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Nereus is deployed off aft end of Kilo Moana.

Nereus is deployed off aft end of Kilo Moana.
Nereus is deployed off aft end of Kilo Moana.
Nereus is deployed off aft end of Kilo Moana.
Nereus is deployed off aft end of Kilo Moana.
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135373
Shank, Timothy
Nereus is deployed off aft end of Kilo Moana.
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05/09/2008
shank-nereus.jpg
Caption from Oceanus magazine, Vol. 46, No. 2, Pg.8:
After four years of design and construction, WHOI's new deep-sea exploration vehicle Nereus took its first plunge in deeper waters during a test cruise n December 2007 off the Waianae coast of Oahu, Hawaii (above). Nereus is the fist underwater vehicle designed with dual capabilities. It can operate as an autonomous, free-swimming vehicle to fly on pre-programmed missions over wide areas--mapping the seafloor, gathering data on the oceans, and searching for specific research targets. But when engineers can convert it within a few hours into a tethered vehicle connected via a hair-thin, 25-mile-long cable, which enables scientists aboard ships to receive real-time video images and send instant commands to maneuver the vehicle and its mechanical arm for close-up investigations and sample gathering. Nereus can also work in the deepest parts of the ocean, from 6,500 to 11,000 meters (21,500 to 36,000 feet), a depth currently unreachable for routine ocean research. After more testing, the goal is to use Nereus to explore the deepest known waters on the planet--Challenger Deep, a trench in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Guam. The trench is deeper than Mount Everest is high, extending almost 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) beneath the sea surface.
Photo by Tim Shank
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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