Pioneering Sea-Scan project aims to detect and classify “dark vessels” in Irish waters

Posted on: 30 May 2025

Utilising Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and State of Polarisation (SoP) technologies, the Sea-Scan project repurposes existing fibre optic infrastructure so it can also serve as a vast network of underwater sensors.

In addition, the system is capable of detecting potential threats to the cables themselves, such as from boats anchoring nearby or trawling, or from other seabed disturbances that could arise from accidental or deliberate interference with critical communications infrastructure. Advanced AI algorithms are applied to the data collected, enabling the system to detect vessels and assess threats, reducing false alarms.

The Sea-Scan project, which is co-led by Marco Ruffini, Professor in Trinity’s School of Computer Science and Statistics and Dr John Kennedy, Associate Professor in Trinity’s School of Engineering, is one of five teams to have successfully progressed to the Seed Phase of the Research Ireland–Defence Innovation Challenge.

This national initiative is aimed at developing innovative solutions to enhance the capabilities of the Defence Forces and deliver benefits to wider society. The remaining five teams will use Seed Phase funding to further develop and validate their concepts, with one ultimately winning the final funding prize of €1 million to take their project to completion.

Prof. Marco Ruffini said: “Sea-Scan will unlock a new layer of maritime awareness using infrastructure that already exists beneath our oceans. In a world where national security and digital resilience increasingly intersect, this project represents a scalable and cost-effective leap forward. Over the coming months, we aim to demonstrate that fibre networks can deliver real-time insights into marine activity and help safeguard essential infrastructure.”

Dr John Kennedy said: “Every vessel leaves a distinct acoustic fingerprint that can travel hundreds of miles, weaving anthropogenic noise into the ocean’s natural soundscape. By harnessing advanced detection algorithms, we can unlock the potential for existing fibre optic infrastructure to be used as a network of acoustic sensors for the detection of dark vessels.”

The project team leads are also affiliated as principal and funded investigators in two Research Ireland Centres (CONNECT and ADAPT).

Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO, Research Ireland, said: “Moving to the Seed Phase is a key milestone for the Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge programme. It signals the potential of these projects to deliver real impact and generate wider societal benefits. Through close engagement with Defence Forces personnel, the research teams are now entering a more targeted phase of development, where solutions are shaped by user insight and national need. We’re excited to support the teams as they take the next steps in their development process.”

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