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 Ocean-going robots are being used in a pioneering science project off the coast of Britain.

Three innovative machines are tracking tagged fish and monitoring the sea.

The robo scouts can remain at sea for months using wind, solar and wave power.

Using acoustic 'pingers', plaice, sole, brill, and rays are being tracked at sea by the drone boats

The project is the biggest of its kind ever in Britain and could herald a new era in ocean exploration as the vehicles are designed to operate remotely across the oceans for months using wind, solar and wave power.

Scientists from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) in Plymouth, Devon, also hope the experiment will shed light on the private lives of some fish species and show whether new protected areas are effective in conserving stocks.

'This is a pioneering project,' said Guy Baker.

'We have not been able to follow fish in real time at day and night before.'

Remote sensing cuts the cost of marine science at sea by freeing up research vessels manned by scientists, he said.

The wave-power technology behind AutoNaut could also lead to a revolution in marine transport, believes the man who developed the robot.

Although the drone ship is just 3.5 metres long, the technology could be scaled up for a ship, said Mike Poole, a director of MOST (Autonomous Vessels).

That would save on fuel costs for ocean transport, he added.

AutoNaut, C-Enduro, also British-built, and American vessel SV3 Waveglider were launched yesterday from Queen Anneís Battery in Plymouth in what is the second phase of the Exploring Ocean Fronts project.

Last month five marine robots, including the wave-powered Devon craft, proved they could survive gales of up to 70mph as they travelled hundreds of miles gathering data in the Atlantic off the Isles of Scilly.

AutoNaut, C-Enduro, also British-built, and American vessel SV3 Waveglider were launched yesterday from Queen Anneís Battery in Plymouth

The three autonomous vehicles – AutoNaut, C-Enduro and the SV3 Waveglider – are all carrying a range of sensors to collect additional data on the physical properties of the ocean, such as water temperature and salinity

Scientists from the MBA and technologists from the National Oceanography Centre, which has twin sites in Southampton and Liverpool, are involved. Plymouth Marine Laboratory is providing support.

The three robot boats will spend about two weeks tracking 85 plaice, sole, brill, and rays caught and tagged by the MBA and released yesterday. 

Dr Stephen Cotterell, of the Marine Biological Association, is leading the project.

'This technology will give us a new dimension in our understanding of fish movements, residency and migrations in and around the marine protected areas off Plymouth.  

The second phase of the project is expected to last until mid-November and follows the highly successful first phase, which saw five marine robots travelling for hundreds of kilometres off the Isles of Scilly to collect ocean and meteorological data. 

The two-phase project is the largest deployment of marine autonomous systems ever seen in the UK and will provide valuable information about the shelf seas, marine life and the scope for autonomous vehicles in future research projects.