{{short description|American marine robotics company based in Austin, Texas}} {{Infobox company | name = Ocean Infinity | logo = Logo Ocean Infinity 2.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert | logo_caption = | logo_size = | type = Private | founded = {{Start date and age|2017|07|}} | hq_location_city = Austin, Texas | hq_location_country = United States | owner = | key_people = {{Unbulleted_list | Oliver Plunkett <br> {{small|(CEO)}} }} | num_employees = | industry = Marine robotics | products = | website = {{url|https://oceaninfinity.com/}} }}
'''Ocean Infinity''' is a marine robotics company based in Austin, Texas, United States, and Southampton, United Kingdom, that was founded in 2017. The company uses robots to obtain information from the ocean and seabed.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ocean Infinity's Innovative Marine Robotics Solutions for Sustainable Operations |url=https://portusonline.org/ocean-infinitys-innovative-marine-robotics-solutions-for-sustainable-operations/?pdf=47880 |website=portusonline.org}}</ref>
==History== Ocean Infinity is based in Austin, Texas, and Southampton, England, and was founded in July 2017. The company is led by CEO Oliver Plunkett and is privately held.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51451577|title=Ocean survey company goes for robot boats at scale|first=Jonathan|last=Amos|work=BBC News|date=February 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08458584|title=OCEAN INFINITY LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)|website=beta.companieshouse.gov.uk}}</ref> Ocean Infinity was created after recognising the effectiveness of using marine robots in scale to acquire and analyse data from the oceans.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oceaninfinity.com/|title=Ocean Infinity|website=Ocean Infinity}}</ref>
==Robots== Ocean Infinity operates two robotic fleets; the Armada fleet and the Infinity fleet. The Infinity fleet is made up of 14 autonomous underwater vehicles that operate globally in the oceans, along with the Armada fleet of robotic ships. The fleets are equipped with sensors and navigation technology capable of operating down to {{convert|6000|m|ft|spell=us}} depth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/ocean-infinity-unveils-fleet-of-robot-exploration-vessels/|title=Ocean Infinity unveils fleet of robot exploration vessels|date=February 5, 2020|website=Offshore Technology | Oil and Gas News and Market Analysis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bairdmaritime.com/work-boat-world/specialised-fields/unmanned-craft-non-naval/ocean-infinity-to-launch-15-vessel-auv-fleet-under-new-company/|title=Ocean Infinity to launch 15-vessel AUV fleet under new company|first=Baird|last=Maritime|date=February 10, 2020}}</ref> The company reported in May 2022 that the first of 23 Armada surface vessels had recently been launched in Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oceaninfinity.com/armada-launches-to-sea/ |title=Armada launches to sea |date=2022-05-09 |accessdate=2023-07-07}}</ref>
==Projects== ===Summary=== Summary of successful Ocean Infinity search missions: {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Ship/Submarine !! Date sunk !! Date discovered !! Depth !! Ref |- | ARA San Juan (S-42) || November 15, 2017 || November 17, 2018 || {{cvt|920|m|ft}} || <ref name="ARA San Juan">{{cite web |url=https://oceaninfinity.com/locates_ARA_San_Juan |title=Ocean Infinity Locates the Missing Argentinian Submarine, ARA San Juan |publisher=Ocean Infinity |date=17 November 2018 |access-date=21 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118081645/https://oceaninfinity.com/locates_ARA_San_Juan |archive-date=18 November 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | Stellar Daisy || March 31, 2017 || February 17, 2019 || {{cvt|3461|m|ft}} || <ref name="Stellar Daisy">{{cite web|url=https://oceaninfinity.com/remembering-the-search-for-mv-stellar-daisy-four-years-on/|title=Remembering the search for MV Stellar Daisy, four years on… |date=17 Feb 2023|accessdate=2024-12-22|publisher=Ocean Infinity}}</ref> |- | Minerve || January 27, 1968 || July 21, 2019 || {{cvt|2350|m|ft}} || <ref name="Minerve">{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/22/world/french-submarine-minerve-trnd/index.html|title=50 years after disappearing off the coast of France, the submarine Minerve is found|date=July 22, 2019|publisher=CNN|author=Allen Kim}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Guibert|first= Nathalie |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2019/07/22/le-sous-marin-la-minerve-disparu-en-1968-a-ete-retrouve-au-large-de-toulon_5492027_3224.html|title=La " Minerve ", le sous-marin disparu il y a cinquante ans, a été retrouvé au large de Toulon|date=22 July 2019|access-date=2019-07-22|language=fr |work= Le