A new deep-sea vehicle at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is under construction. Known until now as the Hybrid Remotely Operated Vehicle, the vehicle is renamed Nereus — a mythical god with the torso of a man and the tail of a fish.
This vehicle is capable of working in the ocean’s deepest parts — from 6,500 meters to 11,000 meters (21,500 feet to 36,000 feet)! This is a depth not reachable presently for routine ocean research.
The Nereus will be used by scientists for exploring remote areas, which are difficult to reach. It includes regions under the Arctic ice cap. It would also be of great use for engineers and ship-crew.
They will be able to transform Nereus from a vehicle wandering underwater for wide-area ocean surveys to a vehicle tied by a cable to a surface ship for investigating and sampling seafloor rocks and organisms form closer quarters.
Via: ascribe
Pix credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
