RIPPLE EFFECT
A Public-Private Partnership Advances Ocean Science
New technologies allow us to explore uncharted territory, improve our understanding of the world, and make exciting discoveries that solve complex problems. The best technologies are born out of collaboration, when the right mix of people, resources, and skills come together around an innovative idea.
When NOAA collaborates with a company through a public-private partnership, the goal is to leverage each partners’ unique skills and resources to accomplish something together that neither partner could have done on their own.
A partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Saildrone, Inc. did just that – the resulting collaboration has expanded to support research missions across NOAA, led to business growth and technological innovation, and contributed to the broader New Blue Economy .
A technology emerges and a partnership forms
On a windy, dusty day in 2009, deep within California's Mojave Desert, Richard Jenkins made history by breaking the land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle . Clocking in at just over 126 miles per hour, the moment marked a highlight of a life-long passion: designing technologies that make it possible to travel faster, farther, and cheaper using only the power of the wind. Jenkins, now Founder and CEO of Alameda, California-based Saildrone, applied that passion to what would become the innovative ocean drone technology at the center of the NOAA-Saildrone partnership.
Saildrone Founder and CEO Richard Jenkins smashes the world record for the fastest speed on land in a wind-driven vehicle. Credit: Richard Jenkins
Noah Lawrence-Slavas, a senior mechanical engineer at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), also brought his passion for figuring out how to do things better, faster, and cheaper to the partnership. He is part of an engineering team that supports research across the agency. The NOAA PMEL Engineering Development Division has developed a strong understanding of the hurdles that exist for ocean science observation – and what is needed to overcome them. Their big challenge: As Earth’s climate and ocean rapidly evolve, how can scientists collect data that are needed to better understand and predict our changing environment, and do it in a timely manner on a global scale?
Jenkins and his new company Saildrone – a small team of only 4 staff at the time – first approached NOAA in 2014 with their ocean drone prototype. Lawrence-Slavas and the NOAA engineering team saw an opportunity to collaborate with a promising small company on an emerging technology with huge potential. But more importantly, they saw this partnership as a chance to develop a tool that could gather data across numerous NOAA missions simultaneously – a feature that would lead to the partnership’s future success.
Making the collaboration official
NOAA and Saildrone established their partnership using a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), which is a tool that helps NOAA work quickly and easily with research partners outside of the federal government. These agreements unlock enormous potential for collaborative problem-solving and innovation.
A CRADA is a perfect vehicle to do research and development. As an innovator, you keep your intellectual property, and the partners can utilize each other’s experience and skills. As a small company, we could not afford to hire all of the resources needed to undertake this kind of work alone, so the CRADA allowed us to access that. In turn, we’ve been able to offer NOAA a fast and nimble approach to development. This partnership has been a very efficient way to accelerate science. We absolutely would not have been able to do this without NOAA. — Richard Jenkins, Founder and CEO of Saildrone, Inc.
Chris Meinig, former Director of Engineering at NOAA PMEL, points out that the NOAA-Saildrone collaboration is a great example of what government and industry can accomplish together through public-private partnerships. “Building trust was incredibly important in order for us to work together, determine what we wanted to achieve, and create a joint vision,” Meinig said. “The world has benefitted from the NOAA-Saildrone partnership, and the vehicle is now broadly used in other branches of government and in international ocean observing programs. The company has grown their business and capability tremendously. It has been the most satisfying development of my NOAA work!”
Public-private partnerships are key to bringing private-sector ideas and agility into federal research and development efforts. NOAA’s portfolio of CRADA partnerships is managed by the NOAA Technology Partnerships Office , which serves as the agency’s primary interface with private-sector innovation.
A new approach to ocean observation and data sharing
One of the first questions that Lawrence-Slavas and his team ask when approaching a new project is: How can a new tool be used to its fullest potential? In this partnership, the answer was for the partners to pack as much data collection technology as possible into the ocean drone, which would allow NOAA’s researchers to record a broad range of observations during any given mission.
