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Offshore energy installations, subsea pipelines and underwater infrastructure operate in complex and often inaccessible environments. Continuous monitoring is essential not only for operational reliability, but also for risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. Traditional inspection methods – including active sonar, periodic ROV inspections and diver-based surveys – often introduce acoustic emissions, require complex deployment or provide only snapshot-based information.

To explore these challenges and the latest solutions, gfai tech will host a webinar titled “Seeing Underwater with Sound” on March 26th, featuring offshore infrastructure as a key topic and highlighting how emission-free passive acoustic monitoring can enhance safety and efficiency in demanding subsea environments.

Link to our webinar: https://www.gfaitech.com/news-events/news/webinar-seeing-underwater-with-sound

Passive acoustic imaging for subsea infrastructure

HydroVision SeaStar24 offers a complementary approach through passive acoustic imaging. The system captures and spatially visualizes underwater acoustic activity in real time, enabling operators to detect and assess acoustic events near critical structures.

"Offshore operators require continuous awareness of their subsea environment, but many conventional monitoring technologies introduce additional acoustic energy or operational complexity," said Philip Höhna, CEO of gfai tech GmbH. "SeaStar24’s passive approach provides situational awareness without adding to the underwater acoustic footprint – a critical consideration in environmentally sensitive offshore zones."

The 24-channel hydrophone array system uses advanced beamforming to reconstruct acoustic fields in 2D and 3D, providing intuitive visualization of underwater activity. Unlike active sonar, SeaStar24 does not transmit acoustic pulses, making it suitable for long-term deployment in regulated marine environments.

Application areas in offshore and infrastructure monitoring

Offshore wind farms

SeaStar24 may support monitoring scenarios involving foundation interaction, subsea structural acoustic activity, environmental acoustic conditions, and vessel proximity awareness. Passive acoustic imaging can assist in detecting unusual acoustic events near wind turbine foundations or subsea structures.

Subsea pipelines and cables

Underwater pipelines and communication cables are critical infrastructure assets requiring careful oversight. Potential monitoring contexts include proximity-related acoustic activity, mechanical interaction detection, external disturbances and infrastructure-adjacent subsea operations.

Offshore energy installations

In oil, gas and energy transition environments, acoustic situational awareness may support subsea asset protection, structural interaction analysis, installation-phase monitoring, and maintenance activity observation. SeaStar24 can be configured for project-based deployments tailored to specific site conditions.

Integration into offshore monitoring architectures

SeaStar24 is currently available as a pre-series (zero-series) system designed for project-based integration. The platform can support:

• Integration into offshore monitoring networks
• Combination with radar and surface surveillance systems
• Sensor fusion with environmental or structural monitoring platforms
• Deployment alongside ROV/AUV operations

System configuration can be adapted to site-specific requirements in cooperation with offshore operators and monitoring service providers.

Webinar invitation

To learn more about passive acoustic monitoring and its applications for offshore infrastructure, register for gfai tech’s webinar “Seeing Underwater with Sound”. Participants will explore the advantages of emission-free monitoring and see how SeaStar24 can enhance operational reliability, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance.

Interested parties can register here https://www.gfaitech.com/news-events/news/webinar-seeing-underwater-with-sound

Project-Based Deployment and Pilot Programs

gfai tech is engaging with offshore operators, infrastructure monitoring providers and environmental consultants to configure SeaStar24 for specific operational contexts. The pre-series development approach allows for customization of system parameters, deployment geometry, and processing architecture to match site requirements.

Interested parties are invited to discuss project-based deployment, pilot installations or cooperative development opportunities.