Researchers at Trinity College Dublin are pioneering a breakthrough maritime surveillance system that transforms undersea telecommunications cables into a powerful tool for monitoring Irish waters.
The Sea-Scan project uses Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and State of Polarisation (SoP) technologies to turn existing fibre optic infrastructure into a vast underwater sensor network. This enables the detection and classification of vessels that operate without active transponders—commonly referred to as “dark vessels.”
Beyond vessel tracking, the system can identify potential threats to the cables themselves, such as anchor drops, fishing trawlers, or deliberate interference. Advanced AI algorithms process the sensor data to distinguish genuine threats from background noise, significantly reducing false alarms.
Led by Professor Marco Ruffini from the School of Computer Science and Statistics and Dr John Kennedy from the School of Engineering, Sea-Scan is one of five projects to reach the Seed Phase of the Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge. This national programme supports innovative technologies that enhance Defence Forces capabilities while delivering broader societal value.
Each of the five selected teams receives funding to develop and validate their solutions, with one ultimately securing €1 million in final funding to complete their project.
“Sea-Scan leverages the untapped potential of existing undersea networks,” said Prof. Ruffini. “In today’s world, where national security and digital infrastructure are tightly linked, this scalable solution could transform real-time ocean monitoring.”
Dr Kennedy added: “Every ship leaves behind an acoustic fingerprint, blending with the ocean’s natural sounds. With the right algorithms, we can detect these signatures over great distances, using fibre networks already in place.”
The team is also involved in two major Research Ireland Centres—CONNECT and ADAPT—as principal and funded investigators.
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, welcomed the project’s advancement:
“Reaching the Seed Phase marks a critical milestone. These teams now enter a focused development stage, working closely with Defence Forces to refine solutions that meet real-world needs. We look forward to seeing their progress.”