Well, this is different.

I have just boarded the E/V Nautilus in San Pedro, California. While I immediately recognize the friendly faces of my shipmates (even obscured behind masks), the aft deck contains several changes: a new extension, a new crane, and some distinctive ocean robots. In place of ROV Hercules, there is a bright red and orange vehicle called HROV Nereid Under Ice (NUI) and an eye-catching yellow robot called Mesobot, both from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

On this expedition, our team, including several scientists and engineers from WHOI, will demonstrate the capabilities of these ocean robots, both individually and in tandem.