The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has launched a fleet of wind and solar-powered research vehicles in what it calls “the summer of the sailing drones”.
The Saildrones — part of a four-month project that began last month — are equipped with sensors that will harvest real-time data from the open oceans. The NOAA says they will help to deepen understanding of how changes in the ocean affect everything from weather and climate to fisheries and marine mammals.
