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Probing the Deep

The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason, named for the heroic sailor of Greek mythology, enables researchers to explore the ocean miles below the surface. A tether connecting the smaller vehicle Medea to a surface ship relays power and communications to Jason. Medea also separates Jason from the movements of the ship and illuminates the area immediately around Jason, which helps the team on the ship direct the ROV. Later this month, WHOI researchers will use Jason to collect samples of sediment-dwelling organisms from deep hypersaline anoxic basins in the Mediterranean Sea. Follow their adventures at Dive and Discover from November 28-December 9.(Illustration by Jayne Doucette and E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)