A European research and technology organisation has chosen UK underwater robotics to boost its marine research capabilities.

The Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology, and Innovation (ARDITI), based on Madeira, will acquire two autonomous underwater vehicles (ALRs) from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton.

The NOC's ALRs, developed over nearly 30 years, are known for their high capability, endurance, and autonomy.

They can significantly advance ocean research by collecting unprecedented data, from mapping to marine biogeochemical sensing, at depths of up to 6,000 metres over several weeks or months.

Currently, ALRs are available for use by the UK marine science community.

However, agreements with overseas organisations like ARDITI will expand their international use and aid in further development through funding and collaboration.

Dr Alex Phillips, head of the Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (MARS) Group at NOC, said: "We have been developing Autosub AUVs for the past 30 years to support the UK science community make measurements in the ocean.

"The ALR, with its multi-month endurance and proven ability to operate without the need for a research vessel, is a major advance in our capabilities.

"It is very exciting to be able to provide access to this technology to the broader global marine science community."

Madeira, located 1,000 km southwest of Lisbon in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is ideally placed for deep ocean exploration.

Its waters quickly deepen to about 1,000 metres within just 10 km of the shoreline and reach beyond 3,000 metres beyond 15 km.

Rui Caldeira, principal scientist at ARDITI, said: "With NOC underwater vehicles, we’re pleased to expand our capabilities, leveraging their compact size, endurance and modularity for applications from coastal monitoring and seabed mapping to full water column oceanographic data gathering."

The ALRs, part-funded by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), operate on a common, open-source system, suitable for fast-tracking marine observation and monitoring capabilities.

Each ALR will come with a full suite of sensors.

One will be 1,500-metre rated and focus on the oceanography and biogeochemistry of the water column, while the other will be 6,000-metre rated and used for seabed mapping.