UNCW-Undersea Vehicles Program

On our 9th day of operations on our current mission, we've swapped up the shallow work for a little deeper dives. Yesterday we conducted one ROV dive down at 550 meters and as you can see surface conditions were excellent. We collected numerous samples for the Smithsonian, did one transect, and explored a new area. Enjoy some of the highlights!

Happy Saturday morning, I hope everyone is thinking about putting some meat on the smoker this morning and enjoying a wonderful day. A new science team boarded the R/V Point Sur yesterday and we're headed offshore. We plan on being at the survey area in the early afternoon and getting at least one dive done today. Enjoy some highlight pictures from Friday during our last day of operations!

Happy Wednesday morning from the R/V Point Sur. Yesterday the science and ROV team investigated structures that we're recently put down with the ROV system down in the Gulf. There were four structures deployed, curbs, pyramids, rock piles, and lastly this other fountain looking spiral structures. We conducted three ROV dives, and it took all day to cover all the areas and to well document them prior to things start growing on them. Some lionfish and grouper have already found the structures.

The Undersea Vehicles Program had another busy day aboard the R/V Point Sur yesterday. Back in April this year when we were aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster we completed half a dive and the ROV communications failed and we had to abort the dive right after setting a marker on the seafloor. We found that marker and finished the rest of the dive which was spectacular. We collected 12 more live coral samples after that in the afternoon. What do you guys think the object is next to the arrow crabs in the second picture? It was moving slightly.