All of the science being done during this expedition is exciting, but the cool factor is bumped way up with an ROV on board. Wednesday provided the first opportunities to deploy the ROV. ROV refers to "remotely operated vehicle", and the one being used aboard the Healy is unmanned. An ROV deployment takes several hours of preparation, diving time, and time to regroup for the next deployment. For this expedition, ROV deployments have been divided into benthic-based and pelagic-based. There is a team of engineers who works with the scientists and travels with the ROV, and all of the dives are recorded for future reference. Several locations throughout the ship provide video feed of the dives. It is a lot like looking at an ultrasound image - some things are very clear and obvious while others require some practice and a fast eye to identify. The viewing areas are quite popular, and the images can be mesmerizing. Here are a couple of the organisms seen during the benthic ROV dive at around 800 meters depth.
This fish - likely a polar cod - was viewed through the eyes of the ROV.
This brittle star, along with many others, was seen during the ROV benthic dive.
A beautifully delicate anemone viewed through the ROV.
Question and Answer
Question: Brittle stars are detritivores. What role do brittle stars play in an ecosystem?