The ocean is a vast body of water that covers almost three-quarters of the earth. It’s so big that if you combined all the world’s landmasses, they would only cover about 30% of the planet. The ocean is home to a wide variety of marine life, from tiny plankton and fish to mighty whales and sharks.
The ocean is vast, deep, and full of hidden secrets. However, with new technology every day, scientists are learning more about it than ever before. From tracking satellites to sonar imaging software and everything in between, there are plenty of ways you can know more about this mysterious body of water. Below are five technologies that are used to study the ocean:
1. Satellites
Satellites are crewless spacecraft that orbit the earth. The earliest satellites were simply tools that were used for communication. Since then, their uses have grown to include weather forecasting, tracking marine life, and many other applications. Two satellites help study the ocean:
- Geostationary satellites orbit the earth from a fixed point 36,000 kilometers above sea level.
- Polar-orbiting satellites orbit the earth from a fixed point about 800 kilometers above sea level.
There are many advantages to using satellites to study the ocean. For one, they provide a global view of the ocean so that researchers can track marine life anywhere in the world. They also offer consistent images, some of which can be taken daily.
2. Underwater Drones
Underwater drones are explicitly designed to be used in water. They have the advantage of diving into much greater depths than satellites. However, they are also much more limited in what they can do. For example, they usually can’t see the whole ocean; they can only see the surrounding area.
For underwater drones, the biggest challenge is staying underwater long enough to collect enough data. Pressure can also be a problem at greater depths. Still, underwater drones are a helpful tool for studying the ocean. They are useful for scanning environments too deep for divers, such as the bottom of coral reefs. Some underwater drones even have tools for taking samples.
3. AUV
AUVs are autonomous underwater vehicles. These crewless vehicles are designed to be used in water without a human piloting them. AUVs can be programmed to conduct surveys at specific depths and areas. They can even return to a certain depth if the sensors detect anomalies.
This makes AUVs helpful in exploring the ocean in more depth. They can stay underwater for longer than drones and collect data from different areas. They are designed to function below the surface of the water, although you can also use them above the surface.
4. Rayfin Cameras
A Rayfin subsea camera is designed to be used underwater. You can use these cameras at any depth below the water’s surface. Most underwater cameras are built to withstand pressures up to 6,000 feet. They are often deployed on fishing boats to help identify what is in the water. Each camera has a wide lens to allow more light to pass through the water. This is particularly helpful when looking at deeper waters.
5. Remote Hearing and Sight Software
Remote seeing and hearing software has been used to study marine life for a long time. However, new advancements in the field have allowed scientists to see and collect more data. You can use remote-seeing software to track the movements of marine life that are tagged with a particular device.
This allows researchers to see where the organisms go and how they interact with their environment. Remote hearing software is used to collect the sounds that marine life makes. You can use this to track migration patterns and other behavior changes.
Conclusion
Seeing how vast the ocean is, technology has greatly enabled scientists and other fields of study to keep track of changes within large water bodies easier than ever before, and it will only continue to get better with time. So, if you’re in a field that requires any of the technologies mentioned above, then you have a clear guide on where to start.
Also, read: You Can Save The Environment By Using This Recyclable Materials Regularly
