Apparatuses, systems, and methods for guiding and/or positioning a plurality of seismic nodes on or near the seabed by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) or a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). In one embodiment, an underwater vehicle is configured to monitor the deployment of cable connected to a plurality of seismic nodes, including the touchdown monitoring, positioning, and guiding of deployed autonomous seismic nodes or ocean bottom cable. The underwater vehicle may comprise a propulsion system configured to steer and propel the vehicle in a body of water, a tracking system configured to automatically track the cable and/or attached seismic nodes, and a guidance system configured to communicate with a surface vessel node data in real time or near real time for active guidance and/or positioning of the deployment cable.