Image Archive

ROPOS being launched on the first dive (R2201) of VISIONS'22 with the tool basket and Slope Base CTD tripod. Credit: M. Elend, V22

A trawl-resistant Benthic Experiment Package is latched under ROPOS and ready for deployment at the EA Shelf (60 m) Site. Credit: Mitch Elend, UW; V15.

A small, 1-day old chimlet sprouts from the 280°C, gas-rich vent called Dive in the International District Hydrothermal Field. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1839; V15.

The newly installed digital still camera at the El Gordo vent within the International District hydrothermal field catches ROPOS above the mass spectrometer. Credit: NSF/OOI/UW, V15.

The ROPOS control room onboard the R/V Thompson is a magical place for many where we get to see parts of the ocean never before seen, and first of their kind operations. 

ROPOS breaches the surface during Leg 1 of the Cabled Array Expedition. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

The ROV ROPOS begins its ~600 ft descent to the Shallow Profiler Mooring at the Slope Base site with an instrumented Winched Shallow Profiler 'pod' latched to its underbelly. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

ROPOS comes out of the water during a 'dunk test' in Puget Sound. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

Max Schrempp controls the Digital Still Camera as part of his watch.  Good luck figuring out what monitor is actually showing the image he logs.  It might seem like overkill (and there's at least another half dozen outside the image), but each one has a purpose.  Navigation, monitoring, manipulation.  It all starts here, and finishes down there. Photo Credit:  Trevor Harrison, University of Washington, V14

In the dark of night, ROPOS with the tool basket mounted beneath, eagerly awaits its mission.  A cruel crane operator, hidden the shroud of darkness(bottom left), holds it tauntingly dangled over the water, a meter from the glory of immersion. Photo Credit: Trevor Harrison, University of Washington, V14

Inside the ROPOS control room on the R/V Thompson during predive preparation. Photo Credit: Lauren Kowalski, University of Washington; V14

ROV ROPOS takes a digital-still camera in a tool basket down to the seafloor for installation at the active methane seep called Einstein's Grotto on Southern Hydrate Ridge. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington; V14.

The sonar beacon being removed from the Endurance Oregon Offshore Shallow Profiler 2-legged mooring junction box, post-deployment. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R1752, V14

ROPOS lowering the Slope Base seismometer into the previously excavated caisson. After deployment, the caisson was filled with glass beads to couple the seismometer to the seafloor. The attached hydrophone tripod is being held in the starboard arm of ROPOS, and was deployed alongside. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R1751, VISIONS14

Replacing the caisson cover at Southern Hydrate Ridge, after inspecting the eventual deployment location of a seismometer at that site. The caisson (the hole in the sediment at center) was excavated using a suction tube attached to the ROV during a previous expedition. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI//CSSF, ROPOS ROPOS Dive R1750, V14.

The digital still camera in the ROPOS toolbasket during deployment at the Oregon Offshore site (600 m); the camera at is designed to look at the seafloor in general, observing animal activity, sediment transport, detritus falls, and bioturbation. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, Dive 1747, V14.

ROPOS connecting the P2 end of seafloor cable RS01W9 into the J1 port on LV01C. RS01W9 runs between PN1C and LV01C at the Endurance Offshore site, 600 meters deep. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1744, V14

Clearing cable RS01W9 away from ROPOS ROCLS cable laying system during installation in 2014 at the Offshore site, prior to the cable lay. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPSO Dive 1743, V14.

Primary node PN1C at Endurance Offshore was deployed in a trawl-resistant frame, including doors over the connection points. ROPOS cut through the straps and opened the doors in preparation for laying cable RS01W9 from PN1C to LV01C. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R1743, V14

ROPOS attaching a line to the flotation sphere at the top of the deep profiler mooring at Axial Base, prior to recovery to fix a connector problem. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1740, V14

ROPOS using a suction tube to vacuum out the caisson for the broadband seismometer at Axial Base. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive 1739, V14

Attaching a strain relief line to the Yale grip on cable AXVMW3 at Axial Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

ROPOS removing the bungee holding slack cable from AXVMW3 onto ROCLS, at the Axial Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

The port manipulator of ROPOS ROV removing the brake from the ROCLS cable laying system at the Axial Base site (2600 m depth). Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

The P1 end of extension cable AXVMW4 plugged into LV03A at Axial Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1737, V14

A swimming sea cucumber floating by ROPOS as it prepares to plug AXVMW4 into LV03A at Axial Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1737, V14

ROPOS removing the protective cap from the P1 end of extensions cable AXVMW4, prior to plugging it into low-voltage node LV03A at Axial Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1737, V14