New partnership to help improve monitoring of underwater environments

The University of Southampton has announced a partnership with marine science technology specialists ecoSUB Robotics to bring an innovative underwater water sampler into commercial use.

Developed by researchers at the University with support by engineers from ecoSUB Robotics*, the advanced water sampler autonomously collects discrete volumes of water for later analysis, even at great depths.

This new capability provides marine researchers, environmental agencies and others, with the unprecedented ability to retrieve water at up to 2,500 meters below the surface, without the need for human interaction. The versatile sampler, available in multiple configurations, can be seamlessly integrated with any of ecoSUB’s autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

The University of Southampton and ecoSUB Robotics have now signed a licensing agreement to bring the sampler onto the market.

Traditional underwater data collection has relied heavily on manual collection of samples which are taken to laboratories for analysis – looking at specific water parameters such as nutrients (eg nitrate, phosphate), heavy metals, oil pollution, and environmental DNA. Sample collection is manually intensive, and often requires the use of expensive ships when operating at sea. The new device overcomes this limitation by using an automated system, mounted on ecoSUB’s small easily-deployable robot submarines to retrieve samples without manual intervention.

The sampler, which was originally conceived as part of a student project, opens new avenues for applications, including environmental monitoring, marine biogeochemistry, oceanography, and offshore operations – where detailed water quality data is essential. This will help provide a richer and more detailed picture of underwater environments and an insight into anything from pollution problems to the health of sea creatures.

Dr Adrian Nightingale , from the School of Engineering at the University of Southampton, commented on the significance of this achievement: “This is a significant step forward, giving researchers, regulators, and industry a new tool to quantify water quality. It strengthens a productive relationship between the university and marine business and is part of a wider move to increase marine autonomy for smarter, cost-effective and less carbon-intensive environmental science.”

Terry Sloane, Managing Director at ecoSUB Robotics , adds: “The water sampler is a welcome addition to our ecoSUB vehicles, increasing their functionality for a wider range of underwater data collection missions. With this tool, we can support our customers in gathering critical data in ways that were previously not possible.

“This partnership reinforces our commitment to providing cutting-edge, robust, and versatile AUV solutions.  The unique ability of ecoSUB to dive vertically, presents researchers with a new way of obtaining water column data using a combination of traditional sensors, as well as water samples.”

In addition to providing this tool for the ecoSUB fleet, ecoSUB Robotics aims to continue its collaboration with the University of Southampton on future technologies that push the boundaries of what is possible in autonomous underwater exploration. This collaboration underlines the partners’ shared commitment to advancing technology and addressing critical challenges in marine science and industry.