Science use Remotely operated underwater vehicle

image taken rov under ice of antarctica. in spring krill can scrape off green lawn of ice algae underside of pack ice in antarctica. in image krill swim upside down directly under ice. 1 krill (in middle) hovering in open water.



a science rov being retrieved oceanographic research vessel.



a rov s suction device capture specimen of deep sea octopus cirroteuthis muelleri

rovs used extensively scientific community study ocean. number of deep sea animals , plants have been discovered or studied in natural environment through use of rovs: examples include jellyfish stellamedusa ventana , eel-like halosaurs. in usa, cutting edge work done @ several public , private oceanographic institutions, including monterey bay aquarium research institute (mbari), woods hole oceanographic institution (whoi) (with nereus), , university of rhode island / institute exploration (uri/ife). picture right shows behavior , microdistribution of krill under ice of antarctica.

science rovs take many shapes , sizes. since video footage core component of deep-sea scientific research, research rovs tend outfitted high-output lighting systems , broadcast quality cameras. depending on research being conducted, science rov equipped various sampling devices , sensors. many of these devices one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art experimental components have been configured work in extreme environment of deep ocean. science rovs incorporate deal of technology has been developed commercial rov sector, such hydraulic manipulators , highly accurate subsea navigation systems. used underwater archaeology projects such mardi gras shipwreck project in gulf of mexico.

while there many interesting , unique science rovs, there few larger high-end systems worth taking at. mbari s tiburon vehicle cost on $6 million dollars develop , used midwater , hydrothermal research on west coast of us. whoi s jason system has made many significant contributions deep-sea oceanographic research , continues work on globe. uri/ife s hercules rov 1 of first science rovs incorporate hydraulic propulsion system , uniquely outfitted survey , excavate ancient , modern shipwrecks. canadian scientific submersible facility ropos system continually used several leading ocean sciences institutions , universities challenging tasks such deep-sea vents recovery , exploration maintenance , deployment of ocean observatories.

educational outreach

the seaperch remotely operated underwater vehicle (rov) educational program educational tool , kit allows elementary, middle, , high-school students construct simple, remotely operated underwater vehicle, polyvinyl chloride (pvc) pipe , other readily made materials. seaperch program teaches students basic skills in ship , submarine design , encourages students explore naval architecture , marine , ocean engineering concepts. seaperch sponsored office of naval research, part of national naval responsibility naval engineering (nnrne), , program managed society of naval architects , marine engineers.

another innovative use of rov technology during mardi gras shipwreck project. mardi gras shipwreck sank 200 years ago 35 miles off coast of louisiana in gulf of mexico in 4,000 feet (1220 meters) of water. shipwreck, real identity remains mystery, lay forgotten @ bottom of sea until discovered in 2002 oilfield inspection crew working okeanos gas gathering company (oggc). in may 2007, expedition, led texas a&m university , funded oggc under agreement minerals management service (now boem), launched undertake deepest scientific archaeological excavation ever attempted @ time study site on seafloor , recover artifacts eventual public display in louisiana state museum. part of educational outreach nautilus productions in partnership boem, texas a&m university, florida public archaeology network , veolia environmental produced one-hour hd documentary project, short videos public viewing , provided video updates during expedition. video footage rov integral part of outreach , used extensively in mystery mardi gras shipwreck documentary.

the marine advanced technology education (mate) center uses rovs teach middle school, high school, community college, , university students ocean-related careers , them improve science, technology, engineering, , math skills. mate’s annual student rov competition challenges student teams on world compete rovs design , build. competition uses realistic rov-based missions simulate high-performance workplace environment, focusing on different theme exposes students many different aspects of marine-related technical skills , occupations. rov competition organized mate , marine technology society s rov committee , funded organizations such national aeronautics , space administration (nasa), national oceanic , atmospheric administration (noaa), , oceaneering, , many other organizations recognize value of highly trained students technology skills such rov designing, engineering, , piloting. mate established funding national science foundation , headquartered @ monterey peninsula college in monterey, california.