The U.S. government is closed. This site will not be updated; however, NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit The Seabots Are Coming! Ocean-going Drones Launched On West Coast Fish Survey
They're life-jacket orange, they're robots and they're capable of sailing the high seas without human intervention. On Tuesday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a private contractor launched a pair of unmanned “Saildrones” in Pacific Northwest waters for the first time. Their summer-long voyage to collect fish data will stretch from Vancouver Island to California. Chris Meinig is quoted
