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There are concerns about the impact that global warming will have on our environment, which will inevitably result in expanding deserts and rising water levels. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) were considered and chosen as the most suitable tool for conducting surveys concerning these global environmental problems. JAMSTEC has started building a long-range cruising AUV. The plan for its development is in several steps. As the first step, the AUV Urashima was built in 1999, and sea trials have been held since 2000. The Urashima dived to a 3,518-m depth in 2001. At the end of February 2005, the Urashima was able to cruise autonomously and continuously for 317 km, beyond its target range of 300 km; this record is the longest one in the world. The PEFC (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell) power system with metal hydrogen storage has been developed for expanding its cruising range. As the second step, the AUV Urashima-2, which will cruise more than 3,000 km, started development in 2007. The development plan of the next AUV was selected as one of the official, nationally important technologies in Japan. The deep-ocean areas we know of constitute only a small fraction of the entire deep ocean. The information that can be obtained by man-made satellites is limited to that pertaining to the surface or subsurface portions of the sea. Today, man does not have the means to canvass the entire deep ocean at one time. If a number of AUV like the Urashima autonomously cruise in various deep-ocean areas of the world, man will then, for the first time, be able to get that entire picture.