Seatrec and NPS announce a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
Seatrec and Naval Postgraduate School to Cooperate on Research and Development of Platform to Provide Persistent, Real-Time Underwater Sound Data
The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) opens the door to continuing at-sea research, integrated operations, and the education of military officers about Seatrec’s innovative technology that powers energy-hungry acoustic sensors previously impossible to deploy autonomously for long periods
Seatrec, a leader in thermal-powered subsea drones, and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) today announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) covering an innovative robot profiling float that provides continuous, real-time oceanographic and acoustic data in open ocean environments, called the Persistent Smart Acoustic Profiler (PSAP).
“PSAP transforms how the Navy gathers acoustic data in remote or difficult-to-access areas by freeing profiling floats equipped with high-end sensors from ship support, using the ocean’s natural temperature differences to generate power,” explained Yi Chao, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Seatrec. “Deepening our collaboration with NPS and the Navy accelerates research and development and marks an important step in maturing this platform.”
The U.S. Navy uses sound to “see” underwater, but high energy demands make long-term autonomous acoustic sensing impossible without costly ship support. Seatrec’s technology enables PSAPs to use ocean’s natural temperature differences to generate electricity, powering sensors for extended missions in remote waters without ships or human intervention.
The CRADA between Seatrec and NPS will advance:
- Access to NPS expertise and Seatrec technology to accelerate at-sea research
- Integration of PSAP capabilities into Navy and NPS operations
- Education of military officers on new tools and applications for persistent, real-time acoustic monitoring
“The first phase of development on PSAP with Seatrec yielded a breakthrough in the ability to collect real-time acoustic data for extended durations in remote areas without the cost and logistical burden of ship support,” says John Joseph, the principal investigator and faculty associate for research at the Naval Postgraduate School. “We are committed to advancing the system in this next phase of cooperative research to further experiment and refine PSAP’s advanced capabilities and operational applications to meet the unique needs of the U.S. Navy.”
PSAP is engineered for persistent undersea awareness by harvesting energy from ocean thermal gradients through solid-to-liquid phase transitions, allowing operation for extended periods without external power.
Equipped with onboard data processing, the PSAP transforms raw acoustic signals collected by passive hydrophones into concise information messages, which can be efficiently transmitted to command centers located on land or at sea. Its two-way communication capabilities allow remote operators to dynamically adjust mission parameters in response to evolving environmental conditions and operational needs.
Conducting ongoing real-world testing in the open ocean will allow Seatrec and the NPS to optimize the system’s performance across its three core functions: passive acoustic listening and signal processing, energy harvesting for extended endurance, and near real-time data transmission.
This news comes on the heels of Seatrec’s recent announcement that it will manufacture profiling floats for Argo - the international program to monitor the health of the global ocean.
About Seatrec
Seatrec designs and manufactures subsea drones that generate electricity from ocean temperature gradients. Our products empower defense and oceanographic researchers to extend mission durations, optimize data collection, and reduce operational costs. By enabling the integration of advanced sensors previously limited in endurance and functionality, such as hydrophones, we open new possibilities for ocean science. Seatrec’s energy harvesting core technology was developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and spun out of the California Institute of Technology in 2016. Seatrec is headquartered in Vista, California. Visit us at seatrec.com.
About the Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is a defense-focused graduate university offering master’s and doctoral degrees in fields of study core to Naval-unique needs, the U.S. Armed Forces, DOD civilians and international partners. For information, visit: nps.edu.
Media Contact
Marta Bulaich
Seatrec, Inc.
marta.bulaich@seatrec.com
+1 (415) 816-1665
Seatrec Wins Exclusive License from Sea-Bird Scientific to Manufacture Floats for Argo to Monitor the Global Ocean
Seatrec Wins Exclusive License from Sea-Bird Scientific to Manufacture Floats for Argo - An International Program to Monitor the Global Ocean
Seatrec selected in competitive RFP for its revolutionary advancement in ocean monitoring capabilities with its sustainable and renewable energy harvesting system
VISTA, Calif. (May 8, 2025) Seatrec, an underwater drone company, and Sea-Bird Scientific, a leading provider of oceanographic sensors and instrumentation, today announced an exclusive licensing agreement that Seatrec will manufacture Sea-Bird Scientific’s Navis floats for Argo, an international program to monitor the global ocean.
"Our mission is to monitor the ocean on a global scale,” explained Yi Chao, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Seatrec. “This agreement with Sea-Bird makes Seatrec a key provider of autonomous profiling floats to the international Argo program, especially with biogeochemical (BGC) sensors to monitor ocean ecosystems and health."
Under the terms of the agreement, Seatrec will receive exclusive rights to manufacture Sea-Bird Scientific’s Navis float product line. This strategic partnership is expected to combine the strong sensor expertise at Sea-Bird Scientific and the innovative float platform at Seatrec to provide continuous support to the international Argo Program and open new market opportunities that benefit both companies.
"This collaboration with Seatrec represents a significant step in our commitment to providing best-in-class oceanographic sensor solutions," said Jessica Pounds, President of Sea-Bird Scientific. “As we continue to focus on driving innovation in sensors and instrumentation for the entire oceanographic community, we look forward to our partnership with Seatrec to deliver industry-leading float technology to support the emerging BGC Argo Program.”
Seatrec, a dual-use deep tech startup, is the leader in the temperature-powered infiniTE™ float. Powered by a patented technology that harvests energy from ocean temperature differences, the infiniTE™ float can increase ocean data collection by up to 40 times (reducing the Argo float sampling interval of 10 days to every six hours) compared to traditional battery-powered floats, opening new possibilities for power-intensive sensors such as passive acoustic hydrophones for soundscape monitoring, addressing critical challenges in ocean science and defense applications.
Seatrec expects to take purchase orders of Navis floats in early 2026 and begin rolling out the fully integrated Navis floats with customer-requested sensors by late 2026.
About Seatrec
Seatrec designs and manufactures subsea drones that generate electricity from ocean temperature gradients. Our products empower oceanographic researchers to extend mission durations, optimize data collection, and reduce costs. By enabling the integration of advanced sensors previously limited by power constraints, such as hydrophones, we unlock new possibilities for ocean science. The core technology was developed at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Seatrec was incorporated in 2016 as a spinoff from the California Institute of Technology. The company is headquartered in Vista, CA. Visit us at seatrec.com.
About Sea-Bird Scientific
Sea-Bird Scientific exists to help scientists know the world — and shape policy that changes it for the better. As one of the global leaders in oceanographic instrumentation, their customers work on the leading edge of ocean science. Their results break the frontiers of what we know about natural waters and contribute to our understanding of climate change, ecosystem health, and more. From optical sensors to observational systems, they possess an expansive portfolio of accurate instrumentation that ensures we are powering science-based decisions for a better ocean. The company is based in Bellevue, Washington. Visit us at www.seabird.com.
Media Contacts:
Marta Bulaich
