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During an expedition to the Atlantic Mid-Ocean ridge in August 2016, an underwater hyperspectral imager (UHI) was utilized. The target was to investigate its applicability to exploration for marine minerals. The imager was deployed on both an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). To the authors knowledge, this is the first time a full scale hyperspectral imager has been mounted on an AUV. This new platform comes with many advantages and drawbacks which will be discussed, both in terms of future potential and observed data quality.

Underwater hyperspectral imaging is a novel method for mapping and monitoring the seafloor. It uses the reflected light from objects under water to automatically identify them. This paper explains the basic technology and shows examples of use from two field missions in Norwegian waters. In the two cases, libraries of spectral signatures for the living organisms at the site were established, and subsequently used to automatically identify objects on the seafloor.