Saildrone has begun a first-of-its-kind mission to map the 29,300 sq. nautical mi. (100,530 sq km) of the Cayman Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The mission is being conducted using a 20-m Saildrone Surveyor USV.

This mission represents a major milestone in ocean mapping: surveying 80 percent of the Cayman Islands’ EEZ using autonomous technology.

The mission will take approximately six months. Saildrone will provide local mariners with detailed information, via its website, on the location of the Surveyor vehicle when it is scheduled to operate close to shore or near popular fishing and boating areas.

A high-resolution bathymetric map of a country’s EEZ is a prerequisite for exploring, identifying, characterizing, using, conserving and managing natural resources in waters extending up to 200 nautical mi. from its shores.

The Cayman Islands EEZ encompasses an area that is 357 times larger than the islands themselves.

The mission is philanthropically funded by the London & Amsterdam Trust Co. Ltd., a Cayman-based organization. Saildrone will collect the raw bathymetry data, which will be provided to the UK Hydrographic Office to process and update the Cayman Islands’ nautical charts. The data will belong to the Cayman Islands government.

The Saildrone Surveyor is equipped with the latest multibeam echosounders and metocean sensors for ocean mapping and ecosystem monitoring, as well as radar, cameras and advanced machine learning.

USVs equipped with deep-ocean mapping sonars offer an economical option for data collection in large areas, such as EEZs. This technology also reduces risk to personnel while significantly lowering carbon emissions.

Learn more here.