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Chomp!

June 2, 2018

Engineers in the WHOI Ocean Systems Laboratory developed REMUS SharkCam, an autonomous underwater vehicle that can locate, track, and film sharks in the wild. The vehicle is pre-programmed to home in on a signal from a tag attached to the animal and can follow it. Near Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico, the researchers were surprised when cameras aboard SharkCam captured video showing that their robot hunter became hunted during a mission. SharkCam also revealed previously unknown hunting behaviors of sharks. The technology has been adapted to study other marine animals, including endangered sea turtles. SharkCam will be featured again as part of the 30th anniversary of The Discovery Channel’s Shark Week in July. (Photo courtesy of WHOI Ocean Systems Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)