Saildrone receives $1.66 million to map Florida’s seafloor
December 13, 2024 - Scientists will soon have a better understanding of the Gulf of Mexico’s seafloor thanks to a local company’s uncrewed floating ocean drones. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has awarded Saildrone a $1.66 million contract to provide “accessible, high-quality and high-resolution seafloor data” as part of its mapping initiative. Saildrone’s ocean mapping headquarters and operations center opened at the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub in St. Petersburg’s Innovation District in 2022. Mapping will occur about 130 kilometers northwest of the city.