Saildrone vehicle models range between 23 and 65 feet in length. Credit: Saildrone
PMEL engineers tried a new approach to technology development: Instead of NOAA purchasing a technology and then altering it to meet research needs, they continued to work with Saildrone as a data service provider. Saildrone provided wind-powered ocean drones, operated them remotely, and delivered the final data back to NOAA. This allowed Lawrence-Slavas and his team to focus on developing specialized instruments and figuring out ways to deploy the drones to meet NOAA’s various needs.
An early challenge the partners faced was demonstrating that the Saildrone vehicles could travel long distances for extended durations, in sometimes incredibly harsh environments, and still send back accurate data without interruption. A second challenge was to increase the complexity of sensors that were installed on each vehicle.
“It’s one thing to get instruments onto a vehicle, but quite another to get verified, climate-quality data back,” Jenkins said. “We spent years chasing NOAA ships, or the ships chasing us, as we collaborated on comparing data and then figuring out how to filter and transfer that data via satellite in a reliable and timely manner.”
A graphic from 2018 shows locations on a saildrone for 22 essential ocean and climate sensors. Exact instrument placement varies by mission. Credit: NOAA/Saildrone
Lawrence-Slavas noted that advances in technology have made it possible for researchers to make small, real-time adjustments to the ocean drones and their sensors on the fly, which is a huge leap in observation ability compared to previous approaches.
Expanding collaboration across NOAA
The research partnership has expanded to improve NOAA’s interdisciplinary observing capabilities, increase public access to ocean data, and support various operational and research missions globally in every ocean.
“Once you have established a new tool and shown that it works, the question then becomes: Ok, now how do we best use it?,” Lawrence-Slavas stated. “This is where opportunity for even more collaboration comes in, by pulling oceanographers and biologists and other scientists together to tell the overall story of our oceans.”
Here are examples that demonstrate how NOAA has deployed Saildrone vehicles to support various research missions.
Bering Sea Exploration (2015)
Bering Sea Exploration (2015). Click to expand.
NOAA PMEL and the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean teamed up with Saildrone to test two Saildrone Explorers in the eastern Bering Sea. Data collected in this region can help scientists understand environmental changes that occur in the late spring when sea ice is retreating. This early mission tested the ocean drone’s ability to survive harsh conditions and still collect useful data. Measurements made by the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson were compared with data collected by saildrones to demonstrate that the drones were able to collect high-quality scientific data. Using uncrewed ocean drones allowed NOAA to get closer to sea ice than ever before while also lowering the cost of scientific expeditions.
Northern Fur Seal Food Study (2016-17)
Northern Fur Seal Food Study (2016-17). Click to expand.
The NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal Laboratory used saildrones to study northern fur seals and their food resources in the Bering Sea. During this mission, Saildrone Explorers collected data on the distribution and abundance of Alaska pollock – a commercially-important prey of the seals – while researchers simultaneously tracked fur seals' feeding behavior using satellite tags. This data is crucial for understanding the population decline of fur seals, protecting their populations, and managing their prey. The saildrones were able to collect data for over a month at a time, covering large areas that are important to fur seals – a mission that would have been too costly for a traditional survey ship and crew to accomplish.
Detecting Fish with Ocean-Going Robots (2016)
Detecting Fish with Ocean-Going Robots (2016). Click to expand.
Building on the successes of the 2015 mission, NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center and PMEL collaborated with Kongsberg Maritime to equip saildrones with more complex acoustic instruments to measure fish abundance. The 100+ day mission in the Bering Sea showed that ocean drones could be used to make long-term acoustic observations of fish to complement ship-based acoustic-trawl surveys, paving the way for further studies of fish abundance.
Ocean Drones Supporting El Niño Research (2017-present)
Ocean Drones Supporting El Niño Research (2017-present). Click to expand.
Monitoring the ocean and weather in the tropical Pacific Ocean allows NOAA to improve early predictions of extreme weather events, and helps emergency managers prepare for potential disasters. NOAA PMEL’s Tropical Pacific Observation System collects important air and sea data from stationary ocean buoys, and ocean drones supplement this effort with their ability to collect near real-time, high-quality data on air-sea heat and carbon fluctuations, ocean surface conditions, and upper ocean air currents.
