A flexible autonomous bottom resident infrastructure for bentho-pelagic monitoring

This paper presents the ecology and policy basis as well as the technology solution for a Martera funded project (ARIM). The project develops platforms for bentho-pelagic monitoring using an arrangement of crawler and stationary platforms. A combination of visual and acoustic sensing along with standard oceanographic sensors supports advanced and continues spatial-temporal monitoring. Just as important is the automatic processing techniques under development that will allow habitat and species (or categories of species) to be automatically recognized and reported during the mission and thus support science and monitoring services without backing from expensive ship time. First version develops autonomy under controlled conditions with a tethered crawler exploring the neighbourhood of a cabled stationary instrumented garage. Our vision is that fuel cell technology will enable us to use the system for self-sustained long-term autonomous operations for science as well as for industry purposes.