Sailing drones to monitor hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean

Saildrone Inc. will deploy 10 Saildrone Explorer sailcraft to the tropical Atlantic, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, to support NOAA hurricane research. The Explorer drones will operate under objectives defined by NOAA scientists, who will use the data to study how exchanges of heat, moisture, and momentum between the ocean and atmosphere influence storm intensity. The deployment complements ongoing Coast Guard use of Saildrone Voyager vessels in the four Great Lakes, where the Coast Guard plans to apply the drones for border security and search-and-rescue support. The Atlantic campaign marks Saildrone’s broadened mission footprint after more than a decade of global operations.