Crews with the University of South Florida and the Florida Institute of Oceanography prepped their new remotely operated vehicle, Taurus, on Monday for its first mission.
The remotely operated vehicle—or ROV—can reach depths of two and a half miles in the ocean, opening the door to exploration of some of the ocean’s most remote areas.
According to a news release, USF is the only university in the continental U.S. to operate a vehicle with these capabilities.
“ROV Taurus will significantly advance our understanding of deep-sea environments that are relevant to Florida’s and the nation’s blue economy,” said Monty Graham, director of FIO. “The ability to livestream underwater missions and provide hands-on learning opportunities for students will foster the next generation of marine scientists, technologists and maritime professionals. Taurus will also have a tremendously positive impact on workforce development.”
More than 80% of the ocean remains unexplored by humans.
Taurus lets scientists live stream HD images of what the ROV sees and has sensors that can measure salinity and temperature.
Taurus will be housed on the Western Flyer ship, which was granted to USF and FIO last year. Graham said the Western Flyer inspired the program, as it will transport and store the ROV.
The ROV will embark on its first mission in late July, focusing on two projects: deep-sea sharks and coral communities.
The Office of Naval Research funded the construction and operation of ROV Taurus.
“The new 4K ROV system opens up opportunities for students and researchers to investigate areas beyond scuba depth,” said Edward Cassano, CEO of Pelagic Research Services.
Graham hopes that in the long run, they can use the ROV to discover shipwrecks.
“There’s a large push to identify culturally significant wrecks and then protect them in the deep ocean,” Graham said. “First, you have to know where they are and what condition they’re in, and you really can only do that by close-up investigation with the ROVs.”
Viewers will be able to watch Taurus’ dives while being live-streamed or watch the posted dive video on FIO’s YouTube channel.
