Light Work

WHOI technicians Christopher Griner and Amy Simoneau tested the fiber optics in the R/V Neil Armstrong’s large cable during the ship’s inaugural voyage from Anacortes, Wash., to San Francisco in November. The cable can be used to connect a remotely operated vehicle like Jason to the ship, delivering power to the vehicle and enabling pilots to control it with the help of real-time HD video. Like the ship, the cable is new and needed to be tested during the cruise. To get a baseline reading, Griner and Simoneau shined light from one end of the cable to the other—roughly 9000 meters or 5.6 miles. (Photo by Ken Kostel, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)