A Review of Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Deployment Techniques and Challenges

Abstract

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) have become increasingly important due to their critical roles in marine life monitoring, communication, ocean data collection, sampling, and military security operations. The success of UWSNs largely depends on efficient node deployment techniques that ensure optimal coverage, connectivity, cost-effectiveness, network lifetime, and energy utilization. This paper presents a comprehensive review of various node deployment types and techniques specifically designed for UWSNs. It covers depth-adjustment, movement-assisted, self-movement, and soft-computing techniques, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and application scenarios. Each technique is evaluated based on key performance metrics such as network coverage, connectivity, energy consumption, network lifetime, and deployment cost. Additionally, the paper discusses the challenges and identifies open research directions in the field, providing valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in selecting appropriate node deployment techniques for UWSNs.