🌊 Deep-sea exploration around Cayman Islands underway
🚢 Saildrone conducts comprehensive marine survey for safety and sustainability
A comprehensive marine survey of the Cayman Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is currently being conducted by US-based ocean mapping company, Saildrone. This survey, which is expected to last for six months, will explore deeper waters within the EEZ, providing data that will be used to update existing nautical charts for enhanced navigation safety, policy making for sustainability and climate resiliency, maritime security and disaster response. The project is philanthropically funded by the London & Amsterdam Trust Company Limited, a Cayman-based organization. 🌐
The high-resolution bathymetric map produced by the survey will be instrumental in exploring, identifying, characterizing, exploiting, conserving, and managing natural resources in waters extending up to 200 nautical miles from the shores of the Cayman Islands. The EEZ of the Cayman Islands is about half the size of the state of Florida, 357 times larger than the islands themselves. The survey will cover 29,300 square nautical miles, accounting for 80% of the Cayman Islands’ EEZ. The data collected will improve maritime navigation and support scientific research, environmental conservation efforts, and marine resource management in the Cayman Islands. 🗺️
The Saildrone Surveyor used for the bathymetry survey is a wind and solar-powered unmanned surface vessel equipped with a high-resolution multi-beam sensor that can obtain depth soundings down to 9,000 meters. This makes it ideal for deep-sea exploration and marks a first-of-its-kind project in the region. The data collected will belong to the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) and will be processed by the UK Hydrographic Office to update the Cayman Islands’ nautical charts. The survey results will also benefit various Cayman agencies, including Lands and Survey, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard, and the Port and Maritime Authorities of the Cayman Islands. 🚤
