August 19, 2025 — Between April 16 and May 5, 2025, a team of ocean researchers conducted the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s second DriX survey out of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The DriX operated nearly 24/7 for 20 days. It collected data to characterize fish and plankton in Southern New England, including within five wind energy areas at various stages of development. This is a step toward using this innovative technology to study and sample marine life and habitats in places that are challenging for larger research vessels to access.
“Uncrewed systems have the ability to support various stock and ecosystem assessments through data acquisition, particularly in areas that have traditionally been or are increasingly becoming challenging to sample,” explained Conor McManus, Advanced Technology Program Lead for the science center. “We are learning more about how marine ecosystems are changing while improving the technology and operations to be able to use it more expansively in the future.”
The DriX is a submarine-shaped, 25-foot-long uncrewed surface vehicle. Unlike a sub, the DriX operates entirely on the surface. The vehicle is programmed to collect data along transect lines but can correct its course to avoid objects in the water. Similar to a car’s cruise control, it is monitored by trained operators who are remotely present and can take control when necessary. DriX is a flexible platform that can carry many sensors needed to collect oceanographic data. For this survey, DriX was outfitted with:
- Seapix multibeam sonar (150 kHz)
- Konsberg EK80 echosounder (38, 70, 120, 200 kHz)
- Nortek Signature 500 kHz echosounder and acoustic doppler current profiler
These instruments collected data that will help scientists identify fish and plankton fields, as well as currents and other environmental information. For example, data collected by the Seapix can be used to estimate the volume of a school of fish.
DriX and other autonomous and semi-automous vehicles can complement ship-based surveys and improve the efficiency of collecting acoustic and biological data. The DriX could help fill data gaps by working in tandem with our long-term ecosystem surveys, such as the Bottom Trawl Survey. The science center’s surveys, including the Bottom Trawl, have been consistently collecting data on fisheries, ocean conditions, and habitat from the Gulf of Maine to North Carolina for more than 50 years.
During the first week, scientists launched and accompanied the DriX aboard the R/V Gloria Michelle, a 72-foot research vessel homeported in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. They calibrated the acoustic equipment and plankton sampling systems while collecting oceanographic data in the Revolution Wind Energy Area.