For the former, the Institution launched a drone tethered to the Sally Ride via a 100 foot cable that transmits power and enables the craft to stay in flight indefinitely. Perhaps more exciting though is the untethered UAV. Its range is about a kilometer and it can even "tether" to the research vessel so long as the GPS signal between the two stays synced. This allows the drone to follow behind the boat, among other functions. What's more, it transmits live video to the operator, too.

Future plans for the R/C kayak (above) include kitting it out with all manner of oceanographic sensors, but for now it's only sporting a GoPro, lights, a comms array and battery packs. The Institution says that eventually it'd use the kayak to take measurements at distances where the main ship (the Ride, in this case) wouldn't cause any types of interference.

In addition to all that, the kayak is outfitted with a 7-horsepower engine and built-in modes that can turn the motor off and restart it. Onboard software also keeps track of speed, altitude and other variables. For a peek at both the drones and the kayak in action, check out the embedded tweets below.

Video from a @Scripps_Ocean #drone coming in for a landing on R/V Sally Ride. More details in a blog post tomorrow https://t.co/xTsTibNb3h pic.twitter.com/5oZxRAtBGT — R/V Sally Ride (@RVSallyRide) December 25, 2016