Summary

The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle facility provides precisely navigated time series measurements of benthic imagery using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) at selected locations on Australia’s continental shelf.  While very large-scale surface processes can be addressed adequately by remote sensing and ship-borne systems, characterisation of many marine processes requires the ability to sense at high resolutions in close proximity to the seafloor.  The ability to conduct geo-referenced, high resolution, repeatable surveys of marine habitats – particularly those beyond diver depths – represents one of the key benefits of AUVs.  The facility incorporates a suite of observing programs that capitalise on the unique capabilities of AUVs and provides a critical observational link between oceanographic and benthic processes.  To support a more complete understanding of natural, climate change, and human-induced variability in shelf environments, the facility generates physical and biological observations of benthic variables that cannot be cost-effectively obtained by other means.