degree of maneuverability and adaptability to the environment they are navigated into. This article presents the integrated photogrammetric mapping of an underwater cultural heritage site using an underwater snake robot for the first time. The snake robot Eely submerged down to the 20th century wreck Figaro, 35 m deep, in Trygghamna fjord, in the Svalbard archipelago. A multidisciplinary team of engineers, marine archaeologists, and surveyors cooperated on this purpose within the wider framework of a shipwreck mapping campaign in the High Arctic. While the snake robot is capable of fully autonomous untethered operations, for this mission, the 6-m-long vehicle was deployed as a remotely operated vehicle so that real-time mapping and online decision-making were feasible. The Eely platform's photogrammetric concept, that is described in detail in the paper, is based on its ability to change shapes depending on the geometry of the object or area of mapping interest. A set of multiple cameras and lights was mounted along the three segments of the articulated robot aiming for visual data acquisition and photogrammetric documentation, while a set of acoustic sensors was used to enhance global situational awareness on the site and provide real-time information about the progress of the mission to the supervising archaeologist through augmented maps. A multibeam echosounder, mounted on the bottom of the middle segment of the robot, allowed for status updates of the site's coverage, while a forward-looking sonar allowed for obstacle avoidance. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the methodology used for the wreck survey covering each stage from mission planning (mission's scope, definition of sub-tasks, platform and sensors configuration, and design and simulation of the robot's transects over the wreck), to the real-world operations and data acquisition, and, finally, results. We compare our findings with previous missions at the same wreck site, both qualitatively and quantitively, and finally discuss how such innovative technology, like snake robots, can bring marine archaeological mapping to a new level.
Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) senses changes in a fiber-optic (FO) waveguide by “interrogating” FO cables with laser pulses and measuring how backscattered energy is modulated by the stressed waveguide. The core ideas are not new, dating back some 30 years, but recent advances have enabled a rapidly expanding range of applications spanning seismology, ocean acoustics, oceanography and now, opto-acoustic communication, which are attracting a great deal of attention. Data are available in real time and provide information over large distances (~150 km without repeaters) with enviable spatial resolution (as little as ~1 m). DAS can generate ~1 Gb/s of data, but each virtual sensor is currently relatively “noisy” and of lower quality than a ceramic hydrophone or seismometer. There are also key physical mechanisms that play a role in the cable’s strain response to stress. Existing telecommunication fibers are encapsulated with power cables, wire armoring, plastic sheathing, and so forth that modulate the mechanical strain response to stress. There is also an inherent directivity of each virtual sensor due to the finite length of the laser pulse and spatial averaging applied to reduce system noise. Finally, the response is modified by interaction with the seabed, whether the cable is laid over hard rock or entrenched in soft sediment. DAS already offers unique capabilities, but it is not a “silver bullet” and successful future development of its considerable potential will require improved understanding of the stress-strain physics, coupling and noise statistics, optimal signal processing, and how to deal efficiently with the high data rate.
