Today is our last full day out to sea on this workshop cruise. We’ll be deploying the Gavia AUV and tasking it with doing some bottom mapping over one of Delaware’s artificial reefs. The water depths are most likely too shallow for the RV Sharp to safely travel over this section of the reef, which makes having the AUV invaluable for doing these types of operations. While the Gavia is off doing its multi-hour pre-programmed autonomous mission, the scientists will be deploying the Outland ROV over the site of the Golden Eagle wreckage to gain more experience with over-the-side ROV operations. The modified custom-built (by the workshop scientists) bottom sampling add-on to the ROV has been called “The SMAXX” and its sampling mechanism has been updated based on yesterdays ROV operations. The Outland ROV’s robotic gripper holds onto a ball at the end of a bungie cord that runs through the sampler. When the end of the sampling opening is near the target specimens, the ROV gripper is remotely opened, which releases the ball and traps the samples in the PVC sample pipe.

Preparing for AUV Deployment

Gavia Deployment

Gavia Over the Side

Culvert Pipes mapped by the AUV

Outland ROV with The SMAXX

Mei Sato operating the ROV

ROV Recovery

Bottom Samples from The SMAXX