Lockheed Martin Dark Ice: a quantum magnetometer geopositioning system
lockheedmartin.com
lockheedmartin.com
You want them to be well below the surface of the water, where the GPS signal does not penetrate so well. Thus having a way for them to know precisely where they are without relying on GPS would be very helpful.
In any case it wouldn't be as portable and would make you rather easy to detect I would imagine, if you wanted to cover a large area.
/Jk