news & updates
Updates
 | COCO₂ USV launch In September 2026, COCO2 team members at CSIRO worked together with Saildrone to launch the first uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) of the project from Hobart, Australia. Dr. Elizabeth Shadwick of CSIRO with Saildrone Technical Operations Engineer Haley Holcomb and Fleet Service Operations Manager Jason Westenburg during the deployment. Photo: Fraser Johnston. |
 | COCO₂ at OSM In February 2026, several COCO2 team members attended the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland. |
 | COCO₂ project meeting In November 2025, COCO2 conducted its first project meeting (virtually). |
 | COCO₂ representatives at VICC launch In September 2025, seven representatives from the COCO2 project attended the Schmidt Sciences Virtual Institute for the Carbon Cycle convening in New York. |
Press Coverage
- Saildrone research fleet to circle Antarctica for 5 years October 13, 2026NOAA Announcement →
- Ocean drones set to brave the Southern Ocean for science September 24, 2026CSIRO Announcement →
- Robot Sailboats Will Spend Five Years Measuring Carbon in the Southern Ocean September 24, 2026Columbia Announcement →
- Saildrone Embarks on a Multiyear Expedition to Monitor Carbon Exchange in the Southern Ocean September 24, 2026Saildrone Announcement →
- ‘Robust little’ vessel begins treacherous 22,000km journey around Antarctica in the name of climate science September 25, 2026The Guardian →
- Schmidt Sciences Awards $45M to Narrow Carbon Cycle Knowledge Gap October 2, 2025Schmidt Sciences Announcement →
- Former Google CEO Will Fund Boat Drones to Explore Rough Antarctic Waters October 2, 2025WIRED Magazine Feature →