Autonomous underwater vehicles enhance coastal carbon monitoring

Researchers are utilizing advanced autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and specialized sensors to better understand coastal carbon dynamics and the movement of marine particles.

The Autosub Long Range (ALR) recently completed a 2,000 km autonomous mission, providing high-resolution pH measurements to quantify air-sea CO2 fluxes. In the Celtic Margin, data indicated the region acted as a net CO2 sink during May and June of 2022. The study highlighted that high-resolution autonomous observations are essential for capturing coastal variability that current global models and ship-based surveys often fail to resolve.

In a separate effort, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is employing both stationary and mobile observation methods to study how carbon-rich marine snow is exported to the deep sea. This includes the use of surface-tethered sediment traps, seafloor-moored imaging systems like SINKER, and long-range autonomous underwater vehicles (LRAUVs) to track particle movement within dynamic water masses.