AUTHOR=Patterson Ruth G. , Cronin Meghan F. , Swart Sebastiaan , Beja Joana , Edholm Johan M. , McKenna Jason , Palter Jaime B. , Parker Alex , Addey Charles I. , Boone Wieter , Bhuyan Paban , Buck Justin J. H. , Burger Eugene F. , Burris James , Camus Lionel , de Young Brad , du Plessis Marcel , Flanigan Mike , Foltz Gregory R. , Gille Sarah T. , Grare Laurent , Hansen Jeff E. , Hole Lars Robert , Honda Makio C. , Hormann Verena , Kohlman Catherine , Kosaka Naoko , Kuhn Carey , Lenain Luc , Looney Lev , Marouchos Andreas , McGeorge Elizabeth K. , McMahon Clive R. , Mitarai Satoshi , Mordy Calvin , Nagano Akira , Nicholson Sarah-Anne , Nickford Sarah , O’Brien Kevin M. , Peddie David , Ponsoni Leandro , Ramasco Virginie , Rozenauers Nick , Siddle Elizabeth , Stienbarger Cheyenne , Sutton Adrienne J. , Tada Noriko , Thomson Jim , Ueki Iwao , Yu Lisan , Zhang Chidong , Zhang Dongxiao 

TITLE=Uncrewed surface vehicles in the Global Ocean Observing System: a new frontier for observing and monitoring at the air-sea interface

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1523585

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2025.1523585

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Observing air-sea interactions on a global scale is essential for improving Earth system forecasts. Yet these exchanges are challenging to quantify for a range of reasons, including extreme conditions, vast and remote under-sampled locations, requirements for a multitude of co-located variables, and the high variability of fluxes in space and time. Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) present a novel solution for measuring these crucial air-sea interactions at a global scale. Powered by renewable energy (e.g., wind and waves for propulsion, solar power for electronics), USVs have provided navigable and persistent observing capabilities over the past decade and a half. In our review of 200 USV datasets and 96 studies, we found USVs have observed a total of 33 variables spanning physical, biogeochemical, biological and ecological processes at the air-sea transition zone. We present a map showing the global proliferation of USV adoption for scientific ocean observing. This review, carried out under the auspices of the ‘Observing Air-Sea Interactions Strategy’ (OASIS), makes the case for a permanent USV network to complement the mature and emerging networks within the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The Observations Coordination Group (OCG) overseeing GOOS has identified ten attributes of an in-situ global network. Here, we discuss and evaluate the maturation of the USV network towards meeting these attributes. Our article forms the basis of a roadmap to formalise and guide the global USV community towards a novel and integrated ocean observing frontier.