Scientists usually combine broad sonar mapping with close-up robot surveys to study the seafloor and the life around it. Ship-mounted multibeam sonar measures underwater terrain across a wide swath; those maps help teams choose targets for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Cameras, sensors and samples then add evidence about habitats and organisms. A terrain map helps locate places to investigate, but it does not by itself identify every animal living there.
How do underwater robots map the ocean floor?
Start with a broad acoustic survey
A research ship can map depth using a multibeam echo sounder mounted beneath the vessel. It sends out sound and measures returning echoes across a swath of seafloor, producing bathymetry: a map of underwater shape and depth. The result can reveal features such as seamounts, ridges, slopes and plains over a much larger area than a close-up camera survey can cover.
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Acoustic mapping is not the same as taking a photograph. Sonar measurements describe terrain and acoustic returns; other sonar configurations can investigate the water column or subsurface. NOAA notes that calibration and testing help ensure mapping data quality. The particular instruments and data collected vary by expedition.
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Scientists interpret bathymetry alongside existing knowledge to select features or habitats for a closer visit. A map can show where a seamount rises from the surrounding floor or where a slope might merit investigation, but it cannot establish which species are present. It is a guide for directing the next stage of exploration.
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What is the difference between an ROV and an AUV?
| System | How it is controlled | Typical role in a survey | Intervention and sampling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ship-mounted multibeam sonar | Operated from the research vessel | Broad-area depth and terrain mapping | Maps terrain; it does not provide close-up visual identification or collect biological specimens. |
| Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) | Piloted remotely, commonly through a tether from a support ship | Directed inspection of a selected feature, with live visual observation when equipped | A team can steer toward points of interest; sampling is possible when the vehicle has suitable equipment. |
| Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) | Runs an autonomous or programmed mission | Surveying or imaging along a planned route without continuous piloting from the ship | Payloads and mission capabilities vary; do not assume an AUV can collect samples or be redirected like an ROV. |
These systems are complementary, not mutually exclusive choices. The best fit depends on the mission, vehicle configuration, desired coverage and resolution, sensors, operating depth and endurance, and the support needed to deploy and recover the vehicle. The cited NOAA material describes distinct roles, not a controlled head-to-head performance ranking.
ROVs: directed inspection
An ROV lets a team steer toward a mapped feature and observe it in detail. Depending on its configuration, it may carry cameras and lights, sonar, environmental sensors, or manipulator and sampling equipment. Those are mission-dependent payloads, not standard equipment on every ROV.
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AUVs: autonomous coverage and imaging
An AUV follows its own survey or imaging mission rather than being continuously piloted from the ship. NOAA educator material describes AUV Sirius imagery used to create 3D maps of geography and corals. NOAA Fisheries also describes long-range AUVs used to collect seafloor images for fisheries research.
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Match the evidence to the question
- Video and still images document animals and habitat that are visible to the vehicle’s cameras.
- Environmental sensors record conditions around the vehicle when those sensors are part of its payload.
- Sonar and other imaging systems characterize terrain or other features, but an acoustic return is not automatically a species identification.
- Biological, geological and water samples can support analysis beyond what can be established from imagery. Some projects also collect environmental DNA (eDNA) samples.
Scientists combine these forms of evidence rather than treating the map as a species inventory. An animal identified in a photograph is a visual observation; it is not necessarily a specimen-confirmed record. Whether a team can collect a sample depends on the vehicle and equipment used.
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Use the map as habitat context
Terrain helps researchers describe where an observation occurred—for example, on a seamount or across an abyssal plain—and plan repeat visits or future surveys. NOAA’s 2026 American Samoa expedition describes mapping data as informing ROV dive targets, baseline assessments and future exploration and management decisions.
What do actual expeditions show?
Seascape Alaska 5: broad mapping paired with ROV dives
During its 23-day Gulf of Alaska expedition, August 23–September 14, 2023, NOAA Ocean Exploration reported 19 successful ROV dives at depths from 253 to 4,262 meters. The expedition mapped 28,287 square kilometers and collected biological and geological samples. Those figures describe this specific expedition, not typical output or a global mapping rate. NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Seascape Alaska 5 report describes its methods and results.
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American Samoa: mapping to guide deep-water exploration
NOAA’s 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration was listed for August 20–September 17, 2026. Its plan paired ship-mounted multibeam sonar mapping with ROV operations at approximately 2,000–6,000 meters, targeting features and habitats including abyssal plains, seamounts, deep-sea corals and sponges, fish habitats and the water column. NOAA says the maps help plan dives and build baseline understanding for future exploration and management. The listed dates have concluded, but the cited expedition description does not establish final outcomes, so planned targets should not be read as confirmed discoveries. NOAA’s expedition page outlines the mission.
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Long-range AUVs: fisheries imagery
In a fisheries-research application, NOAA Fisheries reports animals identified in seafloor images taken by long-range AUVs, including sea scallops, fish, crabs, snake eels, squid and skates. The example shows how autonomous visual surveys can extend observations into areas where traditional research vessels cannot go because of offshore development. The reported identifications are from images, not a claim that every observation was confirmed by collected specimens. NOAA Fisheries explains the long-range AUV work.
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Why combine sonar, ROVs and AUVs?
Each system answers a different part of the problem: ship sonar establishes broad terrain context, an AUV can collect imagery or survey data along an autonomous route, and an ROV can be directed toward a selected feature for inspection and, if equipped, sampling. Combining them helps researchers move from “what does the terrain look like?” to “what is visible here, and what evidence can we collect?”
NOAA’s overview distinguishes ROVs and AUVs from human-occupied vehicles, another class of submersible. The choice of vehicle depends on the questions, conditions and payload required; no single platform is the universal best option. NOAA Ocean Exploration’s submersibles overview explains the vehicle classes.
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