Real-Time Oceanography with AUVs in a Coastal Environment

Coastal environments are extremely dynamic regions of upwelling, tidal action and general mixing of water of varying temperatures. These regions are important to understand because of their diversity of life and their proximity to human activity. However, oceanographic measurement systems demand a trade-off between coverage and resolution, making it difficult to achieve high resolution data measurements across a large area.

Researchers in MIT's Department of Ocean Engineering are using acoustic tomographic imaging techniques (views through layers), networked with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), to improve the quality of oceanographic data. This system uses numerous moored, vertical hydrophone arrays with a wireless local-area network to provide a low-resolution estimate of oceanographic parameters. The results are used to identify areas where high-resolution data collection should be focused. Satellite links provide access to oceanographic processes in near real-time.