Marilu Cristina Flores
Blue Briefs: Exploring Coral Ecosystems with Submersible Tech
Marilu Cristina Flores, Investable Oceans
Ocean exploration continues to fascinate and enthrall the masses. Technological advancements have allowed us to go further and deeper into the ocean's depths since Alexander the Great first used diving bells, and John and Charles Dean dawned diving dresses to explore the sea's abyss.
If you grew up on Jules Verne’s fantastical 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, you’ll recognize a pattern here; for centuries, man has been curious about what lies beneath.
According to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), there are 240,000 species of marine wildlife known to us1, but new species are being discovered annually. NOAA estimates that up to eighty percent of the ocean remains unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored.2
As a marine conservationist, I spend as much time in the ocean as possible. Still, as someone who is neurodiverse with my own limitations, I’ve often found myself wondering, ‘how can I share what I love about the ocean with those who do not live near it or cannot experience it as I do?’ How can technology help us explore more, learn more, and make our ocean more accessible to all? As we make these spaces more accessible, we enhance the economic value and impact of our oceans on our global economy3.
In 2019, I was approached by a friend working at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) about how submersible drones could be used for marine conservation and research; they had been given a handful of drones by SoFar and aimed to find novel applications for the use of this technology. My friend recalled my husband was a professional aerial drone engineer, and for the last year, I had been working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s BleachWatch program to train citizen scientists on in water identification methods for coral bleaching and disease along the Florida reef tract.
We applied for the submersible grant and, a few months later, were fortunate enough to have one arrive at our doorstep. The learning curb was steep for me. As someone who doesn’t typically play video games and who suffers from a neuromotor condition, I found navigating with the controller challenging. Once I took some time to familiarize myself with the device, we quickly realized what incredible tools submersible drones could be for coral monitoring.
The Sofar was very introductory; the more time we spent using it at Blue Heron Bridge, my pilot and I started making a list of qualities we wished the drone featured, which would make our project more viable in the long term. From having used the SoFar, we knew we eventually wanted to have a fleet of machines, each with its own capabilities for use in different environments and conditions. Over the course of 2021, we conducted over a dozen submersible drone surveys in collaboration with various nonprofits and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
We learned that animals were not afraid of the subs; we were able to hover over reef colonies and conduct hour-long observations of wildlife with little to no impact on their behaviors. A scuba diver would be unable to remain underwater for so long. While this technology has long been used for underwater inspections of boats and docks and, most recently, used to identify and confirm the location of Australia’s oldest European shipwreck, the Tryall. Perhaps one of the most significant and valuable aspects of submersible drone technology to me is its ability to allow those who may face physical limitations of underwater research to conduct explorations and projects. This technology offers the ability to bring the underwater experience to more groups of people who, in the past, for whatever reason, were unable to dive or snorkel.
Submersible drone technology is also making ocean exploration more affordable; new discoveries can lead to further ocean protections and renewed ways to draw in tourism and drive tourism.
We now realize that submersible drone technology can be applied to fish counts and wildlife surveying beneath the waves. Submersible drones are no doubt a new way to conduct underwater research and science, and I am excited to see where this technology takes us, what we can uncover and how we can help make conservation science more accessible to protect our reefs and marine environments.
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