Remote Underwater Exploration
Interesting news and activities
QYSEA, KDDI and PRODRONE have teamed up to develop an aerial drone that can launch an underwater ROV. It is a very interesting concept to allow remote deployment of ROVs and will have quite unique and challenging use-cases.
Full article at: NewsShooter 21jan22
Found this article in Hawaiian Airline’s current Hana Hou! Magazine and thought the images were surprisingly stunning. We don’t usually see beauty in sea urchins when we are lamenting the devastation resulting in urchin barrens…
PDF available here and keep an eye out for an online version at: Hawaiianairlines.com/hawaii-stories/hana-hou
The incredibly rare and thought-to-be-extinct Pink Handfish was recently spotted using a baited drop camera in the Tasman Fracture Marine Park, first sighting in ~22 years! The Pink Handfish, Brachiopsilus dianthus, is a member of the anglerfish family but gets its name from its hand-like pectoral fins and its unusual colour.
Full article at: ABCNews 23dec21
MBARI researchers used ROV Subastian to capture stunning images of life around hydrothermal vents, including calcite spires, hydrothermal mirror pools and iridescent scale worms living in temperatures approaching 287 Celsius (549 Fahrenheit).
Their 33-day long expedition focused on mapping the seafloor, exploring tectonic processes, measuring heat flow, and sampling microbes.
Full article at: Smithsonian Magazine 22nov21
Nice to see increasing interest in ROVs for quick and safe underwater visual inspections:
Video at: 9news.com.au