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Chasing Great Whites

August 10, 2014

Engineer Amy Kukulya introduced the REMUS SharkCam at a public event in 2013 describing WHOI’s research on sharks and seals. he Discovery Channel commissioned the Oceanographic Systems Lab to develop an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that was capable of following and filming sharks underwater. Outfitted with a custom camera module and an omni-directional tracking system, the SharkCam captured video of basking and great white sharks off the coast of Chatham in 2012. A year later, with more cameras for panoramic imaging capability, the AUV captured never-before-seen footage of great white sharks hunting in deep water in Guadalupe Island, Mexico. This footage will be featured in Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, airing Monday, August 11, at 9:00 p.m. In addition to gathering stunning images, the Shark Cam is helping scientists understand more about these important marine predators. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)