An autonomous maritime vessel operated by Saildrone has commenced a circumnavigation of Antarctica to gather scientific data on carbon cycles and ocean processes. The seven-meter craft, deployed from Hobart, is expected to complete its lap of the continent within seven to nine months, traveling eastward toward New Zealand before passing through the Drake Passage and returning via South Africa.
The vessel is equipped with solar panels and a fixed sail to harness wind energy, along with sensors designed to measure wind speed, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation, ocean temperature, salinity, chlorophyll levels, and carbon dioxide concentrations in both water and air. The craft operates autonomously but remains under remote monitoring via satellite by Saildrone personnel, who can adjust its course if needed. Researchers from Australia’s CSIRO initiated the mission to better understand how oceans function as carbon sinks in the global climate system.
Scientists note that the Southern Ocean plays a crucial role in absorbing approximately one-third of human-generated carbon emissions annually. Traditional crewed research vessels can only survey limited ocean areas, whereas the autonomous vehicle will collect data across greater distances and during the polar winter, a period when observations are typically scarce. The deployment represents the first of a planned fleet of four similar vessels, with additional units scheduled for deployment at three-month intervals across multiple ocean regions.
Research leaders emphasize that understanding how ocean absorption capacity may change under various environmental pressures—including warming waters, shifting wind patterns, ice melt, ocean acidification, and atmospheric changes—is essential for accurately modeling future climate scenarios. Data collected will be monitored in near real-time through a mission portal before undergoing quality assurance checks upon return, after which findings will be made available to the broader scientific community for additional research applications.
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