Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Challenges: A Review

Abstract

The underwater wireless sensor network consists of sensors that enable the exploration of natural undersea resources and gathering scientific data in collaborative monitoring missions. Underwater wireless sensor Network consists of variable number of floating and anchored sensors, sink and vehicles that are deployed over an area to be explored. Applications of underwater sensing range from oil industry to aquaculture, and include instrument monitoring, pollution control, climate recording, Prediction of natural disturbances, search and survey missions, and study of marine life. UWSN is a network of autonomous sensor nodes. Which are spatially distributed underwater to sense the water-related properties such as quality, temperature, and pressure? The sensed data can be utilized by variety of applications that can be used for the benefit of humans. The sensor nodes, stationary or mobile are connected wirelessly via communication modules to transfer various events of interest. In this paper, several fundamental key aspects of underwater acoustic communications are investigated. Different architectures for two-dimensional and three-dimensional underwater sensor networks are discussed, and the underwater channel is characterized. The main challenges for the development of efficient networking solutions posed by the underwater environment are detailed at all layers of the protocol stack. Furthermore, open research issues are discussed and possible solution approaches are outlined.