There are several reasons for the ascendancy of commercial Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs) for unmanned marine surveys.
Current Updates From SeaRobotics

SeaRobotics Corporation (SRC), a leading developer of marine robotics, today announced details of their next generation Utility Class ASV, the SR-Utility 3.0. This latest addition to the SRC portfolio is designed to extend the range and versatility of unmanned coastal marine survey operations by providing professional surveyors with a configurable platform that allows for interchangeable payloads and sensors, including the incorporation of existing instrumentation.

SeaRobotics Corporation, a leading developer of unmanned marine systems, announced a contract award to supply multiple SR-Surveyor M1.8 ASVs to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to help the Department of the Navy develop its advanced autonomy research program. The SR-Surveyor M1.8 is a tightly integrated, 1.8-meter long ASV designed to streamline logistics and optimize data acquisition in shallow and hard-to-navigate waters. The platform is specifically purposed to be versatile and rapidly deployable for users that require high quality, reliable data capture in remote and restricted waters.

SeaRobotics, announced today the successful deployment of their SR-Surveyor M1.8 ASV in cooperation with Morgan & Eklund (M&E), a Florida based land and hydrographic survey firm, to safely survey a twenty-mile stretch of waterways in the hard-hit islands of the Bahamas.