A Survey on Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks: Requirements, Taxonomy, Recent Advances, and Open Research...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Oceanography
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are crucial for ocean surveillance, marine monitoring, and target detection.
• Recent advancements in underwater sensor technologies have fueled rapid development in UWSNs.
• Existing literature lacks a comprehensive compilation of the state-of-the-art in UWSN research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in UWSNs.
• To identify key requirements and common platforms for UWSN development.
• To offer a taxonomy of critical UWSN elements and outline future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of UWSN studies published in the last five years.
• Analysis of network activities, applications, and supporting technologies in UWSN environments.
• Classification of UWSN architectural elements, communication protocols, security measures, and applications.

Main Results:

• Identification of essential requirements for robust and flexible UWSN solutions.
• Development of a taxonomy for UWSN architectural elements, communications, routing, security, and applications.
• Synthesis of current evidence supporting network activities and applications in UWSN.

Conclusions:

• UWSNs require robust and flexible solutions to meet the demands of rapid development.
• A clear taxonomy of UWSN components is essential for understanding and advancing the field.
• Open challenges in UWSNs provide a roadmap for future research and innovation.