Two strange vessels are sailing the Gulf of Maine this fall. Two bright orange 33-foot unmanned Saildrones have been transecting the northeastern Gulf collecting high-resolution seafloor data to map the area. Each vehicle’s sensors measure air and water temperatures, humidity, salinity, and wave heights. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has used the drones to gather information in the Gulf of Mexico, collect fisheries data on the West Coast and Alaska, and improve NOAA hurricane forecasting.
Saildrones have been used throughout the United States to map the seafloor. Last year was the first time the vessels traversed the Gulf of Maine. Saildrone photo.
Last summer two Saildrones spent two months mapping 1,500 square nautical miles in the north-central Gulf of Maine in order to identify areas of deep-sea coral habitat. The vessels gathered data at depths up to 300 meters around the Jordan and Georges Basins. Prior to last year’s mission, that area of the Gulf of Maine had never before been mapped in high resolution using modern tools.
“The Saildrone Voyagers are filling in a substantial gap in seafloor data in the Gulf of Maine. NOAA and partners are very interested in better understanding habitats in the region that may support fish production. These high-resolution seafloor maps will inform future surveying and modeling efforts, as well as aid in the New England Fishery Management Council’s fishery management decisions,” said Heather Coleman, a researcher with the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program.
Saildrone vehicles travel relatively slowly at speeds of 2-4 knots and are designed to be highly visible. In addition to high visibility colors for daytime, they are equipped with bright navigation lights for nighttime awareness and a radar reflector. Each vehicle will be operating in a small area of the northeastern Gulf each day, approximately 2.7 nm x 2.7 nm. NOAA and the New England Fishery Management Council have asked fishermen to stay at least 500 meters away from the boats and to avoid setting fixed gear in their survey path.
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