Logbook: August 13

45°56.52'N / 129°58.77'W

Exploring with ROV Jason
Will Sellers, ROV Jason Expedition Leader

ROV Jason's '0-4' watch: Will Sellers (engineer), Scott Hansen (pilot) and Akel Kevis-Stirling (navigator) (l->r). (click image for larger view)

Jason is a remotely operated vehicle designed and built by WHOI’s Deep Submergence Lab to allow scientists to have access to the bottom of the ocean without having to leave the deck of a ship.
    Jason is a two bodied system. A ten kilometer fiber optic cable delivers electrical power and commands from the ship through Medea and down to Jason, which then returns data and live video and still imagery to the ship. Medea serves as a shock absorber buffering Jason from the wave motion moving the ship while providing an ‘eye in the sky” view of Jason working on the bottom.
     Jason is equipped with sonar, video and still cameras, lighting and other scientific sensors as well as two hydraulic manipulators to collect samples of rock, sediment and biology. We collect these samples and place them in “elevators” that float the payload to the surface while Jason stays working on the bottom.

Recovery of Jason at dive's end.

Pilots and scientists work from a control room on the ship to operate Jason and monitor the video and instruments. An average Jason dive is about 48 hours but may last as long as 5 days. Jason can get into tighter and more dangerous places than a manned submersible while letting many people view what is going on at the bottom.