Dynamic Duo

The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason is actually one part of a system that also includes the ROV Medea. Shown here during a recent nighttime recovery in the Pacific above the East Pacific Rise, Medea relays electrical power and commands from the ship down to Jason and returns data and live video imagery from Jason to the surface. Medea also serves as a shock absorber, buffering Jason from the movements of the ship, while providing lighting and a bird’s-eye view of its companion during seafloor operations. (Photo by David Levin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)