The Titan Discovery vessel is mapping the seabed off the coast of Dawlish and Babbacombe - areas where millions of pounds is being spent to save the coastline from rising sea levels.
The operation - in part funded by the Environment Agency - is being led by the South West Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme (SWRCMP). It is the largest of the UK's coastal monitoring programmes, keeping a check on more than 2,000km of coast.