Autonomous Monitoring for the Lobster Fleet
Did you see a Warden on the water?
This fall, boats working the waters of Cape Cod may spot a small, quiet, solar-electric vessel moving slowly through the area, often station-keeping for hours at a time. This is Warden, built by Sedna Robotics, a Massachusetts-based company, and operated to monitor the health of the lobster fishery.
What It Looks Like
About the size of a kayak: 7 feet long, yellow low-profile hull with solar panel
Small mast with orange flag and amber strobe (on at night or in low visibility)
On AIS transmitting as "SR XXXX UNCREWED"
Moves slowly at 2 kt on a pre-planned track during the day. Stops to drop sensors and holds position at night.
Monitored remotely at all times by a Sedna operator, who can stop or redirect it if needed.
What It's Doing
Warden collects dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, and salinity from the surface to the sea floor in regions that are under-sampled by the lobster fleet. We are currently focusing on the critical August-September period when low DO events are most common.
Warden samples the bottom by dropping and retrieving a Lowell Instruments logger (the same ones used in traps by the Lobster Study Fleet). Each drop and retrieval takes about 10 minutes, and then Warden moves to a new location. Immediately after each reading, Warden uploads the data to the public Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Dissolved Oxygen Data Viewer.
Why This Matters to the Fishery
Tracking DO, temperature, and salinity helps separate annual cycles from abnormal conditions that can stress lobsters or push them to different locations.
Sampling in the gaps finds conditions that may be lying undetected nearby and could move into actively fished areas.
Sedna builds and operates in Massachusetts, working with fishermen first.
If You See Warden on the Water
It is not fishing gear and will not interfere with traps, buoys, or lines.
Please do not get too close. If it is stationary, it may start to move (slowly) without warning.
Questions or concerns? Call Sedna Ops at 617-506-9177 (this number is printed on Warden).
We want your feedback!
Is there a region you want more regularly sampled? Do you want alerts about where you fish? How can we better fit in with the fleet out on the water? Give us a call or text at 617-506-9177 or email info@sednarobotics.com
