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Mesobot Can Track Sea Creatures in the Deep Layer of the Ocean's Twilight Zone

While humans are getting ready to go back to Moon and various technologies are being tested on Mars as we speak, there's little we know about our own home, specifically our oceans. Dubbed Mesobot, this small underwater robot could help researchers gain insight into the deep layers of the ocean known as the "twilight zone."
This underwater robot can track sea creatures into the deep ocean 6 photos
Photo: Evan Kovacs/ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Underwater robot can dive into the ocean's twilight zoneUnderwater robot can dive into the ocean's twilight zoneUnderwater robot can dive into the ocean's twilight zoneUnderwater robot can dive into the ocean's twilight zoneUnderwater robot can dive into the ocean's twilight zone
Currently, less than 20 percent world's seafloor has been mapped. But why is that? Well, firstly, it's a vast area – about 70 percent of our planet is covered in water. Then, the intense pressures in the deep ocean, the low temperatures, and the lack of any light make it an incredibly challenging environment to investigate.

Mesobot is a remote-controlled underwater vehicle which is able to dive to a maximum of 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) into the ocean and track any sea creature, as well as take samples, record, and snap pictures of its environment.

The researchers' aim is to use the Mesobot to study the twilight zone, an area approximately 200 to 1000 meters (660-3,300 ft) below the ocean surface, which is home to various organisms adapted to live in a low-light environment such as blobfish, bioluminescent jellyfish or the giant squid.

The robot was created in such a way that it does not disturb the creatures it monitors. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, it can run for up to 24 hours, and it uses slow-moving propellers to navigate underwater. It is equipped with regular white and red lights, which many deep-sea creatures are not able to see.

For stereo imaging, it includes two monochrome cameras, and for scientific imaging, it carries a 4K color video/still camera. The autonomous robot also uses a sampler that filters water in order to collect traces of DNA that were left behind by animals. Even if scientists never actually get to spot the animals, these samples let them figure out what lurks in the deep ocean.

The Mesobot has been thoroughly tested in both shallow and deep water since its arrival in Bermuda, according to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. It witnessed the world's largest migration, went for a dive in the deep scattering layers of the ocean, and has even made friends with a whale.

You can read more about the self-guided underwater robot in the paper published on June 16th in Science Robotics.
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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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