Remotely Operated Vehicles provides scientists with "eyeballs" beneath the water to see the health of the ecosystem. Learn how researchers use this technology to help map the seafloor.
Beneath the waves. It's a place most people rarely get the chance to see. In fact, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the ocean. Remotely Operated Vehicles—ROVs—are a key tool used to observe underwater habitats. This ROV has a 300 meter tether and HD cameras that give us access to underwater worlds like these coral reefs, that we couldn't see otherwise. Controlled from the ship, ROV pilots steer the ROV over ever-changing landscapes of coral, fish, other marine life, and threats like lionfish and marine debris. By combining ROV video with other data, scientists can piece together the puzzles of these intricate ecosystems. To learn more, visit oceanservice.noaa.gov.