HOV Alvin

“To be underwater, or not to be underwater? That is the question.” – Hamlet (If Shakespeare had worked in deep submergence) Which is better for scientific research, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or a human-occupied vehicle (HOV)? The question has been oft debated at sea and in the lab. My own view has oscillated over…

Notes on the plan of Quest based on observations by the remotely operated vehicle help guide Alvin pilots over the wreck on the seafloor. (Photo by Ken Kostel, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) Alvin is perhaps best known to the public as the sub that first explored the wreck of Titanic. It might come as…