Our vessel has a unique position as a novel platform for scientific observations at sea that is more economical and sustainable than a traditional research vessels, with enhanced capabilities to navigate remote, restricted waterways. These observations may include without limitation:
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eDNA sampling: collection and sequencing of DNA can help estimate species presence.
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Hydrophone deployment: listening to marine life, can provide an opportunity to gain further insight into species’ behaviors.
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Drifter deployment: deployment of Lagrangian drifters, allows the study of oceanographic circulation and improves our understanding of weather and climate.
Greener research
We want to develop and foster relationships with scientists for new and exciting opportunities to collect myriad data from existing instruments and serve as an innovation-friendly testbed for the development of future sampling techniques.
San Diego is a hotbed of instrumentation development, and there exist many labs who wish to test their instruments in a quick, cheap and easy manner. We present an attractive alternative to traditional research vessels in that we are flexible and have much lower operating cost.
Scientific partnerships
The unique nature of our vessel(s) and mission serves as an exciting opportunity to engage the broader community with scientific education initiatives, serving to connect local community members with ongoing coastal ecology and sustainability efforts.
We can serve as a pilot for citizen science efforts that can be scaled up to more members of the boating community. By showing the impact of recreational watercraft as an observing platform, we can inspire others in the boating community to join us in advancing ocean science.