Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASN): Energy Efficiency Perspective of Cluster-Based Routing Protocols

Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network (UASN) is a rapidly growing technology and a buzzword among recent researchers due to unreached, hidden, and desirable underwater resources. Like other technologies, UASN also has some challenges which include low propagation delay, free-floating underwater sensor nodes, low bandwidth, and reliability of data delivery. Among all these challenges, efficient utilization of energy from sensor nodes during data transmission and prolongation of network lifetime is the topmost challenge. Several researchers have made substantial contributions to address it by designing energy efficient routing protocols. This research paper focuses on presenting some of the significant work performed in this area. In this research paper, some of the recently developed cluster-based routing protocols are reviewed. A critical review approach is adopted to see existing routing protocols strengths and weaknesses and focus on the issues. The performance factors which are considered and ignored, reviewed in this research paper. In the end, some open areas are discussed for potential research work. This research paper is helpful for the researchers from academic circles and industries who are new in this research field and want to contribute by designing energy efficient clustered based routing protocol to mitigate excessive power consumption by Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks.