Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Develops Underwater Robot to Remove Fishing Gear from Historic Shipwrecks
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is developing a compact remotely operated vehicle designed to help remove derelict fishing gear from historic shipwrecks.
The ResQ ROV was developed by WHOI engineers to tackle the particular challenges involved in clearing fishing nets and other marine debris from wrecks. The project is focused on shipwrecks in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Massachusetts, where an estimated 200 wrecks are located.
WHOI biologist Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser began studying marine communities on the wrecks and found that derelict fishing gear can damage both the wrecks and the habitats they support. In one example, fishing nets had become tangled around the hull of the 19th-century steamship Portland.
Traditional removal methods can involve divers or large remotely operated vehicles. However, the conditions around some of the wrecks can make the work difficult, with low visibility and strong currents creating risks for both divers and equipment.
The ResQ ROV is being designed as a smaller, modular and more cost-effective alternative. WHOI says it can be deployed from small vessels and is intended to operate in hazardous or confined environments. The vehicle can operate either tethered or autonomously.
The ROV uses ocean-grade shears and a retrieval line to help cut away fishing gear and bring the debris to the surface for collection. An optical camera allows operators to monitor the operation, while vertical and horizontal thrusters help stabilise the vehicle in difficult conditions.
WHOI is also working on making the system accessible to other organisations. The project team says the aim is to develop a cost-effective ROV that could be purchased or built by other stakeholders for future ghost-gear inspection and removal operations.
The ResQ ROV was originally developed as a vehicle for recovering larger research robots that become stuck underwater. Its application has since been expanded to include the removal of marine debris from shipwrecks.
WHOI is also exploring additional uses for the vehicle. Engineers are working on capabilities that could eventually allow ResQ to produce high-resolution scans of shipwrecks, which could then be used to create 3D models.
The project highlights the growing use of underwater technology to address problems that can be difficult or hazardous for divers to tackle directly.
Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
