ARDITI announced in a statement this afternoon that the Oceanic Observatory of Madeira (OOM) will unveil two new autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) tomorrow at 12:00 at its Operational Centre in São Lázaro, Funchal Marina. The vehicles were acquired through an investment of approximately €6 million, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
Developed by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in the United Kingdom, the equipment arrived in the Autonomous Region of Madeira on the 16th of June and is currently in the final phase of testing and operational validation. Over the coming weeks, OOM researchers and technicians will oversee the integration of the systems and receive specialised training to ensure their autonomous operation.
The new AUVs were designed to address various research and monitoring needs, providing enhanced capabilities for collecting scientific data at different depths.
According to ARDITI, “The first vehicle has an operational capacity of up to 1,500 metres and an autonomy of more than 20 days, making it particularly suited for environmental and ecological monitoring missions. Its use will allow us to continuously collect data on the water column and marine ecosystems, helping us better understand ocean processes and the changes occurring within these ecosystems.”
The second vehicle was designed to operate at depths of up to 6,000 metres, with an autonomy of over 24 hours, and is intended for high-resolution mapping of the seabed and the inspection of submerged infrastructure in deep-sea environments.
“The new equipment will support projects in the fields of oceanography, marine ecology and geology, bathymetric surveys and environmental monitoring, while also contributing to national and international ocean observation initiatives,” the press release stated.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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