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Uncrewed surface vehicles in the Global Ocean Observing System: a new frontier for observing and monitoring at the air-sea interface
Petterson, R.G.; Cronin, M.F.; Swart, S.; Beja, J.; Edholm, J.M.; McKenna, J.; Palter, J.B.; Parker, A.; Addey, C.I.; Boone, W.; Bhuyan, P.; Buck, J.J.H.; Burger, E.F.; Burris, J.; Camus, L.; de Young, B.; du Plessis, M.; Flanigan, M.; Foltz, G.R.; Gille, S.T.; Grare, L.; Hansen, J.E.; Hole, L.R.; Honda, M.C.; Hormann, V.; Kohlman, C.; Kosaka, N.; Kuhn, C.; Lenain, L.; Looney, L.; Marouchos, A.; McGeorge, E.K.; McMahon, C.R.; Mitarai, S.; Mordy, C.; Nagano, A.; Nicholson, S.-A.; Nickford, S.; O'Brien, K.M.; Peddie, D.; Ponsoni, L.; Ramasco, V.; Rozenauers, N.; Siddle, E.; Stienbarger, C.; Sutton, A.J.; Tada, N.; Thomson, J.; Ueki, I.; Yu, L.; Zhang, C.; Zhang, D. (2025). Uncrewed surface vehicles in the Global Ocean Observing System: a new frontier for observing and monitoring at the air-sea interface. Front. Mar. Sci. 12: 1523585. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1523585
In: Frontiers in Marine Science. Frontiers Media: Lausanne. e-ISSN 2296-7745
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open access 411938 [ download pdf ]
Keyword
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV), Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV), Air-sea interactions, Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), In situ ocean observing system, Essential Ocean Variables (EOV), Essential Climate Variables (ECV), weather observation
Authors  Top 
  • Petterson, R.G.
  • Cronin, M.F.
  • Swart, S.
  • Beja, J.
  • Edholm, J.M.
  • McKenna, J.
  • Palter, J.B.
  • Parker, A.
  • Addey, C.I.
  • Boone, W.
  • Bhuyan, P.
  • Buck, J.J.H.
  • Burger, E.F.
  • Burris, J.
  • Camus, L.
  • de Young, B.
  • du Plessis, M.
  • Flanigan, M.
  • Foltz, G.R.
  • Gille, S.T.
  • Grare, L.
  • Hansen, J.E.
  • Hole, L.R.
  • Honda, M.C.
  • Hormann, V.
  • Kohlman, C.
  • Kosaka, N.
  • Kuhn, C.
  • Lenain, L.
  • Looney, L.
  • Marouchos, A.
  • McGeorge, E.K.
  • McMahon, C.R.
  • Mitarai, S.
  • Mordy, C.
  • Nagano, A.
  • Nicholson, S.-A.
  • Nickford, S.
  • O'Brien, K.M.
  • Peddie, D.
  • Ponsoni, L.
  • Ramasco, V.
  • Rozenauers, N.
  • Siddle, E.
  • Stienbarger, C.
  • Sutton, A.J.
  • Tada, N.
  • Thomson, J.
  • Ueki, I.
  • Yu, L.
  • Zhang, C.
  • Zhang, D.
Abstract
    Observing air-sea interactions on a global scale is essential for improving Earth system forecasts. Yet these exchanges are challenging to quantify for a range of reasons, including extreme conditions, vast and remote under-sampled locations, requirements for a multitude of co-located variables, and the high variability of fluxes in space and time. Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) present a novel solution for measuring these crucial air-sea interactions at a global scale. Powered by renewable energy (e.g., wind and waves for propulsion, solar power for electronics), USVs have provided navigable and persistent observing capabilities over the past decade and a half. In our review of 200 USV datasets and 96 studies, we found USVs have observed a total of 33 variables spanning physical, biogeochemical, biological and ecological processes at the air-sea transition zone. We present a map showing the global proliferation of USV adoption for scientific ocean observing. This review, carried out under the auspices of the ‘Observing Air-Sea Interactions Strategy’ (OASIS), makes the case for a permanent USV network to complement the mature and emerging networks within the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The Observations Coordination Group (OCG) overseeing GOOS has identified ten attributes of an in-situ global network. Here, we discuss and evaluate the maturation of the USV network towards meeting these attributes. Our article forms the basis of a roadmap to formalise and guide the global USV community towards a novel and integrated ocean observing frontier.
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