Arctic Cod Surveys (2018)
Arctic Cod Surveys (2018). Click to expand.
Surprisingly little is known about Arctic ecosystems, in large part because it is costly to send research ships to these remote locations. Saildrones can help fill observation gaps when ships are not available, and can supplement traditional data collection methods. NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center and PMEL collaborated with the University of Washington to survey the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas near Alaska and in the Arctic Ocean. Scientists tracked the movement and growth of Arctic cod during the summer and measured the abundance of the fish population. Measurements from saildrones enabled the research team to respond in real-time by turning instruments on and off or by changing the route of the drones in order to collect the best possible data.
California Current Ecosystem & Pelagic Species Survey (2018-present)
California Current Ecosystem & Pelagic Species Survey (2018-present). Click to expand.
NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center has used saildrones to expand annual surveys of small pelagic fish from Vancouver Island, Canada to the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, Mexico. These surveys use data from a combination of echosounders and net catches to assess the abundance, distribution, habitats, and interactions of five pelagic fish species in the California Current Ecosystem. Saildrones collect data where and when the NOAA ship Reuben Lasker cannot, specifically in waters too shallow for Lasker to operate safely, and farther offshore where scientists do not have time to sample. The expanded sampling area aids fish stock assessments and ecosystem understanding, and helps managers prevent overfishing.
Joint U.S.-Canada Integrated Ecosystem and Pacific Hake Survey (2019)
Joint U.S.-Canada Integrated Ecosystem and Pacific Hake Survey (2019). Click to expand.
In 2019, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center sent Saildrone Explorers to work with the NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada along the U.S. West Coast. The mission was to collect data to better understand the commercially- and ecologically-important fish species, Pacific hake. Hake are both predator and prey within the coastal food web and are an important food source for other fish, seabirds, seals, sea lions, and whales. This survey approach allowed scientists to compare acoustic data collected by the ocean drones to the NOAA ship and develop new methodologies that will advance future data collection efforts. It is important that fisheries surveys are accurate because they help managers prevent overfishing. Data-driven fisheries management has long-term economic and social benefits for coastal communities and helps to ensure a safe and sustainable supply of seafood for the nation.
Exploring the Pacific Arctic Seasonal Ice Zone with Ocean Drones (2019)
Exploring the Pacific Arctic Seasonal Ice Zone with Ocean Drones (2019). Click to expand.
NOAA PMEL researchers sent ocean drones to the U.S. Arctic to test their remote navigation capabilities close to ice and to collect data on Arctic weather, climate, and ecosystems. The saildrones were equipped to observe oceanic and atmospheric variables that are needed to estimate air-sea fluxes of heat, momentum, and carbon dioxide. Comparing Saildrone data to data obtained through existing collection methods allowed researchers to identify ways to improve ice navigation in the future.
Understanding Carbon in the Southern Ocean (2019)
Understanding Carbon in the Southern Ocean (2019). Click to expand.
NOAA PMEL worked with Saildrone to update the design of ocean drones so the vehicles could better withstand the harsh Antarctic environment and carry PMEL’s ASVCO2™ custom-made sensor for measuring air-sea carbon exchange. The data collected aboard the saildrone is important for carbon cycle research, which helps scientists to better understand the ocean carbon sink in remote regions, and predict future impacts of carbon reduction and removal approaches. The ASVCO2™ sensor was officially transferred to Saildrone, which made it possible for the greater science community to access carbon flux observations. In 2020, this mission was recognized with the U.S. Department of Commerce Ron Brown Excellence in Innovation Award.
Pollock Surveys During COVID-19 (2020)
Pollock Surveys During COVID-19 (2020). Click to expand.
NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center researchers used ocean drones to collect fisheries data to fill information gaps resulting from the unexpected cancellation of ship-based surveys due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three Saildrone Explorers were deployed from Alameda, California on a six-week journey to the eastern Bering Sea. During the mission, the drones surveyed the same area normally covered by research ships, allowing scientists to continue to collect data that is crucial for managing the nation’s largest commercial fishery for Alaska pollock, even when they were not able to perform the normal ship surveys.
