Sea Grant Publication Describes Advantages and Disadvantages Submersible Vehicle Technologies

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative has released a new Sea Grant publication about the technology scientists use to look at and study the deep ocean, specifically manned and unmanned vehicles.

Scientists have used remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and submarines, including human-occupied vehicles (HOVs), to locate Deepwater Horizon oil and monitor its impacts below the water’s surface and on the seafloor.

The Underwater Vehicles Used to Study Oil Spills publication educates readers about how these underwater robotic devices work and how researchers have used them in the Gulf of Mexico.

Determining which technology to use can depend on the environment being studied, the amount of time a scientist has, the advantages and disadvantages of the technology, and the cost to operate the equipment. Included is a chart that gives the cost of use, type of use, advantages, and disadvantages for each of these technologies.