Remote Exploration

WHOI senior engineer Matt Heintz speaks with WHOI Trustees and Corporation members about major upgrades to the remotely operated deep-sea vehicle Jason. The $2.4 million upgrades were funded by the National Science Foundation to increase Jason’s payload and capabilities and to streamline its operations. Jason was an integral part of the most recent Dive and Discover expedition to the undersea Brothers volcano off the coast of New Zealand. Scientists used Jason’s high-definition cameras and array of sensors and samplers to examine the caldera from floor to rim and to study how heat, chemicals, and metals released by the volcano affect life around it. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)