Mapping the Arctic Seafloor Using Ocean Drones (2020)
Mapping the Arctic Seafloor Using Ocean Drones (2020). Click to expand.
A fleet of Saildrone Explorers sailed from San Francisco Bay to the Arctic to perform a mapping mission in support of NOAA’s effort to provide modern, accurate mapping data of the Bering Sea and Alaska’s North Slope. The North Slope of Alaska is a cold and remote location that is difficult to reach under normal circumstances, but coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the region was practically inaccessible for most of the year. Saildrones were able to access the area, map the contours of the ocean floor, and safely depart without putting humans at risk. Accurate bathymetry, or seafloor depth maps, is key to maritime safety, economic development, and sustainability efforts in the Arctic region. The mission was operated in collaboration with geospatial company TerraSond on behalf of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey and was the first step toward resolving major gaps in Arctic navigation charts.
NOAA Atlantic Hurricane Observations (2021-present)
NOAA Atlantic Hurricane Observations (2021-present). Click to expand.
NOAA uses various uncrewed systems to study ocean-atmosphere interactions that fuel hurricane intensity. On September 30, 2021, while battling massive waves and extremely high winds, the first-ever live video footage gathered by a saildrone from inside the eye of a Category 4 storm marked a new era of hurricane observation. Saildrone Explorers are a unique hurricane observation tool because they can make simultaneous measurements of wind speed and direction, wave height, current direction, ocean and atmospheric temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and water salinity. Combining all of these ocean data with a better understanding of the ocean floor will help scientists and forecasters predict storm intensity and storm surges, keeping our coastal communities safer from these destructive events.
Aleutian Islands Uncrewed Ocean Exploration (2022-present)
Aleutian Islands Uncrewed Ocean Exploration (2022-present). Click to expand.
The Aleutian Islands Uncrewed Ocean Exploration Expedition involves deploying Saildrone Surveyors to collect ocean mapping and environmental data in areas identified as high priority by NOAA’s Interagency Working Group on Ocean Exploration and Characterization. The purpose of this public-private partnership is to better understand the ocean and seafloor in one of the most remote and understudied parts of the United States.
Numerous initiatives related to the NOAA-Saildrone partnership are underway for 2023. With $7.5 million in support from Congress , NOAA has funded nine projects that will collect data for NOAA missions using uncrewed marine systems operated by the private sector. NOAA Corps Captain William Mowitt, director of the NOAA Uncrewed Systems Operations Center , said “By partnering with the private sector in this new way, we can not only collect data more efficiently, but also support innovation and America’s new blue economy.”
Looking ahead, NOAA will continue its partnership with Saildrone to monitor hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and Tropical Atlantic throughout the 2023 hurricane season. Additionally, NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center and NOAA’s National Office of Marine Sanctuaries will use uncrewed surface vehicles to replace weather buoys in sanctuaries. Finally, a cross-agency collaboration between NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program , Northeast Fisheries Science Center , and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science will use uncrewed ocean vehicles for habitat modeling and wind energy mapping in the Gulf of Maine.
The challenge of Big Data
During the early stages of the partnership, NOAA and Saildrone began to tackle the challenge of managing large amounts of data. With each mission, the saildrones captured an increasing amount of scientific data that was sent via satellite to Saildrone for processing. The goal was to make verified data available as efficiently as possible.
A solution came when the NOAA PMEL Science Data Integration Group collaborated with Saildrone to develop an automated data management workflow. After data are delivered to NOAA they are made available through a web interface that allows the end user to select what data they wish to receive, and choose their preferred file format. Since then, hundreds of thousands of automated data deliveries from Saildrone have been processed, verified, and made available to researcher partners.
