August 27, 2021: Deep Discoverer
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2017. Download larger version (jpg, 465 KB).
A view of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer as it transits over the sedimented seafloor on the West Florida Escarpment during the Gulf of Mexico 2017 expedition, as seen by ROV Seirios. Deep Discoverer and Seirios make up the dual-body ROV system that NOAA Ocean Exploration operates off NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, collecting video from as deep as 6,000 meters (3.7 miles) and delivering data needed by scientists to better understand an ecosystem in its entirety, meaning we can make better decisions about an area's management as well as its protection.