The new blue economy is a data-driven initiative requiring new technologies to deliver those data in an efficient, expansive, and cost-effective manner

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Oceanspace LLC $185,488 on September 1, 2026, under the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 11.021) to integrate the Oceanspace Aquatic Imager System with SeaRobotics uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for extended aquatic remote sampling deployments.

The funded work includes system installation aboard a 5.7-meter USV with net framework and winch systems for deployment and recovery, performance testing under controlled conditions and on the water, and development of data management, transfer, and prototype analysis and visualization protocols. The integrated platform will acquire high-resolution imagery of zooplankton and organic and inorganic particulates at second-scale, sub-meter resolution, coupled with ancillary sensor data such as temperature and salinity. Data will transmit via satellite link to an onshore base station and load to a cloud-based platform for analysis, visualization, and customer access. This Phase I effort supports the New Blue Economy initiative by delivering a novel data-driven sensor platform addressing market demand for biological sensing capabilities on rapidly growing USV platforms.

Performance takes place in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a period of performance extending through February 26, 2027. The award constitutes Phase I assistance under SBIR, which supports proof-of-concept research and development in small businesses with not more than 500 employees.

Achieving that goal will require a new generation of sensor that deliver a broader range of parameters with a high degree of spatial and temporal resolution. The oceanspace/searobotics team intends to contribute to that initiative by merging the oceanspace aquatic imager system with searobotics fleet of uncrewed surface vessels (USV) to create a novel platform for remote sampling during extended deployments in aquatic environments. The resultant system will acquire images of zooplankton and other organic and inorganic particulates at second-scale, sub-meter resolutions, allowing full integration with ancillary data such as temperature and salinity. Those data will be delivered via satellite link to an onshore base station for loading to a cloud-based platform where data can be analyzed and visualized, then accessed by customers. NOAA sbir phase i funding will support system installation aboard a 5.7M USV including a net framework and winch system for deployment and recovery, performance testing under controlled conditions and on the water, and development of the data management, transfer, and prototype analysis/visualization protocols. Customers appreciate that biological sensors are the holy grail of sensor needs. Concomitantly, the USV industry is experiencing tremendous growth. Thus, this integration of two novel sampling solutions will provide a needed advancement in aquatic data delivery that fulfills a global market demand.