Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Receives NSF and NOAA Funding for New Family of Remotely Operated Vehicles

Newswise — Woods Hole, Mass. (September 30, 2024) – The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has received complementary awards from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to produce two medium-size remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The vehicles will support growing demand to conduct research, exploration, and restoration on the seafloor and in the water column from ships with limited deck space and berthing. The vehicles are scheduled to begin construction in 2024, start engineering trials in late 2025, and be fully available for the scientific community in 2027. 

ROVs range widely in size from vehicles as small as a computer to as large as a minivan. Larger ROVs generally require specialized equipment such as large winches and control stations to be deployed along with the vehicle. The new, mid-sized class of ROVs (mROVs) are being designed with a relatively small footprint and will be operated by smaller teams of engineers. The mROVs will also be more easily transported and operated than the current 6,500 meter-capable ROV Jason, which was built and is operated by WHOI’s National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) and has completed nearly 300 missions since 2006. The mROV’s size will expand opportunities to reach depths of 4000 meters (nearly 2.5 miles), on missions that do not require the full capabilities of a large ROV like Jason. Technology such as cameras, lights, manipulator arms, and mission-specific sensors and samplers will be added as needed.

“The success of ROV Jason over the past two decades has demonstrated to the scientific community the utility and versatility of remotely operated vehicles,” said NDSF Director Andy Bowen. “What is needed now are platforms that fill the niche between large, work-class vehicles such as Jason and small vehicles used primarily for observation, while still retaining the functions scientists need to conduct leading-edge work in the deep ocean.”

Introduction of the mROVs will significantly expand research and restoration opportunities for the oceanographic community, which is presently limited to just a few vehicles capable of supporting their work. Their development is motivated partly by construction of the NSF-funded Regional Class Research Vessels (RCRVs), which are scheduled to begin entering the U.S. Academic Fleet in 2026. These small, multi-function ships are intended to support research of the coastal and near-shore waters that are among the most complex and rapidly changing parts of the ocean—areas well-suited for exploration using a tool such as an mROV.

“The demand for ROV-enabled science has grown steadily over the past decade and the more nimble mROV will support many of the missions that Jason would otherwise perform, freeing up time for demands in deeper water or with needs for the larger ROV,” said Brian Midson, NSF Program Director for Ship & Submersible Support. “We are eagerly anticipating the ability to support even more exciting science in some of the most challenging to access regions of the planet.” 

“By capitalizing on the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI) with this inter-agency project, we all benefit from the capabilities of OECI organizations, including WHOI’s vehicle engineering, the operational expertise of the University of Rhode Island, and the operational support of the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).” said Jeremy Weirich, Director of  NOAA Ocean Exploration.

“NOAA is excited that this investment will increase capacity for the restoration and monitoring of natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico that were injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,” said Carrie Robinson, Director of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation. NOAA’s largest funding contribution to the award is supported by the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities restoration projects, which aim to restore vital seafloor habitats damaged by the oil spill.

 Design and construction of the mROVs will be facilitated by a partnership between WHOI and Greensea IQ, a leader in ocean robotics technology located in Richmond, Vt., and Plymouth, Mass. The recently announced partnership is intended to help create scalable systems that support a wide range of oceanographic research and increase access to the deep ocean. Construction of both vehicles will begin in coming months with conceptual and preliminary designs by WHOI and Greensea IQ, supported by a science advisory committee composed of federal, academic, and industry experts. Engineering and sea trials are expected to follow in late 2025, aided by use of Greensea IQ’s OPENSEA open-architecture vehicle operating system.

“WHOI and Greensea IQ are collaborating to break down barriers that often hinder innovation, leveraging their combined strengths to advance ocean research,” says Ben Kinnaman, Greensea IQ CEO. “Greensea IQ has a rich history within the scientific community with the adoption of OPENSEA by several research institutions such as MBARI and Schmidt Ocean Institute. By extending OPENSEA, our open architecture platform, further into the science community via NDSF, Greensea IQ will make a higher impact that will support a more diverse community of scientists and researchers.” 

One of the vehicles will be operated by NDSF and the other by USM. In addition to providing more opportunities to conduct advanced, ROV-supported operations, the integration of two mROVs into the research and natural resource management communities will also help spur growth of the ocean-based blue economy workforce. The need for maintenance and operation staff will enable NDSF and USM to recruit a larger, more diverse technical staff to support the mROVs on land and in the field and to create further technical advances in marine robotics.

“The mROVs themselves are only the tip of the iceberg,” said Bowen. “The mROV concept advances exploration and understanding and we're excited to be expanding our impact through this unique new program.”

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About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in fundamental and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of ocean data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge to inform people and policies for a healthier planet. Learn more at whoi.edu.