Eyes beneath the surface
A new towed underwater vehicle (TUV) being trialled by CQUniversity Australia researchers could help solve one of the biggest challenges facing marine scientists – accurately mapping and monitoring seagrass in murky coastal waters.
Researchers from CQUniversity’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) have partnered with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to test a towed underwater vehicle that captures detailed imagery and environmental data just above the seabed, even in conditions where traditional survey methods struggle.
The technology has the potential to improve how researchers measure the health, extent and recovery of seagrass meadows, which supports marine life including fish, turtles and dugongs, improves water quality and stores significant amounts of carbon.
CMERC Director Professor Emma Jackson said the project was exploring a practical solution to a longstanding challenge for marine scientists.
"As marine researchers, we've all wished at one point or another that we could see and breathe underwater to find out more," Prof Jackson said.
"This TUV has the potential to become our eyes beneath the surface in conditions where traditional observation methods simply aren't possible.
"The technology allows us to position a camera system just above the seabed and tow it over long distances while continuously collecting georeferenced imagery and data.
"That gives us a much clearer picture of seagrass extent and condition across large areas than is often possible with traditional survey methods.
"If successful, it will help us better map and monitor seagrass growth and condition, enabling more informed decisions and improving outcomes for restoration projects."
The trials are assessing whether the TUV can provide a faster, safer and more cost-effective approach to monitoring seagrass habitats and restoration sites.
The project complements CMERC's broader seagrass research and restoration efforts, including the Scaling SeaGrow program, which focuses on restoring and protecting important seagrass meadows.
CMERC GIS Officer Dr Marycarmen Martinez Diaz, who has been involved in field deployments of the technology, said the early results were promising.
"We're seeing real potential for this technology to improve the way we collect seagrass data in challenging environments," Dr Martinez Diaz said.
"In intertidal areas, the TUV can be paired with aerial drone surveys to provide accurate ground-truthing data without researchers needing to walk long distances across sensitive habitats.
"That reduces disturbance to the environment, improves safety for field crews and makes surveys more efficient, while still delivering high-quality information for management and restoration decisions."
Developed by CSIRO the tethered TUV is designed to collect high-definition imagery and environmental data in coastal environments where visibility and access can be difficult.
CSIRO Principal Research Engineer Dr Torsten Merz said the robotic system, which consists of an uncrewed surface vessel and a towed underwater vehicle, is well suited to capturing high-quality seabed images in turbid waters.
“The system can be easily deployed in places larger vessels cannot access, with images recorded and processed on board the uncrewed surface vessel and transmitted to users by radio link,” Dr Merz said.
“The automatically processed images we provide of the seabed, along with our AI-generated analysis results, help to accelerate seagrass monitoring and assessment.”
The project brings together expertise from CQUniversity, CSIRO and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, to explore innovative ways to strengthen marine ecosystem monitoring and restoration.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Executive Director of Impact Theresa Fyffe said improving the ability to monitor seagrass habitats was critical to protecting Reef ecosystems.
“We’re excited by the potential of this new monitoring technology to unlock seagrass restoration at scale,” Ms Fyffe said.
“Through innovations like this towed underwater vehicle, we can make restoration more efficient and effective – helping build a stronger future for the Reef, it’s seagrass habitats and the marine life that rely on them.”
A final project report, expected later this year, will provide the first assessment of the technology's performance under real-world coastal monitoring conditions.
If successful, the research could pave the way for a new generation of monitoring tools that provide a clearer understanding of the health of Queensland's coastal environments and help guide future seagrass restoration efforts.
The Scaling SeaGrow Program was funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Explore CMERC’s research impact on the CMERC website.
