Project overview:
Evaluating Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles for Environmental Monitoring Around Offshore Wind Infrastructure
Awardee:
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
Start Date:
Q4, 2025
Technical Challenge Area:
Environment and Conflicting Use
Completion Date:
N/A (Currently Underway)
Synopsis:
The project will demonstrate how MBARI’s long-range autonomous underwater vehicles can deliver cost-effective, persistent environmental monitoring for offshore wind areas. Two deployments will assess platform capabilities, instrumentation, and operations to inform future permitting-focused monitoring systems.
Target Outcomes:
1
Demonstrated feasibility of long-range autonomous underwater vehicles for persistent, cost-effective offshore wind environmental monitoring.
2
Operational insights on instrumentation, routing, docking, and data workflows to support long-duration deployments.
3
Actionable recommendations to inform future monitoring strategies aligned with California offshore wind permitting needs.
