With the SeaMe project (Sustainable Ecosystem Approach in Monitoring the Marine Environment), RWE aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between offshore wind farms and the local ecosystem. To this end, a sound scientific approach is combined with innovative and more environmentally friendly monitoring technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI). Using aerial drones, autonomous underwater vehicles and environmental DNA analysis, the goal is to develop sustainable methods that reduce CO2 emissions while minimizing the impact on marine life.
The simultaneous collection of physical and biological data allows for a comprehensive assessment of the marine ecosystem. This includes often overlooked components such as phytoplankton (microscopic algae) and zooplankton (e.g. krill), which play a crucial role in the marine food chain.
In SeaMe, the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center is further developing the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) “DeepLeng” to optimize it for monitoring offshore environments. To achieve this, the researchers in Bremen are equipping the AUV with a multimodal oceanographic sensor system capable of precisely measuring physical parameters such as water temperature, salinity, and oxygen content. These data are essential for sound ecological analyses, providing valuable insights into the living conditions within the waters of wind farms.
In addition, researchers are developing an AI-based video monitoring system that will enable the AUV to detect fish and marine mammals. This technology uses machine learning and image processing, allowing the robot to continuously improve its ability to identify marine life. AI-based image analysis aims to replace invasive and CO2-intensive methods such as trawling, and provide accurate, continuous in-situ monitoring of marine life without disturbing their habitats.
Another focus of DFKI's work is preparing the system specifically for offshore use. To achieve this, its capabilities are being expanded, and existing functions optimized to withstand demanding operating conditions. This includes improving communication systems, implementing enhanced safety measures such as emergency surfacing capabilities, and increasing overall system robustness.
Navigation in the open ocean is particularly challenging as conditions vary and the AUV has to react to unforeseen events. To address this, the researchers are developing intelligent algorithms that enable the robot to maneuver safely through the water, detect and avoid obstacles, and maintain mission objectives.
In addition to extensive laboratory tests conducted in the 1,300-square-meter Maritime Exploration Hall at DFKI in Bremen, which is unique in Europe, field tests are planned at the Test Center for Maritime Technologies on Helgoland to assess the AUV's seaworthiness and safety functions.
In the second phase of the project, an extensive test campaign consisting of numerous individual tests under real-world conditions will take place at RWE's Kaskasi offshore wind farm, approximately 35 kilometers north of Helgoland. With a capacity of 342 megawatts, the wind farm can supply around 400,000 households with electricity. The tests will be supported by an RWE operations team, overseeing the integration of the technologies developed by the research partners into the offshore environment.
The SeaMe project, led and financed by RWE, was launched in the summer of 2024 and is scheduled to run for three years. In addition to DFKI, the research partners include the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), BioConsult SH, and the Danish company DHI A/S.