August 18, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
Fishermen who work in the eastern Gulf of Maine will want to be on the lookout for two wind-propelled surface vehicles that will be operating in the area from August 28 through October 18, 2023. These vehicles, called SAILDRONE VOYAGERs, are bright orange.
NOAA Fisheries has asked the New England Fishery Management Council to help inform fishermen about the presence of these uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) in order to prevent interactions with fishing gear. NOAA Fisheries and Saildrone Inc. are using the USVs for research purposes to collect high-resolution seafloor bathymetry and backscatter data along predetermined survey tracklines.