Monde}}</ref> |- | USS Nevada (BB-36) || July 31, 1948 || May 11, 2020 || {{cvt|4700|m|ft}} || <ref>{{Cite web |last=Werner |first=Ben |date=2020-05-11 |title=VIDEO: Research Groups Find Wreck of 'Unsinkable Battleship' USS Nevada |url=https://news.usni.org/2020/05/11/video-research-groups-find-wreck-of-unsinkable-battleship-uss-nevada |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=USNI News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brennan|first1=Michael|last2=Delgado|first2=James|last3=Ferreiro|first3=Larrie|last4=Broussard|first4=Josh|last5=Arbuthnot|first5=Michael|title=Discovery and Initial Documentation of USS NEVADA (BB-36): An Artifact of Two World Wars and the Advent of the Cold War|journal=Journal of Maritime Archaeology|date=31 January 2022|url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11457-022-09324-5|doi=10.1007/s11457-022-09324-5|volume=17|pages=93-129|pmc=8804083}}</ref> |- | Endurance || November 21, 1915 || March 5, 2022 || {{cvt|3000|m|ft}} || <ref name="Endurance">{{cite web|url=https://x.com/Ocean__Infinity/status/1501607230935912448|author=Ocean Infinity|title=Ocean Infinity on X: "We are extremely proud of our team involved in the discovery of Sir Ernest Shackleton's lost vessel ... / X|date=March 9, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Endurance BBC">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60662541|title=Endurance: Shackleton's lost ship is found in Antarctic|publisher=BBC|date=9 March 2022|author=Jonathan Amos}}</ref> |- | USS Stewart (DD-224) || May 24, 1946 || August 1, 2024 || {{cvt|1060|m|ft}} || <ref name="USS Stewart">{{cite web|url=https://searchweb.blob.core.windows.net/hosted/USS%20Stewart%20Press%20Release.pdf|title=Ocean Explorers Discover the Wreck of USS Stewart, A World War II Warship Once Known as the "Ghost Ship of the Pacific"|author1=Ocean Infinity|author2=Air/Sea Heritage Foundation|author3=SEARCH|date=October 1, 2024|accessdate=2024-12-22}}</ref><ref name="USS Stewart NYT">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/01/science/shipwreck-ghost-ship-pacific-drones.html|title=Wreck of 'Ghost Ship of the Pacific' Found Off California|work=New York Times|author=Michael Greshko|date=October 1, 2024|accessdate=2024-12-22}}</ref> |}
===Details=== Ocean Infinity was involved in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in early 2018, deploying ''Seabed Constructor'' between January and May without success.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-mh370.html | title=A Search for MH370, Missing Since 2014, Ends 'With a Heavy Heart' | newspaper=The New York Times | date=29 May 2018 | accessdate=18 November 2018}}</ref> In November of the same year, ''Seabed Constructor'' located the wreck of Argentine submarine {{ship|ARA|San Juan|S-42|6}}, which had disappeared a year earlier.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/argentine-submarine-san-juan-found-1542433424 | title=Argentine Submarine San Juan Is Found | newspaper=The Wall Street Journal | date=17 November 2018 | accessdate=18 November 2018}}</ref> At the end of December 2018, Ocean Infinity was contracted by the South Korean government to search for the wreck of the sunken bulk carrier ship {{ship||Stellar Daisy}}, which sank in March 2017 in the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Uruguay.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oceaninfinity.com/ocean-infinity-Stellar+Daisy |title=Ocean Infinity to Support South Korean Government in Search for Stellar Daisy |website=oceaninfinity.com |accessdate=23 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805071504/https://oceaninfinity.com/ocean-infinity-Stellar+Daisy |archive-date=5 August 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 17 February 2019, the company announced that it believed it had found the ship's wreck,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.foxnews.com/science/south-korea-stellar-daisy-found-ocean-floor | title=South Korean tanker Stellar Daisy found on ocean floor 2 years after it sank, explorers say | website=Fox News | date=17 February 2019 | author=David Aaro}}</ref> and soon afterward retrieved the voyage data recorder.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190218000498 |title=Search ship retrieves voyage data recorder from sunken Stellar Daisy |work=The Korea Herald |date=18 February 2019 |accessdate=23 July 2019|author1=Yonhap }}</ref>
