Autosub AUV

The surprising culinary preferences of an abyssal sea anemone have been unveiled by a team of scientists from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) have used advanced photographic tools in an unmanned Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to make major advancements in estimating deep-sea ecosystem diversity at ‘landscape’ scales.

The latest Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition was launched today at the NOC in Southampton – making £1.5 million available to UK businesses to develop novel adaptive autonomous ocean sampling network (AOSN) management systems.

A team of thirteen scientists, including seven NOC researchers, recently completed a two week expedition on the RV Celtic Explorer, where they made new discoveries relating to the geology and biological habitats of the south-eastern slope of Rockall Bank.

The first Chief Scientist for the national facility developing and providing autonomous vehicles for UK marine research has been appointed.

Dr Russell Wynn will act as the focal point between the Marine Autonomous and Robotics Systems (MARS) group - which went live in April 2012 at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) - and its user community.

Two projects investigating the use of robot submarines to map and monitor the seas around the United Kingdom – collecting data that will inform future government policy on the protection of the marine environment – have received £720,000 in funding.