MBARI’s marine operations staff and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) pilots performed an intricate underwater robot ballet 650 meters (about 2,000 feet) below the surface of Monterey Bay. Their goal was to capture underwater footage of MBARI’s two large ROVs for future video productions by MBARI and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Having one robot record another robot sounds simple, but this was an extremely challenging operation. From the surface above, ROV pilots aboard our two research vessels controlled this delicate robotic dance—careful to avoid tangling the tethers that connect each submersible to the ship. Fortunately, the expedition went swimmingly, and the recorded video will be used for years to come.
Filming robots in Monterey Bay
Creature features and splashy stickers
Local Monterey artist Emily Hess created original illustrations for the first-ever MBARI stickers, highlighting some of the most memorable deep-dwellers.