In addition to the high-profile wreck searches, Ocean Infinity has also undertaken data acquisition support for Total E&P, Shell Mauritania, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Exxon Mobil, NOAA and Petrobras.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/ocean-infinity-offshore-angola/|title=Ocean Infinity wraps up offshore Angola survey project|date=March 5, 2020|website=Offshore Technology | Oil and Gas News and Market Analysis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://seanews.co.uk/news/industry-related-news/ocean-infinity-completes-data-expedition-for-norwegian-petroleum-directorate/|title=Ocean Infinity completes data expedition for Norwegian Petroleum Directorate|first=Baibhav|last=Mishra|date=September 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-teams-with-ocean-infinity-to-advance-new-tools-for-ocean-exploration-and-mapping|title=NOAA teams with Ocean Infinity to advance new tools for ocean exploration and mapping | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|website=www.noaa.gov|date=9 January 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.offshore-energy.biz/ocean-infinity-to-provide-auv-surveys-for-petrobras/|title=Ocean Infinity to provide AUV surveys for Petrobras|date=January 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/exxonmobil-ocean-infinity-contract/|title=ExxonMobil picks Ocean Infinity for AUV data acquisition offshore Guyana|date=March 2, 2020|website=Offshore Technology | Oil and Gas News and Market Analysis}}</ref>
In early 2019, the wreck of {{ship||Grande America}} was localized by ''Island Pride'', which arrived 30 March and started inspecting the wreck using remotely operated underwater vehicles.<ref>[https://www.premar-atlantique.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/naufrage-du-navire-grande-america-dans-le-golfe-de-gascogne-communique-de-presse-n-22] {{dead link|date=July 2019}}</ref> In July 2019, the company found the French Navy submarine {{ship|French submarine|Minerve|S647|2}}, 50 years after its disappearance.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://elpais.com/internacional/2019/07/22/actualidad/1563799226_047974.html | title=Localizados los restos del 'Minerve', un submarino francés desaparecido en 1968 | website=El País | date=22 July 2019 | author=Silvia Ayuso}}</ref> In 2020, Ocean Infinity also worked with Search INC to locate the battleship {{USS|Nevada|BB-36|6}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Photos: Ocean Infinity Finds Famed Battleship USS Nevada |url=https://maritime-executive.com/article/ocean-infinity-finds-famed-battleship-uss-nevada |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=The Maritime Executive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 25, 2020 |title=Undersea explorers find wreck of USS Nevada, the ship that almost escaped Pearl Harbor |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/05/25/uss-nevada-wreck-discovered-pearl-harbor/ |work=washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
Ocean Infinity provided technical expertise and equipment to locate Ernest Shackleton's ship ''Endurance,'' which sank 27 October 1915 after having been frozen in the ice of the Weddell Sea off Antarctica. The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust's project Endurance22 succeeded on 5 March 2022.<ref name="Endurance" /><ref name="Endurance BBC" />
In December 2024, it was reported that Ocean Infinity would resume the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 under a $70 million 'no find, no fee' agreement with the Malaysian government.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-20 |title=MH370: Malaysia agrees to resume search for missing passenger jet |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewxnwe5d11o |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> On December 3, 2025, the Ministry of Transport Malaysia announced that Ocean Infinity would resume the search for MH370 on December 30, 2025. The search would last for a total of 55 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mot.gov.my/en/Kenyataan%20Media/Year%202025/MEDIA%20RELEASE%20RESUMPTION%20OF%20MH370%20SEARCH%20BY%20OCEAN%20INFINITY%20IN%20THE%20SOUTHERN%20INDIAN%20OCEAN.pdf|title=Resumption of MH370 Search by Ocean Infinity in the Southern Indian Ocean|accessdate=2025-12-04|date=3 December 2025|author=Ministry of Transport Malaysia}}</ref> On 8 March 2026, Ocean Infinity announced that their search concluded as of 23 January 2026 without any findings, after searching an area of over {{convert|140000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bate |first=Sarah |date=2026-03-08 |title=Conclusion of the search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 |url=https://oceaninfinity.com/news/conclusion-of-the-search-for-malaysian-airlines-flight-mh370/ |access-date=2026-03-11 |website=Ocean Infinity |language=en-GB |archive-date=8 March 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260308115306/https://oceaninfinity.com/news/conclusion-of-the-search-for-malaysian-airlines-flight-mh370/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website}}
Category:Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Category:Companies based in Austin, Texas Category:American companies established in 2017 Category:2017 establishments in Texas