Imaging

Key Takeaways

Ocean imaging combines science and technology to document what lies beneath the surface, from coastal shallows to the deepest trenches.
Researchers deploy autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, and high-resolution cameras to record marine life, terrain, and events like deep-sea eruptions in real time.
Advances in lighting, sensors, and thermal cameras let WHOI scientists observe elusive environments such as the twilight zone and monitor wildlife with minimal disturbance.

Underwater imaging turns the ocean’s dark, high-pressure depths into something scientists can see and study. Using autonomous vehicles, ROVs, and advanced cameras, WHOI captures marine life, seafloor terrain, and geological events in Earth’s largest and least-explored ecosystem.

Ocean imaging combines science and technology to uncover and document what lies beneath the surface, from coastal areas to the deepest ocean trenches.

Researchers use advanced tools such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and high-resolution cameras to document marine life, underwater terrain, and geological events in real time. This imaging work supports a wide range of scientific endeavors — from tracking offshore wind infrastructure and surveying deep-sea eruptions to measuring methane seeps and monitoring endangered whales using thermal infrared cameras.

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Ocean Encounters: Titanic & Beyond

The evolution and impact of deep-sea imaging.

Innovations in lighting, sensors, and drone technology have even made it possible to observe elusive environments like the ocean’s twilight zone, or to study wildlife with minimal disturbance, as seen in aerial seal surveys.

Ocean imaging plays a critical role in advancing marine science by providing visual access to regions of the ocean that are otherwise difficult or impossible to study directly. Each image and video captured underwater provides rare and essential tools for documenting marine life, mapping seafloor features, and monitoring environmental change within Earth’s largest and least explored ecosystem.

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Development of Imaging Technologies

Bill Lange, former Director of WHOI's Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory, discusses how imaging technology has evolved from studying Titanic.

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