Marine survey will map deep water around Cayman

(CNS): A privately funded comprehensive marine survey of the Cayman Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is currently underway. Although the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) conducted a seabed mapping survey of these islands in November 2021, this new survey by Saildrone will explore deeper waters within our EEZ, according to the Lands and Survey Department.

US-based ocean mapping company Saildrone, which says its service is “ideal for subsea cable route surveys”, began the six-month project this month. According to a release from the Cayman Islands Government, this bathymetry survey “will allow the existing nautical charts to be updated for safety of navigation, as well as guide policymaking for sustainability and climate resiliency, maritime security and disaster response”. 

Saildrone said, “The mission is philanthropically funded by the London & Amsterdam Trust Company Limited, a Cayman-based organization that wants to leave a legacy to the Cayman Islands.” The CIG said the fund managers are funding the project “as an extension of philanthropy and public-private partnership”.

Saildrone will collect the raw bathymetry data, which will be provided to the UKHO to process and update the Cayman Islands’ nautical charts. The data will belong to the CIG.

The marine survey company explained that a “high-resolution bathymetric map of a country’s EEZ is a prerequisite for exploring, identifying, characterizing, exploiting, conserving, and managing natural resources in waters extending up to 200 nautical miles from its shores”.

The Cayman Islands EEZ encompasses an area 357 times larger than the islands themselves, about half the size of the state of Florida, the company noted.

Explaining the difference between this and the 2021 survey, L&S Chief Surveyor Darren Kelly told CNS that the Saildrone Surveyor used for the bathymetry survey is a wind and solar-powered unmanned surface vessel equipped with a high-resolution multi-beam sensor that can obtain depth soundings down to 9,000 meters, ideal for deep sea exploration.

“This project is the first of its kind in the region and highlights how these vessels will serve as an affordable and eco-friendly option to extensively survey our oceans for years to come. The data collected will improve maritime navigation and support scientific research, environmental conservation efforts, and marine resource management in the Cayman Islands,” Kelly said.

“Unlike the Bathy-LiDAR survey that was conducted in 2021, this vessel will explore deeper waters within our EEZ, surveying areas of scientific interest such as the 60 Mile Bank, Pickle Bank, Lawfords Bank, and the Cayman Trough. The survey will cover 29,300 square nautical miles, accounting for 80% of the Cayman Islands’ EEZ.  

“The Bathy-LiDAR sensor that was mounted in a fixed-winged aircraft facilitated depth soundings down to 150 feet, resulting in the coverage of coastal areas surrounding the Islands. Although this equipment and methodology covers a larger area in a shorter period of time, its use is only applicable in shallower waters that have good clarity,” Kelly added. 

However, he noted that the £1M survey conducted by the UK Hydrographic Office was crucial in updating the nautical charts of Cayman’s coastal regions because shallower waters present a greater hazard to mariners.

The Saildrone survey will assess the coastal waters 25m to 12 nautical miles offshore, 12 Mile Bank, 60 Mile Bank, Pickle Bank and Lawfords Bank, as well as the Cayman Trough and the remainder of the Cayman Islands EEZ outside of the Cayman Trough.

Once the survey has been completed, it will be evaluated by the UK Hydrographic Office and included on nautical charts. The data will then be provided to the CIG. The government release said it would be beneficial to a number of Cayman agencies, including Lands and Survey, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard and the Port and Maritime Authorities of the Cayman Islands.  

Local mariners are advised that the Saildrone vessel will be in various areas of the Cayman Islands’ water over the coming weeks and should exercise caution when approaching it. Saildrone may also deploy a secondary vessel to expedite measurement efforts. The surveying is expected to last approximately six months.

Saildrone said it will provide local mariners with detailed information via its website on the location of the Surveyor vehicle when it is scheduled to operate close to shore or near popular fishing and boating areas.

Premier and Lands Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said, “Our waters hold such great value to us for a myriad of reasons ranging from recreational to economic. Conducting this assessment will allow our government to make data-driven decisions that will strengthen our policies and legislations as it relates to our maritime infrastructure. I am grateful to all parties who have worked to bring this initiative to this junction and am eager to learn of the survey’s results and outcomes.”