Three Saildrone Explorers, uncrewed surface vehicles used to measure ocean data, embarked on a six-month journey around Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi to evaluate ocean health across the state.
Photo courtesy of University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Lab, and the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, are working with Saildrone Inc. to pilot the effort, according to a UH news release.
The 23-foot ocean drones will send back critical data and images in real-time to scientists in Hawaiʻi and Washington State so they can assess how climate change and ocean acidification are impacting our coastal waters, UH reports.
The saildrones left from Pacific Shipyards International in Honolulu Harbor on Oʻahu in March and the official mission started on April 1.
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Maui News, 2 April 2023. Full article.
