The Future of Ocean Sensing

Thanks to everyone who took part in the Ocean Science and Solutions Applied Research Institute Futorial. This one-day event brought together scientists, engineers and technology pioneers from leading ocean science research institutes to chart an inspirational new course for oceanography over the next ten years.

“The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed.”

— William Gibson (Author)

Keynote

Professor Xabier Irigoien, Science Director at NEOM

Xabier put forth the space analogy, observing that Mars rovers perform onboard organic chemistry in ways that could be hugely beneficial to ocean science.

Foresight talk one

Alexander Bahr, Co-founder at Hydromea SA

Alexander discussed the challenges of gathering subsea data at scale. He noted that, while a satellite can provide thousands of square miles of land data, a submersible’s monitoring range is limited to metres.

Foresight talk two

Julie Robidart, Head of Technology and Engineering at the National Oceanography Centre

Julie warned of a global biodiversity crisis. The threat is better understood on land than in the oceans; 70% of marine species may not even have been discovered yet. So, how do you protect what you don’t know about?

Foresight talk three

Carl Embry, Founder at 3D at Depth

Carl imagined a world in which comprehensive ocean floor mapping could enable predictive modelling of changes in marine ecosystems. Lidar, unlike optical sensors, can see past the visual noise to measure the dimensions and volumes of structures like coral, which sonar cannot detect.

Foresight talk four

Paul Scerri, President at Platypus

Paul set out a vision for real-time, predictive modelling of important ocean areas. He argued for strategically placed fleets of highly autonomous platforms collecting and sharing data, predicting change, and acting to intervene.

Panel discussion

Foresight speakers and Xabier Irigoien

Hosted by Alex Rogers, panel conversations covered a range of topics including near real-time communication, data and sensors, ocean chemistry, eDNA analysis and predictive digital twins.

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