Monitoring the Gulf through ROV Technology

The "Jewels of the Gulf: Deepwater Expedition" led by chief scientist Iliana Baums, associate professor of biology, used the Global Explorer ROV outfitted by Oceaneering to capture hundreds of still images of corals that have been monitored yearly since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

Global Explorer ROV
The "Jewels of the Gulf" deep-sea expedition used the Global Explorer, a remotely operated vehicle outfitted by Oceaneering, to take images of deep sea corals and their surrounding areas for monitoring purposes. Remotely operated means that the vehicle is tethered to the ship with a long fiber-optic cable, and operations are controlled by skilled pilots on shipboard while the ROV is deep in the ocean. About the size of a mini-van, the Global Explorer has a seven-function manipulator arm, which can be used to gently collect organisms for further analysis.

Image: Courtesy of ECOGIG
Inside the ROV Control Room
A member of the "Jewels of the Gulf" expedition team viewing images captured by the ROV as it is piloted along the deep sea floor.

Image: Courtesy of ECOGIG
A Crab and Paramuricea Biscaya
A crab as seen from the ROV and Paramuricea biscaya (yellow coral).

Image: Courtesy of ECOGIG
Yellow Coral
A still image of Paramuricea biscaya (yellow coral), clavularia (purple coral), and brittle star (ophiuroid) taken from the ROV.

Image: Courtesy of ECOGIG
Purple Octopus
A shot of a purple octopus, taken by Penn State Ph.D. student Fanny Girard.

Image: Courtesy of ECOGIG
Retrieving Samples from the ROV
U.S. Geological Survey researcher Amanda Demopolous and Penn State Ph.D. student Sam Vohsen collect samples from the ROV and get it prepped for the next dive.

Image: Courtesy of ECOGIG
Coral Samples
Vials of coral samples collected from the deep sea floor that have been processed for further analysis in the lab.

Image: Courtesy of ECOGIG