MBARI ROV Completes First Mission from New Research Vessel

The ROV Doc Ricketts has completed its first science mission from the new Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) research vessel David Packard.

The three-day expedition last month involved collecting animals for MBARI’s Into the Deep / En lo Profundo exhibition – its newest exhibit and the largest collection of deep-sea animals in North America.

The ROV can dive up to 4,000 meters (approximately 2.5 miles) underwater, and aquarium biologists were able to take advantage of the expanded capabilities of the David Packard to explore waters farther offshore at Sur Ridge, a deep-sea coral garden teeming with life. The longer dives—up to 12 hours underwater—allowed the team to collect more animals, critical for a new Aquarium research project aiming to better understand the diet and growth of deep-sea comb jellies.

The expedition also provided an opportunity to deploy an “elevator” developed by MBARI engineers that allows Aquarium biologists to safely stow deep-sea animals for transport to the surface.

Celia Konowe takes an in-depth look at the design of the David Packard in the latest issue of Marine Technology Reporter magazine. More than a decade in the making, the new ship was designed by Glosten—in partnership with MBARI’s marine operations team—and constructed