Development and utilization of undersea vehicles and observatories for coastal marine research

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration´s (NOAA) Undersea Research Program (NURP) places scientists underwater directly or remotely to research problems relating to regional, national and global issues covering both marine and aquatic environments. The development of relatively portable remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs), and ocean observatories with specialized sampling gear and instrumentation has provided investigators with the capabilities to sample, sense, and image the coastal ocean environment not possible using conventional surface-based technologies and techniques. This capability to directly observe and manipulate sampling devices in real time has allowed more complex and realistic experimentation in marine sciences. Described are several applications of undersea vehicles and observatories to solve critical problems and to provide predictive capability to resource managers for informed decision-making.