Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

The Autosubs enhance what we can achieve in ocean research through two fundamentally different but complementary approaches. On one hand, they extend the capabilities of our research vessels in deep waters by providing much higher-resolution seabed imaging and more detailed ocean measurements within the water column than the ships themselves can gather. Whilst vessels provide essential platforms for deploying instruments and supporting research teams, the Autosubs can dive deeper, stay underwater longer, and access confined or hazardous areas that ships simply cannot reach safely.

On the other hand, and perhaps more transformatively, the Autosub Long Range's 2,000-kilometre range enables these systems to undertake underwater science with a dramatic reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared with the much larger research vessels that would otherwise be required. This capability fundamentally changes what's possible. It means we can conduct sustained observations in remote ocean regions without the cost, time, and environmental impact of maintaining a ship on station for weeks or months. Rather than choosing between ship-based and autonomous research, we're learning to use each approach where it works best, creating a more flexible and sustainable research capability.

Submarine canyons, coral mounds, and other complex topography present significant challenges that make autonomous vehicle operations genuinely difficult. The terrain itself is often unpredictable, with steep slopes, overhangs, and irregular features that require sophisticated obstacle detection and quick decision-making. When you're trying to capture high-resolution imagery, you need to fly just metres above the seabed, which leaves little margin for error if something unexpected appears in your path.

Strong currents flowing through canyons and around topographic features can push vehicles off course, requiring constant compensation and adjustment. Underwater visibility is typically just a few metres even with advanced sensors, so the vehicles must rely on sonar and other instruments rather than cameras for real-time navigation. Perhaps most challengingly, underwater communication is severely limited, meaning vehicles must handle unexpected situations autonomously rather than asking for help. Autosub 5's successful operations in Whittard Canyon demonstrate how advances in obstacle avoidance and autonomous control are making these challenging environments accessible, but it remains genuinely difficult work that requires sophisticated systems and careful planning.

The capabilities Autosubs provide prove particularly valuable for understanding and protecting marine ecosystems. They can survey sensitive habitats like coral mounds without making physical contact or causing disturbance. The vehicles simply fly over these areas at carefully controlled altitudes, observing without touching. This non-invasive approach matters enormously in fragile environments where even well-intentioned research can cause damage.

The before-and-after monitoring of conservation measures, such as the trawling ban in Whittard Canyon, demonstrates how these vehicles contribute to evidence-based conservation. We can document what protected areas looked like before protection was introduced, then return months or years later to see whether ecosystems are recovering. The environmental DNA sampling capability captures genetic signatures of which species are present without physically sampling the organisms themselves, providing biodiversity information that would be difficult or impossible to gather through traditional survey methods. Beyond documenting current conditions, Autosubs help us quantify the physical and biological effects of human activities, whether from fishing, offshore development, or other impacts. The repeated surveys enable document ecosystem changes and recovery over years, creating the long-term records that separate genuine trends from natural variation.

Environmental DNA sampling represents a revolutionary shift in how we survey biodiversity. The concept is remarkably straightforward. Organisms constantly shed genetic material into their environment through skin cells, mucus, waste, and other biological processes. By collecting water samples and sequencing the DNA fragments we find there, we can identify which species are present without ever seeing or catching them. NOC's RoCSI sensor, which can be integrated into Autosub 5, enables these genetic surveys to be conducted by autonomous vehicles rather than requiring direct water sampling by researchers.

The advantages of this approach are substantial. It's completely non-invasive, eliminating concerns about disturbing or capturing organisms. The method proves remarkably comprehensive, detecting species that might easily be missed by visual surveys or traditional sampling methods. When deployed on an autonomous vehicle, eDNA sampling becomes highly efficient, covering large areas without requiring constant human supervision. The technique can detect rare or elusive species that appear infrequently or avoid areas with human presence. For assessing biodiversity in protected areas, detecting invasive species before they become established, and tracking how ecosystems change over time, environmental DNA provides information that would be difficult or impossible to gather through traditional methods. The technology transforms our ability to survey marine life whilst minimising our impact on the very ecosystems we're trying to understand.

Rather than representing a separate research capability, Autosubs integrate into NOC's broader approach to ocean science in ways that strengthen the whole enterprise. They complement rather than replace research vessels, with ships providing essential platforms whilst autonomous vehicles extend what we can accomplish in terms of spatial coverage, temporal persistence, and access to challenging environments. The long-range and long-endurance capabilities support the sustained observations needed to understand ocean change, building datasets that span seasons and years rather than individual expeditions.

These vehicles directly support NOC's commitment to Net Zero Oceanographic Capability by enabling more carbon-efficient research approaches. They demonstrate UK leadership in marine robotics and autonomous systems, maintaining and extending capabilities that have been decades in development. The technology serves researchers across multiple disciplines, from marine biologists studying deep-sea ecosystems to geophysicists mapping seafloor structures. Perhaps most importantly, Autosubs help bridge the gap between what we want to know about the ocean and what we can practically observe, generating information that translates scientific understanding into solutions for real ocean challenges.