NOAA and Fugro Team Up to Advance Uncrewed Deep Ocean Mapping
Sep 17, 2025
NOAA Ocean Exploration and Fugro have signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) focused on advancing uncrewed systems for deep ocean mapping and characterization. The partnership aims to enhance the efficiency, reach, and impact of NOAA’s ocean exploration mission.
The collaboration unites NOAA’s scientific expertise with Fugro’s technological capabilities to expand ocean exploration through uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), autonomous undersea vehicles, and electric remotely operated vehicles. This approach will make ocean exploration more cost-effective and accessible to scientists across the nation.
“NOAA Ocean Exploration is on a mission to accelerate the scope, pace and precision of ocean mapping and characterization, and this strategic partnership will help us do exactly that,” said NOAA Corps Capt. William Mowitt, acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration. “By enabling remote operations and enhancing the use of innovative technologies, we can reduce costs and expand our reach, unlocking the ocean’s potential at a scale and speed needed to keep pace with America’s growing demands for ocean resources and information.”
The agreement outlines several key objectives, including developing better methods for remote ocean exploration missions, creating tools for scientists to control underwater robots in real-time from distant locations, and designing new sensors for environmental baseline studies and critical minerals observation.
Céline Gerson, Fugro’s group director for the Americas and president of Fugro USA, highlighted the transformative potential of this partnership: “We’re entering an exciting new era of deep ocean mapping, one where data can be collected and delivered without a single person at sea. Our more than 25-year collaboration with NOAA has paved the way for this progress. From introducing remote survey operations on crewed vessels to advancing fully remote, cloud-connected systems, we’re proud to help NOAA shape the future of ocean science through innovation and shared purpose.”
The organizations will coordinate on ships, USVs, underwater devices, and data transmission buoys while working to advance remote mission control, develop cloud-based workflows, and improve real-time data delivery through high-bandwidth communications.
Joint technical workshops will focus on launching mutually beneficial projects, including demonstrations of digital workflows, development of new sensor technologies, and assessment of cloud-based data integration to support habitat mapping and critical minerals observation.
Fugro’s extensive experience with uncrewed vehicles, data services, and remote management of offshore systems makes them a valuable partner as NOAA explores poorly known areas of the deep ocean.
This CRADA is part of NOAA’s broader mission to unlock deep ocean mysteries and enable sustainable marine resource use through partnerships, technology advancement, and scientific discovery.