Saildrone, a provider of real-time ocean mapping and data using unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and Bat Conservation International, an organization dedicated to ending bat extinction, have completed a mission to evaluate the impact of offshore wind energy development on bats and the viability of Saildrone technology for bat research and assessment.

The Saildrone USV, equipped with an ultrasonic microphone, spent 31 nights studying an offshore bat roost on South Farallon Island and recorded three bat species and 830 individual bat calls.

The mission was funded by the Department of Energy and EPRI, a non-profit energy research organization.

Analyst QuickTake: Saildrone's entry into bat research comes after years of underwater acoustic research focused on fish biomass and tracking of sharks, marine mammals, and crustaceans through sound. The company is also developing new underwater acoustic technology to detect, classify, and locate marine mammals, with a focus on noise-sensitive whales. Notably, the company reached a significant milestone this month, having sailed 1,042,620 nautical miles and spending 32,438 days at sea.