Sad News from the Pacific

May 13, 2014 18:22

Last Friday was a bad day for ocean science. From National Geographic:
Deep-Sea Vehicle Nereus Lost 6 Miles Down

At the Kermadec Trench north of New Zealand, researchers lost contact with the robot submersible when a catastrophic implosion apparently destroyed it. Eventually debris floating to the surface was identified as part of Nereus .

It doesn't seem all that long since the Autonomous Benthic Explorer was lost on 5 March 2010.

Here's a statement by Ken Kostel of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Here's the homepage of Nereus, a "hybrid remotely operated vehicle" which could run autonomously or under remote control.

The community of builders and users of Nereus have my heartfelt sympathy.





All I want to say is that I didn't touch anything. Honest. Not anything important, anyway.

oceanography, submersibles

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