Accelerating Operational Oceanography with Uncrewed Systems: Hypoxia Mapping in the Gulf of Mexico

The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) at NOAA requires the integration of uncrewed technologies to enhance its mission capabilities and understanding of these innovative systems. The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is leading research to evaluate and compare data collected by several Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) platforms. This study focuses on supporting NOAA's missions to measure hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, aiming to provide timely, accurate, and cost-effective information through advanced uncrewed platforms. Our research demonstrates the utility of emerging uncrewed platforms, specifically the Sea Trac Systems SP-48 USV. The study goals were to enhance the operational readiness of these systems and support NOAA's UxS Strategic Plan to integrate uncrewed systems into its operations. Our research focuses on the performance of two USVs during variable sea states, assessing its endurance and accuracy of its hypoxia mapping, particularly in areas historically monitored by crewed data collection missions.