NOAA's Okeanos Explorer Headed to the Caribbean Again

[Thagarr]

Starting on February 18, the NOAA research vessel Okeanos Explorer will be back at sea and cruising once again exploring the Caribbean ocean depths. They will once again be mapping parts of the sea floor using several different methods, including a hull-mounted multibeam sonar for high-resolution maps of the seafloor. The will also be streaming a live video camera feed from their ROV'sover the internet again this year as they explore the ocean floor. These ROV's were built in 2013, and have preformed beautifully and provided some outstanding high definition video! You can watch a short video on the ROV's on their web page HERE!

From NOAA's web page :

The ROVs, attached by a tether and capable of operating to depths of 6,000 meters. One ROV is suspended above the other and serves to illuminate and image the surroundings. Suspended below this is the primary ROV, equipped with two high-definition cameras, sensors to collect environmental data, and a powerful lighting system. The ROV has a unique lighting design with LED lights located on four swing arms that allow for the position and angle of the light to be adjusted for optimal imaging. The ROV is also outfitted with two manipulator arms but currently does not collect physical samples pending completion of an open access sampling protocol.

Okeanos Explorer uses its dynamic positioning (DP) system, a sort of automatic pilot that integrates satellite positioning data with the ship’s engines and thrusters, to remain on station when ROVs are deployed.

I am not sure what parts of the Caribbean they plan exploring this year, or if they have any shipwrecks on their target list again. I will certainly post about it when I find out more details. Later in the year, they will be headed off to Hawaii to explore the Pacific Ocean floor as well. You can always find out the latest information about the Okeanos on their we page at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/welcome.html

Here are some highlights from last years expeditions.