Ultra-High-Definition Underwater Camera
For more than 25 years, Ocean Presence Technologies (OPT) has advanced the field of underwater observation through robust, internet‑connected camera systems originally developed by the Manta Network. These systems provide continuous, diver‑free monitoring of marine environments, giving biologists, educators, and the public an unobstructed window into the underwater world.
Today, OPT is expanding this foundation with a new generation of AI‑enhanced, continuously operating, species‑aware telepresence systems. By integrating edge AI, cloud‑scale analytics, and long‑duration imaging, OPT now enables real‑time detection of ecological events, automated species identification, and persistent situational awareness across remote marine sites.
“Telepresence” refers to the ability to experience and interact with a distant environment as if physically present. OPT’s Unified Marine Telepresence™ platform brings this concept to the ocean, allowing viewers to observe live underwater scenes, respond to real‑time events, and participate in shared interpretation of marine ecosystems. This capability dramatically expands opportunities for education, research, and public engagement in ocean conservation.</p>
OPT’s underwater cameras—whether deployed in the ocean, aquariums, research stations, or educational institutions—can be made accessible to schools, aquariums, museums, and exploratoriums worldwide. By offering these technologies at an attainable cost, OPT aims to see thousands of live underwater nodes forming a global network of persistent ocean awareness.
While OPT continues to design and manufacture complete underwater camera systems, its broader mission is to build a planet‑scale telepresence network that connects children, educators, scientists, government agencies, and the general public to the ocean in real time. Through continuous imaging, AI‑driven insights, and shared access, OPT is helping create a more informed and inspired global community committed to protecting the world’s oceans.
Over the last 25 years we have established a client base that includes major companies and organizations and spans four oceans around the world.
Corporations and Universities:
- NOAA
- National Geographic Society
- Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Int'l Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
- University of Victoria Neptune
- Sea Shepard Society
- US Army Corp of Engineers
- Battelle Ocean Systems
Public Aquaria:
- New England Aquarium
- Dallas World Aquarium
- Aquarium of the Pacific
- Georgian Aquarium (Discovery)
- National Aquarium in Baltimore
- Tennessee Aquarium and many others...
Management
Ocean Presence Technologies (OPT), based in Santa Cruz, California, is owned and managed by Robert Aston, a pioneer in underwater imaging, telepresence, and real‑time ocean observation. With more than 25 years of experience developing and manufacturing underwater high‑definition camera systems—and over 40 years as an underwater photographer, videographer, and scuba diver—Aston has dedicated his career to expanding human access to the ocean through technology.
Aston’s background spans computer hardware, graphics, video engineering, networking, software design, and large‑scale system management. This multidisciplinary foundation led to the creation of OPT’s long‑duration, internet‑connected underwater camera systems, originally developed through the Manta Network. These systems provide continuous, diver‑free monitoring of marine environments, enabling biologists, educators, and the public to observe underwater ecosystems without disturbance.
As Executive Director of the nonprofit Manta Network, Aston has spent decades advancing manta ray research, conservation, and public awareness. His first environmental article, Ray of Hope, was published in 2003 in Asian Diver and World Environment magazines, marking the beginning of formal efforts to build a global educational and research platform dedicated to manta rays and ocean conservation. The Manta Network was established as an independent environmental organization separate from On‑the‑Edge Magazine, another publication founded by Aston. The manta website was designed to support research, education, and continuous underwater video monitoring—an early precursor to today’s telepresence systems.
OPT’s mission has since expanded dramatically. The company now develops AI‑enhanced, continuously operating, species‑aware telepresence systems that integrate edge AI, cloud analytics, and long‑duration imaging. These systems enable automated species identification, real‑time ecological event detection, and persistent situational awareness across remote marine sites. This evolution is captured in Aston’s two recent books—The Future of Ocean Exploration and Unified Marine Telepresence—which outline the technological, scientific, and societal implications of a planet‑scale ocean observation network
“Telepresence” describes the ability to experience and interact with a distant environment as though physically present. OPT’s Unified Marine Telepresence™ platform brings this capability to the ocean, allowing viewers to observe live underwater scenes, respond to real‑time events, and participate in shared interpretation of marine ecosystems. This technology expands opportunities for education, research, and public engagement in ocean conservation.
OPT’s underwater cameras—deployed in oceans, aquariums, research stations, and educational institutions—can be made accessible to schools, aquariums, museums, and exploratoriums worldwide. By offering these technologies at an attainable cost, OPT aims to see thousands of live underwater nodes forming a global network of persistent ocean awareness.
While OPT continues to design and manufacture complete underwater camera systems, its broader mission is to build a global telepresence network that connects children, educators, scientists, government agencies, and the public to the ocean in real time. Through continuous imaging, AI‑driven insights, and shared access, OPT is helping create a more informed and inspired global community committed to protecting the world’s oceans.