A system to perform a seismic survey in an aqueous medium, comprising: a storage and handling system located on a back deck of a vessel, the storage and handling system containing a plurality of modular containers to store a plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units; a top hat located on the storage and handling system; an automated connection and charging magazine provided within the storage and handling system, the automated connection and charging magazine comprising a plurality of electronic ports, characterized by: a plurality of connection columns configured to hold a plurality of floated individual connections, and a plurality of linear drive motors, wherein the plurality of linear drive motors is configured to move the plurality of floated individual connections to connect with the plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units; a gantry robot connected to the top hat on the storage and handling system, the gantry robot configured to move, within a horizontal plane and via the top hat, in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a robotic arm of the gantry robot configured to move, in a vertical plane, to engage a first seismic data acquisition unit from the plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units at a first location in the storage and handling system, and move in the horizontal plane via the gantry robot to place the first seismic data acquisition unit at a second location in the storage and handling system to connect the first seismic data acquisition unit to a first electronic port of the plurality of electronic ports of the automated connection and charging magazine. a storage and handling system located on a back deck of a vessel, the storage and handling system containing a plurality of modular containers to store a plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units; a top hat located on the storage and handling system; an automated connection and charging magazine provided within the storage and handling system, the automated connection and charging magazine comprising a plurality of electronic ports, characterized by: a plurality of connection columns configured to hold a plurality of floated individual connections, and a plurality of linear drive motors, wherein the plurality of linear drive motors is configured to move the plurality of floated individual connections to connect with the plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units; a gantry robot connected to the top hat on the storage and handling system, the gantry robot configured to move, within a horizontal plane and via the top hat, in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a robotic arm of the gantry robot configured to move, in a vertical plane, to engage a first seismic data acquisition unit from the plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units at a first location in the storage and handling system, and move in the horizontal plane via the gantry robot to place the first seismic data acquisition unit at a second location in the storage and handling system to connect the first seismic data acquisition unit to a first electronic port of the plurality of electronic ports of the automated connection and charging magazine. a plurality of connection columns configured to hold a plurality of floated individual connections, and a plurality of linear drive motors, wherein the plurality of linear drive motors is configured to move the plurality of floated individual connections to connect with the plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units; a gantry robot connected to the top hat on the storage and handling system, the gantry robot configured to move, within a horizontal plane and via the top hat, in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a robotic arm of the gantry robot configured to move, in a vertical plane, to engage a first seismic data acquisition unit from the plurality of stacks of seismic data acquisition units at a first location in the storage and handling system, and move in the horizontal plane via the gantry robot to place the first seismic data acquisition unit at a second location in the storage and handling system to connect the first seismic data acquisition unit to a first electronic port of the plurality of electronic ports of the automated connection and charging magazine.