Can You Hear Me Now?

During a recent test of the optical modem he designed, WHOI engineer Norm Farr extended the coverage of his cellular carrier by about 500 meters (0.3 mile)—straight down. The optical modem provides high bandwidth, low-power underwater communications using LED-based blue light, allowing scientists to upload large amounts of data and transmit video in near real-time from seafloor sensors. Farr is shown here inside one of the submersibles from the research vessel Alucia making a cell phone call to WHOI’s Melissa Patrician on the ship. (Image by Alex Decicco, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)