Wide area ocean networks: architecture and system design considerations

Wide area ocean networks for monitoring and scientific exploratory purposes are in various stages of design; small-scale networks are already in various stages of deployment and testing. Clearly, cost-effective coverage is a primary underlying principle; arguably, such networks must therefore employ low-cost, energy-efficient mobile nodes. The first objective of this work is to broadly describe the architecture and system design considerations of such wide-area networks with mobile nodes; secondly, we introduce the APL/UW Seaglider capabilities and provide energy estimates for propulsion and data communications. We also discuss tradeoffs, and applications in ocean coverage, and optimization of sensor coverage within constraints of a power-efficient network.