A comparison of seafloor network topologies

The last decade can be considered an embryonic period for seafloor networks with the introduction of sizeable networks off the West Coast of Canada, off the West Coast of the United States and in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as smaller networks spread throughout the world's oceans. The amount of data currently available is expected to pale in comparison to future prospects as the infrastructure is expanded. As large scale deployed networks reach more than ten years of continuous operation the long term deployment of seafloor networks is no longer a promise but a fact. With the increase in regulations and industry requirements for monitoring subsea structures and environmental conditions comes the need to create accessible and user friendly monitoring technologies capable of supporting a wide range of subsea instrumentation. With Nodes and Subsea Instrument Interface Modules (or SIIMs) acting as branching and connection points, seafloor networks can be created for a wide variety of applications requiring instrument connection and monitoring. These instruments can then be used to enable cost efficient data gathering in many applications including the monitoring of subsea structures and their surrounding environments. The intention of this article is to outline the benefits, limitations and risks of three main topology options and to provide a broad view of the applications when each can be used.