Dear Colleagues,

The release, at the end of the 1980s, of satellite-derived bathymetric maps unprecedently expanded our knowledge of the seas and oceans and allowed us to appropriately orient ship-based future research in the field of marine geology and geophysics.

The advent of multibeam mapping systems has subsequently made it possible to produce sea-floor maps with increasingly high resolutions. In the last few years, progresses and developments in the field of marine robotics (remotely operated vehicles, ROVs, and automated unmanned vehicles, AUVs) have enormously expanded the range of scientific and applied studies in the marine environment. The availability of miniaturized but accurate sensors, as well as the development of innovative hardware architectures and the possibility to host a variety of different payloads has rendered these marine drones one of the most cost-effective, efficient, and versatile technologies, especially in shallow water environments, such as harbors, coastal areas, waterways, lakes, and lagoons. Today, it is evident that a knowledge-based management of marine environments is becoming increasingly important as anthropogenic activities on coastal development, fisheries, offshore wind, and aquaculture are exerting significant pressure on marine life and cultural heritage.

This Special Issue aims to host contributions in the wide range of underwater vehicles studies and applications, both scientifically and technologically oriented, comprising but not limited to the sectors of marine geophysics and marine biology, of underwater archaeology, habitat mapping, coastal hazards, and innovative developments in processing and interpretations of the different kinds of data that can be acquired by ROVs and AUVs.

Dr. Emanuele Lodolo
Guest Editor

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