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SeaTrac has collaborated with
JASCO Applied Sciences to
deploy an advanced Passive
Acoustic Monitoring (PAM)
system aboard its SP-48 USV.
Equipped with acoustic
technology, a collapsible
directional array and heave-
compensating winch, the system
successfully detected several
endangered North Atlantic Right
Whales during trials conducted
off the coasts of Massachusetts
and Rhode Island.
The SP-48 is a persistent
Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV)
used to efficiently, safely and cost
effectively perform real-time data
collection and communications in
all marine environments.
It has a length of 4.8m(15.7ft
and a width of 139cm (4.6 ft). It
weighs 275kg (606 lb) and can
carry a payload of 70kg (154lb) ,
which can be fed power up to
500W. The solar cells feed into a
6.75KWh battery. This gives the
vessel a 5 kts top speed.
PAM
Traditional PAM systems rely on
towed arrays, which require
continuous vehicle movement and
limit deployment duration.
This new innovative approach
replaces the towed array with a
dipping, collapsible array that
supports “sprint and drift”
operations, enabling the USV to
collect data while stationary. This
method significantly reduces
energy consumption, allowing for
extended deployments and
broader coverage.
Between December 14, 2024, and
April 7, 2025, four field trials were
conducted in various sea states
and locations. These tests
confirmed the system’s ability to
operate reliably and autonomously
in challenging conditions while
consistently delivering high-quality
acoustic data.
SeaTrac custom-designed its solar-
powered SP-48 USV with a deep
keel to enhance stability and to
provide precise support for
JASCO’s specialised equipment.
Its 48V battery powered
JASCO’s heave-compensating
winch which was controlled by
an onboard single-board
computer (SBC) to deploy and
retrieve the collapsible acoustic
array.
JASCO’s array features a unique
collapsible design with four
adjustable arms and a fabric
damper to minimise motion
interference. When lowered, the
array unfolds into a compact
spatial configuration that
captures high-quality acoustic
data, which is streamed in real-
time to the SBC.
At the system’s core is
JASCO’s OceanObserver. Data
is processed by JASCO’s
StreamRepeater and PAMlab-
INT software packages.
Processed marine mammal
detections, ambient sound
reports, and operational
summaries are sent to JASCO’s
shore-based software for
continuous monitoring and
reporting via Iridium Certus and
Starlink satellite
communication.
The real-time reporting
capability of this USV-based
system offers a significant
advantage over traditional
gliders which require surface
events to transmit data.
The continuous connectivity of
SeaTrac’s SP-48 allows users to
remotely download data,
reconfigure detectors, and
troubleshoot the system via a
Secure Shell (SSH) 24/7.
SEATRAC
SOLAR-POWERED USVS
SeaTrac USV