Solar Powered Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) for Marine Protected Area (MPA) Monitoring

Abstract

This paper presents the use of Open Ocean Robotics’ (OOR) solar powered USV, Data Xplorer, for MPA monitoring and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing enforcement. Data Xplorer is equipped with a sensor suite to monitor the environment as well as detect marine mammals and vessels, which includes oceanographic and meteorological sensors, optical and thermal cameras, an AIS transponder, and a towed acoustic array. This enables the detection of marine mammal vocalizations with real-time alerts, soundscape characterization, monitoring of the area for vessels, including those engaged in IUU, and supporting compliance with the regulated closure. With both satellite and cellular communications, and the ability to voyage in challenging sea states, Data Xplorer can monitor these regions in difficult weather conditions and provide real-time data to ground based observers. In a project with Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Data Xplorer is being used to monitor two Southern Resident killer whale (SRKW) Interim Sanctuary Zones in British Columbia: Swiftsure Bank and the Southern Gulf Islands. OOR has also deployed this technology in a 25-day continuous mission in a Hawaiian marine sanctuary as part of a collaboration with NGO partners to bring this technology to the Bahamas to monitor for IUU fishing within their MPAs.