It’s hot out here on the Gulf in late summer! During this current restoration mission, temperatures have reached 86 degrees. Like scientists, the autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can overheat while on deck. The team needs to keep the AUVs WAHOO and MAHI as cool as possible while charging the batteries and downloading data. It turns out, cooling blankets can do the trick!
Learn more: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/science-areas/restoration/gulf-mdbc-restoration/
Photo credit: Thomas Moorman (NOAA)
This is from a mission supporting the restoration of Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.