ROBOTIC VESSELS ROVs robotically operated vehicles help explore

ROBOTIC VESSELS ROVs (robotically operated vehicles) help explore areas too difficult for man to reach For example: trenches, deep water Un-manned underwater robots controlled by a pilot using a long tether that is spooled out from a support ship. Data has to be analyzed from a distance.

EXAMPLE OF AN ROV

SUBMERSIBLES Explores everything in the ocean including the deep, but is limited because a human is in it Cannot go to the deepest parts of ocean because the pressure is too great for the human, and the power and air are too limited They are small submarines with limited service range that is transported to its area of operation by a surface vessel or large submarine. Ballast system (taking in or letting out water to ballast tanks) allows maneuvering up and down in the ocean. A human is in the submersible controlling where it goes and to make first hand decisions.

SINGLE PERSON SUBMERSIBLE

PILOTED VEHICLES Explores the deep parts of the ocean Like a submersible, they are mini-submarines that may include specialized equipment. They are limited to how deep they can go. They have a limited power and oxygen supply which forces them to the surface more often than an ROV.

SONAR Used for mapping the ocean floor, and to find shipwrecks and other objects on the ocean floor SONAR stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging It is a technique that uses sound waves to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels or objects (living and non-living) in the ocean. It is able to map parts of the ocean floor that would be unreachable to man. The SONAR signal is sent from the ocean’s surface and sends it back to a receiver on a boat. The readings only cover a small area.

DIAGRAM OF SIDE-SCAN SONAR

SATELLITES Studies the ocean surface topography, sea surface temperature, sea surface winds, and ocean currents Provides continuous measurement on a global scale Satellites taking photos use light waves reflecting off the surface of the water. Satellites with radiometer sensors collect detailed measurements using thermal infrared remote sensing to collect temperature data. The data collected by satellites is very general, not able to be specific and collect data on things like marine life.

ACTUAL SATELLITE

REMOTE SENSING It means gathering information from a distance using special cameras located on aircrafts and satellites. Used to study areas that are difficult for human reach, and to study ocean surface topography, sea surface temperature, sea surface winds, salinity (salt content), and currents Capture large sections of the Earth (ex. 150 mi x 150 mi) Other satellites use radar by sending and receiving radio waves which are longer wavelengths than light waves. The radio waves can penetrate the clouds, and see more than cameras can see. It can record the earth’s features more accurately. This type of remote sensing works no matter the time of day or weather.

GPS: GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM Satellite system Radio navigation system with 24 satellites transmit signals to users on Earth, regardless of time or weather. Those satellites circle the earth in a synchronized orbit. The satellites then send latitude, longitude and altitude data to ground based receivers and each piece of data arrives at slightly different times depending on the distance of the satellites, which help determine the exact location of the receiver down to the centimeter.

ALTIMETER Altimeter, positioned on a satellite or in aircraft, is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object at a fixed level Pressure altimeter, found in aircraft, calculates measurements based on the atmospheric pressure. This means the greater the pressure the lower the altitude. Sonic altimeter found in aircraft also, was more accurate measuring the air pressure and used sounds to measure the distance from the aircraft to the surface. Radar altimeter, also found in aircraft, is even more accurate and uses the time it takes for a radio signal to reflect from the surface back to the aircraft

AQUANAUT Aqua means water Naut means traveler An aquanaut is a person who travels on or under water.

AQUALUNG Helps aquanauts explore the ocean and make observations First open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing sets Use a twin-hose open-circuit scuba, developed by Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1943

SCUBA Stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus Helps aquanauts explore the ocean floor Allows for first hand experience of the upper 10 meters of the ocean including habitat exploration Divers carry all needed breathing equipment and gasses with them in a compressed air tank. Limited to the amount of air you can carry and how deep you can go.

SCUBA GEAR

UNDERWATER HABITAT A self-contained multi-purpose lab that is located below sea level and stays in one place for 4 -10 days 6 people are listed on the aquanaut team including a doctor and a photographer It is a pressurized vessel and the people are able to leave the lab in scuba gear. Sometimes tourists are allowed to visit if they are licensed scuba divers. Used to study specific habitats underwater such as the coral reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

ACTUAL UNDERWATER HABITAT