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Human Help

October 2, 2014

Engineer Kevin Manganini escorts an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) JetYak through the waters off Chappaquidick, which became its own island in 2007 after a storm created an inlet that separated it from Martha’s Vineyard. The JetYak is able to map and measure water that’s too shallow or turbulant for underwater vehicles, making it a powerful new tool that is helping scientists like Peter Traykovski understand the dynamics of inlets and sediment transport, which in turn informs policy-makers and homeowners about actions to take in anticipation of changing shorelines. (Photo by Daniel Cojanu, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)