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Bigfin Squid spotted during ROV mapping

A rare creature to see, a bigfin squid was spotted about 2 weeks ago during Dive 10 of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)’s Windows to the Deep 2021 ROV and mapping expedition off the West Florida Escarpment in the Gulf of Mexico. (Video below)

Bigfin squid are widely distributed throughout the world’s deep ocean, and they can live deeper than any other known squid. The current depth record for a bigfin squid is 4,735 meters (3 miles) and the largest known bigfin squid was 6.4 meters (21 feet) long with arms and tentacles 6.1 meters (20 feet) long. Imagine arms 20 times the length of your body!

Full article at: Oceanexplorer.noaa.gov 12nov21

https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex2107/features/bigfin-squid/media/dive10-bigfin-squid-640×360.mp4?640

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ROV recovering ROVs

Stuff happens… anywhere and anytime. For Ocean Exploration Trust, “it” happened down at ~2,200m (7,200ft) when the tether connecting ROVs Hercules and Argus separated from their support vessel, leaving the vehicles stranded on the ocean floor in the Endeavor Hydrothermal Field.

Luckily, both ROVs were successfully recovered with the help of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)’s ROV Jason. Hercules and Argus are now exploring ancient underwater volcanoes in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) off the northern islands of Hawaii.

Full article at: Newburyportnews.com 15nov21

You can watch their current expedition live at https://nautiluslive.org/

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ROVs Protecting Aquaculture Industry

Northern Territory Ministers Manison and Kirby published a media release yesterday about underwater drones (also known as Remotely Operated Vehicles or ROVs) protecting fish and marine life from harmful aquatic pests and invasive species. Initial ROV inspections were conducted in Cullen Bay, with further biosecurity assessments in Darwin Harbour scheduled for next month.

Full article at: Northern Territory Government Newsroom 11nov21

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Robohub: ROV build story

We love hearing about custom ROV builds and their backstories. Here is an interesting one:

Student Christian Engler teamed up with friends to build a custom ROV to compete in the 2019 International ROV MATE Competition. Their design then attracted the attention of Swiss Explosive Ordnance Disposal divers and lead to further refinement and development, producing the commercial Proteus ROV.

Full article at: Robohub: From Garage to Swiss Lakes