What is an ROV?
 An
ROV is a transformation machine that will allow ordinary
people to become deep sea explorers and stewards of the oceans.
ROV is the acronym for Remotely Operated Vehicle. With submersibles,
or vehicles that fly under-the-sea, they are sometimes tethered
to the ship through a long electrical cord. ROVs are different
from "manned" submersibles or vehicles that can
carry one or more scientists inside. ROVs allow users to
see and film, in great detail, ocean activity that occurs
below the surface.
At OceansWide the type of ROV we will use
is a robotic submarine about the size of an SUV. It is
piloted from the comfort and safety of a control room located on board the surface
support ship. The OceansWide ROV will be used to explore
the depths of the Atlantic Ocean for educational and scientific
purposes.
 Unlike
the typical manned research submarine, which only holds
two or three people, ROVs are more flexible and much
safer for scientific use. In a manned vehicle, researchers
are crammed into a tiny sphere that is usually very cold,
with only small windows to see from and no bathroom!
Being squished into a tiny space for up to eight hours--even
with your best friends--can be a bit uncomfortable and
awkward. They are also more dangerous because accidents mean that
the scientists could be trapped thousands of feet below
the sea with depleting oxygen, food and water.
An ROV allows 30 or more people to participate in the exploration
of the deep sea while also having the ability
to move about
the ship, get a bite to eat, and remain in a safer
environment. The ROV is equipped with multiple cameras allowing
one to see the waters that surround the ROV from many different
angles. Perhaps the best way to describe the educational
experience with an ROV is that of riding a ship while
watching an IMAX movie of the deep sea; but there's
a twist: you're seeing it real time and can participate in the outcome
of the expedition.
With the ROV we can gently collect
samples from the undersea world and bring them to the surface
alive and unharmed for study and description. ROV-based sampling has
allowed scientists to discover hundreds of new species. We can shoot
video from multiple cameras at different locations on the
ROV. We can follow strange sea creatures and document their bizarre
behaviors as they glide through the water column
or crawl across the ocean floor. We can hunt for a variety of untold
treasures and pick about on the ocean floor using our robotic
manipulator arms. Some ROVs are used for rescue and
recovery, others to survey and inspect the ocean floor and then still
more are used in marine archaeology searching the
ocean in an attempt to find ships which have been lost for centuries,
patiently waiting at the bottom of the sea to tell
their story. Each mission will bring about new experiences
and countless stories.
Click here to see just a few examples
of the many capable ROVs that may soon be exploring the depths
of the Gulf of Maine with OceansWide and You.
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More about OceansWide
2008 Summer Camps
Registration is now open for the OceansWide 2008 Summer Camps.
More Info
For more information about OceansWide please email info@oceanswide.org or call 207-563-7774.
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