MarTERA ARIM Havforskningsinstituttet/Metas.

Marine monitoring with traditional vessel-based methods is expensive and therefore limits the data accumulation in time and space. Aim of the project was to establish an autonomous bottom-based system for continuous monitoring of the bottom and pelagic habitats. Biodiversity in the bottom fauna is monitored by a crawler through photographic techniques including autonomous species recognition and characterization. The crawler can cover long trips. The water column is depicted acoustically and analyzed and defined by acoustic characterization methods. Our system represents a quantum leap in autonomous monitoring method because it combines a unique time-space coverage. The homing plattform technology has been developed in Norway through collaboration between the Institute of Marine Research, Metas and Equinor. In Germany, Geomar, iSeaMC and Kraken RobotiK have developed the crawler with robust properties for deep water operations. The partners adapted the crawler to the purpose of the project and to integrate in the Norwegian platform system for a product that will be of major importance for the monitoring of human impact on the ocean from industry (i.e. oil and gass, aquaculture, mining on the seabed). The automated analytical systems developed by Deusto Sistemas in Spain enabled that processed data can be presented in near real time to the user. The project aimed for two versions of the system, one cable (energy and power) based version for continious transfer and access of data and one fuel cell powered autonomous system that stores data aboard. The ambition was to present a system that can fill the monitoring needs as described in EU directives and in national regulations for monitoring and management of the oceans. The product will raise worldwide interest as requirements are the similar in most industry countries. The consortium cooperation will extend beyond the project period, especially between the industrial partners. They will be interested in completing the commercial product for marketing and sales. Due to the pandemi situation in Europe the final testing of the combined system was not possible and will be conducted in the ongoing collaboration of the consortium

- Utviklet crawler-system for forbedret observasjonsmetodikk som medfører muligheter for ubemannede observasjoner og dermed kostnadsreduksjon i marin overvåking -Implementert rutiner for automatisk klassifisering av organismer basert på innsamlede data med autonom farkost -Teknologien kombinerer stasjonære og mobile plattformer med plugger for fleksibel påkobling av sensorer -Resultatet er større operasjonell ramme for systemet som helhet gjennom delvis dynamisk plassering av plattformer og ved at installering av nye sensorer kan gjøres uten videre tilpasning Datastrøm gjennom felles e-plattform med LoVe-infrastrukturen - fiberoptisk kabel fra nodene på sjøbunn til landstasjon -Konseptet, teknologien og utprøvingen demonstrerer mulighet for nasjonal og internasjonal anvendelse innen både overvåkning, forskning og næring, feks overvåking av installasjoner for olje/gass/vindkraft til havs/dyphavs mineralutvinning med reduserte kostnader sammenlignet med ensidig fartøybruk

The project will establish a science-based infrastructure for continuous online monitoring of the ocean interior including benthic, pelagic and the demersal habitats. It will drastically reduce costs of expensive ship based monitoring. We combine established Norwegian cabled observatory technology and German mobile seafloor robotic technology and thus supports the transition from local to spatial ecological monitoring. Both technologies are developed through science - industry partnerships. In Norway, the Institute of Marine Research has worked with Statoil ASA and Metas AS, a small environmental technology company to develop, install and operate the LoVe cabled observatory. The German technology is developed by iSeaMC and Kraken Robotik cooperation, two spinoff enterprises of the Helmholtz Alliance “ROBEX”. GEOMAR has recently developed a lander-based deep-sea crawler that operates autonomously based on the original iSeaMC crawler system using the Kraken Autonomy. The observatory and crawler technologies have demonstrated superiority through operation over several years under harsh conditions off Norway and in the eastern Pacific (Ocean Network Canada, ONC). Combined with the Spanish image processing and modeling expertise in the SME Deusto Sistemas SA the consortium hosts the capacity to establishing a complete semi-autonomous real-time monitoring system. Merging of existing technologies into one operational autonomous product through the unique competence of partners’ support EU ambitions (e.g. Blue Growth, GES, Horizon 2020), and will pave the way for new products and markets. This will renew monitoring and support assessment of impacts on the marine environment. The unique technologies and competence at top international level is impossible to find nationally. The consortium has been invited to contribute to programs for the Yellow Sea and for European mining and offshore decommissioning industries, which demonstrates the leading role of our consortium.