The underwater drone CORAX from Skarv Technologies in Trondheim will search for scallops in the Barents Sea in collaboration with Ava Ocean from Ålesund. The drone combines satellite communication, real-time data processing and autonomous navigation to make harvesting more precise and gentle on the seabed.
Skarv Technologies develops advanced AUV systems (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles). CORAX is specially designed for operations in demanding environments and will now become part of Ava Ocean’s harvesting operations in the Barents Sea.
The drone has a 24-hour battery capacity, an operational radius of up to 30 kilometres from the mother vessel, and communicates via satellite. The system processes image data directly on board and uses real-time object recognition to adjust its search pattern according to what it detects on the seabed.
When CORAX locates scallops, it sends data back to the fishing vessel, enabling the crew to plan harvesting more precisely. This reduces both time and unnecessary activity on the seabed.
“We developed CORAX for offshore missions in tough conditions. Our collaboration with Ava Ocean gives us a unique opportunity to demonstrate how underwater technology can make fishery operations more efficient and precise,”
says Trygve Olav Fossum, CEO of Skarv Technologies.
Skarv Technologies CEO Trygve Olav Fossum. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
Ava Ocean has developed a groundbreaking method for gentle seabed harvesting of scallops and other bottom-dwelling species. With CORAX, the company gains accurate data on where the resources are located, enabling targeted and gentle harvesting.
“The autonomous capabilities of the CORAX system allow us to search for and locate scallops with greater precision than ever before. We look forward to putting this technology into use in our Barents Sea operations,”
says Øystein Tvedt, CEO of Ava Ocean.
The delivery of CORAX marks an important step for the fishing industry in northern waters. By combining advanced underwater technology with gentle harvesting methods, the industry can locate and harvest seafood resources more accurately, with minimal impact on the seabed.
Scallops are a highly sought-after resource that live on the seabed, often in challenging and remote areas. Effective harvesting requires knowing exactly where they are. Traditional fishing methods can damage both seabed species and ecosystems, but with CORAX, Ava Ocean gains precise data that enables targeted and gentle harvesting while protecting both the seabed and surrounding marine life.
Ava Ocean harvests Arctic scallops (Chlamys islandica) – slow-growing scallops with a sweet, delicate flavour valued by seafood connoisseurs. The company is the only Norwegian supplier of Arctic scallops from the Barents Sea and has reopened this historic fishery using its innovative non-destructive seabed harvester. The scallops are cleaned and frozen at sea to preserve their quality and taste, before being hand-shucked and processed in the EU. This method ensures minimal environmental impact while delivering a product of the highest quality.
Skarv Technologies develops and delivers autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), as well as integrated positioning systems, autonomy solutions and AI-based data analysis. The company’s core product is the CORAX AUV platform, designed to survey large ocean and coastal areas with optical and acoustic sensors. The platform combines precise positioning, autonomy and advanced data analysis to support a wide range of underwater data collection missions. Skarv Technologies is based at Nyhavna in Trondheim and is a member of Ocean Autonomy Cluster and an incubator company in FI Ocean Space Incubator.
Ava Ocean was founded in Ålesund in 2016 and is a pioneer in gentle seabed harvesting of seafood resources. The company has developed technology that makes it possible to identify, select and sort bottom-dwelling species without damaging the surrounding environment. Ava Ocean was granted the first fishing license for Arctic scallops in Norway through a development program established in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research in 2017.