Saildrone, a provider of real-time ocean mapping and data using unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), has launched a six-month mission to map 80% of the Cayman Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), covering approximately 29,300 square nautical miles. The mission utilizes a 20-meter Saildrone Surveyor uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) that has advanced multibeam echo sounders and metocean sensors.

The Saildrone Surveyor USV is designed for deep-water ocean mapping and has multibeam echo sounders, metocean sensors, radar, cameras, and advanced machine learning. The mission aims to provide detailed and precise bathymetric data for the Cayman Islands, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the seafloor topography in the region.

Analyst QuickTake: Prior to this, in December 2023 , Saildrone partnered with The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa to complete a survey of near-shore ocean water quality around the main Hawaiian Islands using Saildrone Explorers. Under this partnership, three Saildrones surveyed the Hawaiian Islands and gathered over 100,000 key measurements, including temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, turbidity, pH, and CO2 levels in both water and air.