Autonomous landers are a relatively new and extremely versatile technology offering the potential for continual monitoring and environmental surveillance post deployment. State-of-the-art lander platforms (biological, physical and geochemical variants) are available from SRSL for commercial use in environmental studies.   In addition, technical support to aid with their development and deployment can be provided.

SAMS engineers are playing a major role in developing the next generation of marine technology applications.  In particular the focus of the marine technology group is on autonomous landers, novel sensors and in-situ instruments developed for a broad range of environmental applications . These instruments have been used to study a range of environmental parameters, which include:

• Anthropogenic perturbations within the marine environment
• Reduction – oxidation chemistry
• Carbon cycling
• Bioturbation
• Benthic community structure and response
• Tracer studies on biomechanical mixing
• Particulate tracing and movement
• Biological response and in-situ experiments
• Environmental dynamics of cold-water coral reefs

The Centre for Lander Technology, which is hosted by SAMS, is a key infrastructure in the development and provision of lander equipment and expertise to the UK science base.