The data were also shared on the World Meteorological Organization's Global Telecommunication System for access by global weather forecast centers. NOAA’s Office of Research, Transition, and Application , through its Bridging Program, is utilizing twelve saildrones this summer to evaluate and integrate Saildrone data into operational forecast models, including hurricane forecast systems at the National Weather Service Environmental Modeling Center . This project also involves a partnership with CoastWatch of NOAA's National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service to supply remote sensing observations.
An early example of low-resolution acoustic data transmitted by ocean drones over a satellite link in near real-time (top), compared to the recorded full data set which is available after the vehicle is recovered (bottom). Credit: NOAA/Saildrone
The partnership has helped NOAA advance its ability to coordinate observations across an array of tools, vehicles, and facilities . The agency currently uses a wide diversity of uncrewed aircraft and maritime systems to support its research and operational missions. NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office and Uncrewed Systems Operations Center provide support and coordination for uncrewed systems research, development, and transition of technology to operational use across the agency. This helps NOAA to strategically deploy a suite of cutting-edge technologies to collect valuable data that serves the U.S. public. NOAA also recently announced a new collaboration that will support research and development of a wide range of uncrewed systems to help meet NOAA’s mission.
NOAA employs multiple uncrewed instruments during hurricane season to collect ocean and atmospheric data. Credit: NOAA.
The results of the joint research and development effort between NOAA and Saildrone have also benefited the broader scientific community. For example, Saildrone is working with partners to establish global standards and protocols for gathering, verifying, and processing ocean observation data, and making sure the data is open-source. NOAA has also transferred custom-designed sensors to Saildrone so that other researchers can benefit from the drones’ enhanced ability to collect specialized data.
This partnership has allowed scientists to maximize the impact of limited resources. "Scientific and academic communities can now expand their research capabilities because they have access to Saildrone data without bearing the cost and burden of designing and producing the equipment and technology needed to collect it,” Lawrence-Slavas said. “This allows researchers to focus their resources on doing innovative science instead of re-inventing the wheel."
Impact on the New Blue Economy
The development of Saildrone technology has yielded economic benefits for the company and for the State of California. Saildrone estimates that the company has generated $107 million dollars for the state between 2019 and May of 2023. The partnership with NOAA helped Saildrone achieve over $90 million dollars in early private investment due in part to the perceived scientific rigor associated with NOAA’s involvement in product development. Investor support and product sales, in turn, helped Saildrone expand their workforce from eight to over 100 employees between 2014 and 2019, and by another 113 employees as of May 2023.
Saildrone’s success has led to local and nationwide economic impacts as well. As the company has grown, other U.S. companies have been able to help them meet increased demand by employing workers to manufacture , deliver, and deploy the vehicles. Furthermore, local communities have benefitted from increased economic activity and employment opportunities around deployment hubs .
Mobile, Alabama-based shipbuilder Austal USA helps Saildrone meet increased demand for their Surveyor vehicle by manufacturing the aluminum hulls. Credit: Austal/Saildrone.
The success of this partnership has paved the way for Saildrone collaborations with other U.S. government agencies, international organizations, and companies around the world. Once a small startup, Saildrone now is recognized as an innovator and valuable partner in the global science community, helping to establish standards and accountability for this rapidly growing field of technology.
St. Petersburg, Florida Mayor Ken Welch and Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins with a Saildrone Explorer at a ribbon-cutting event in March 2023, commemorating the opening of Saildrone's new Ocean Mapping Headquarters. Credit: Saildrone
The partnership between NOAA and Saildrone has contributed to evolving and expanding NOAA’s New Blue Economy initiative , which takes lessons learned from ocean observations and uses them to spur sustainable growth and development for maritime businesses and communities.
Research and development collaborations, such as the one between NOAA and Saildrone, illustrate the positive ripple effect that public-private partnerships have on scientific research and technological innovation. Partnerships between government and industry also spur business growth, create jobs, and generate new opportunities for entrepreneurs, all which ultimately fuel a stronger and more resilient economy.
Visit the NOAA Technology Partnerships Office website to learn more about other public-private partnerships that are helping NOAA unlock new ideas, solve problems, and develop new technologies that will shape our future.
Note: Any reference obtained from this website to a specific company, product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by NOAA.
