OceanServer Technology has recently delivered two AUVs to SC Marine Research SRL located in Bucharest, Romania. Marine Research is a new and dynamic company devoted to the research of aquatic environments in and around Romania.
The two Iver2 systems will initially be used to map the sea bottom around the Danube Delta located on the Black Sea. The purpose of this research is to identify and localise benthic habitats and document their characteristics.
The Danube Delta is the second largest Delta in Europe and considered one of the best preserved on the continent. Going forward, other survey applications are expected to include mapping inland Romanian waters such as lakes, reservoirs and sections of the Danube River. The AUVs are both equipped with side scan sonar and one system has the Imagenex Delta-T multiple beam sonar system designed to provide high-speed imaging for use in hydrographic surveys of the Black Sea.
In addition to the sonar systems, the vehicles have the capability to collect Acoustic Doppler Current (ADCP) data along with conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) for continuous in-situ measurements used to characterise sound velocity in support of hydrographic surveying.