Deployable and autonomous mooring system

An autonomous mooring device comprising:

• an anchor comprising a plurality of mooring arms rotatably coupled to a body of the anchor and biased to extend radially outward upon deployment from a deployment chamber above a sea floor, wherein each of the mooring arms comprise a plurality of spring biased, linked arm segments, the mooring arms being foldable at joints of the linked arm segments to enable the anchor to be folded into a stowed position and wherein the autonomous mooring device is separated from the deployment chamber upon deployment;
• a mooring line module including a mooring line coupling the mooring line module to the anchor and a mooring line release system configured to periodically determine whether an amount of the mooring line extending from the mooring line module should be adjusted to keep the anchor in contact with the sea floor;
• wherein the body of the anchor is coupled in close proximity to the mooring line module such that the plurality of arms may be rotated into a position in which the autonomous mooring device, including the plurality of arms, may be stored in the deployment chamber and upon release from the deployment chamber above the sea floor, rotate the mooring arms into a position such that the arms extend radially;
• a release mechanism in communication with the anchor, wherein the release mechanism is configured to release the anchor from attachment in close proximity to the mooring line module upon contact with a water surface, whereby the anchor remains in contact with the mooring line module via the mooring line;
• a flexible parachute coupled to the segments of the plurality of arms and extending between the arms at least partially circumferentially around the anchor to form a parachute usable to reduce the velocity of the autonomous mooring device after being dropped in air above a water body and wherein the flexible parachute is capable of remaining attached to the arm segments when the arm segments are rotated relative to each other to be placed into the stowed position;
• and
• a buoy in communication with the mooring line module via buoy line.