Madeira Island’s Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation (ARDITI) has ordered two Autosub Long Range-branded AUVs from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) to aid its research and ocean scientific activities off the coast of Portugal, and further afield.
The AUVs are designed for multi-month endurance without the need for research vessel back-up, and both come equipped with scientific sensors. One of the vehicles, a 3.6m unit rated for depths of 1,500m, will undertake oceanographic and biogeochemistry-related surveys of the water column, using a turbulence probe. Equipped with rechargeable batteries, this AUV has range of up to 1,330km.
The other AUV, measuring 4m in length and rated for depths of 6,000m, will focus on seabed mapping. Also powered by batteries, this vehicle has a range of up to 600km.
Located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira Island’s waters deepen to approximately 1,000m within 10km of the shoreline, while water depth exceeds 3,000m beyond 15km.
Rui Caldeira, principal scientist at ARDITI, comments: “The data [the AUVs] gather will support our and our partners’ research and help regional and national governments enforce EU Directives. Combined with USVs and traditional ships, they will also help to make Madeira Island an attractive ultra-deep-sea location for testing for international partners.”
NOC says it is also building additional AUVs for its own fleet and expects to have eight Autosub Long Range vehicles at its disposal by the end of 2026.
