The DIDSON represents a new class in identification sonar; the acoustic lens sonar gives near video quality images for inspection and identification of objects underwater. It is a surrogate for optical systems in turbid water.

The University of Washington's Regional Scale Nodes or RSN of the NSF OOI will extend continuous high-bandwidth (tens of Gigabits/second) and power (tens of kilowatts) to a network of instruments widely distributed across, above, and below the seafloor in the northeast Pacific Ocean.