ROV Dive Cancelled Due to Weather

Date: November 3, 2018
Location: Lat: 17.38957°, Lon: -64.16966°

High seas prevented the deployment of the ROVs. Image courtesy of Caitlin Bailey, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration, Exploring Deep-sea Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Download larger version (jpg, 3.3 MB).
Daniel Wagner and Stacey Williams in the control room during a live interaction with the EcoExploratorio Science Museum in Puerto Rico. Image courtesy of Art Howard, GFOE, Exploring Deep-sea Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Download larger version (jpg, 3.7 MB).
Mapping lead Derek Sowers in the control room of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Image courtesy of Art Howard, GFOE, Exploring Deep-sea Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Download larger version (jpg, 2.6 MB).
High-resolution bathymetry mapping data collected by the multibeam sonars of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer revealed complex topographic features around Saba Valley. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Exploring Deep-sea Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Download larger version (jpg, 334 KB).

This morning we woke up to sustained winds of 20-25 knots and 6-8 foot seas, conditions which made launching and recovering of the remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) unsafe. As a result, we had to cancel today’s ROV dive on Saba Ridge. Instead, the mapping team conducted mapping operations throughout the day in this previously unmapped area in the southern part of Saba Valley. Despite the high seas, the quality of the mapping data was still very good, and revealed dramatic terrain with steep canyons and ridges.

Additionally, science co-lead Stacey Williams and expedition coordinator Daniel Wagner hosted a live interaction with the EcoExploratorio Science Museum in Puerto Rico. During the interaction, museum visitors were able to ask questions about the current mission and deep-sea exploration. The live interaction was held entirely in Spanish, a first for the Okeanos Explorer, and thereby helped to engage local audiences across Puerto Rico, as the event was also streamed via Facebook Live.

Map showing the location of mapping operations conducted on November 3, 2018. Weather did not allow the team to conduct ROV operations on this day, so the team used the time to map an area in the southern part of Saba Valley which had not been previously mapped. Download larger version (jpg, 1.9 MB).