Gulf of Mexico Ocean Monitoring: 160 Profiles in 49 Days
Gulf of Mexico Ocean Monitoring: 160 Profiles in 49 Days and Counting
In just 49 days, Seatrec’s autonomous infiniTE™ float has successfully completed 160 profiles, powered entirely by the ocean’s temperature differences. Built for endurance, the float continues to dive, surface, and transmit real-time data without a single battery swap. This proves how thermal energy harvesting enables truly persistent ocean monitoring in one of the world’s most dynamic marine environments.
Mission Success in the Gulf
Deployed in the northeastern Gulf, south of Destin, Florida, the float has been transmitting continuous data below the surface. This information provides critical insight for understanding this region.
By the Numbers
- Profiles: 160 reaching depths of up to 800 meters
- Energy: 1.241 megajoules of thermal energy generated from the ocean
- Data: Real-time data transmitted after each surfacing
- Trajectory: Drifted hundreds of kilometers to the southwest
What the Float Does
Every eight hours, the float collects CTD and acoustic data, surfaces, and transmits results.
- CTD sensor: Measures conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth—revealing how heat and water masses
layer beneath the surface. These are key inputs for ocean and climate models. - Hydrophone: Records underwater soundscapes, with onboard processing of the recorded data to reduce file size for real-time transmission via satellite.
All of this is powered by Seatrec’s patented thermal energy harvesting system, which converts the temperature differences between surface and deep water into electricity.
Power Generation: Seatrec’s patented technology uses phase-change materials (PCMs) that transition from solid to liquid (SL). When PCMs experience temperature changes, they undergo a phase transition and change volume. This volume change drives a motor through pressurized fluid, converting hydraulic energy into electricity. During the warming phase (left), the contained working substance changes from solid to liquid, expands, and generates pressure that forces hydraulic oil through a generator to produce electrical energy. During the cooling phase (right), the working substance freezes and contracts.
Record Atlantic Hurricane Season, Quiet Gulf Waters, But Much to Listen to
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has been one of the most active on record, with 13 named storms, four major hurricanes, and three Category 5 systems. Hurricane Melissa became one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded.
Yet the Gulf of Mexico has remained unusually quiet. While our float hasn’t yet profiled Gulf waters during an active hurricane, it is building the baseline subsurface thermal data that forecasters need before the next storm forms.
The Rapid Intensification Challenge
This year underscored a growing forecasting challenge: rapid intensification — the explosive strengthening of storms fueled by ocean heat. Three Category 5 hurricanes formed this season, each undergoing rapid strengthening that caught forecasters and communities off guard.
Hurricane Melissa exemplified this trend. According to National Hurricane Center advisories, Melissa intensified from a tropical storm to a 140 mph Category 4 in roughly 24 hours, then continued to 175 mph Category 5 strength with a minimum pressure of 906 millibars, making landfall in Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Hurricanes Erin and Humberto also showed similar surges, driven by ocean heat content.
Ocean Heat: The Hidden Fuel
Rapid intensification requires specific conditions:
- High humidity
- Low wind shear
- Deep pools of warm water
It is not just surface temperature that matters; it is how deep that warmth extends. A hurricane moving over high ocean heat content taps into a massive energy reservoir, enabling the explosive strengthening that makes these storms so dangerous.
Why This Float’s Data Matters
Understanding where and when these pools of warm water exist is essential for forecasting rapid intensification. Traditional ship-based surveys cannot provide continuous coverage, and satellites only measure surface temperature. That is where autonomous floats like Seatrec’s become invaluable. Profiling temperature and salinity to 800 meters every eight hours, our infiniTE™ float maps the three-dimensional heat structure of the Gulf — the hidden energy that fuels storms.
These data will help researchers:
- Identify regions of high ocean heat content where rapid intensification is most likely
- Understand seasonal and interannual variability in Gulf heat content
- Validate and improve hurricane forecast models
As forecasters aim to improve rapid-intensification predictions by even 5–7 percent, this type of continuous data collection will be essential.
Partner With Us
Whether major storms arrive this year or not, Seatrec is delivering on its promise: autonomous, self-powered ocean monitoring that provides continuous data for better forecasts, deeper understanding, and more effective conservation.
We are always seeking collaborators interested in:
- Hurricane rapid-intensification research
- Gulf soundscape ecology and marine-mammal behavior
- Long-duration autonomous sensing in the region
Interested in accessing data or deploying similar technology for your research? Contact us at info@seatrec.com.
