By: Jacqueline Rosa
There is a scientist in all of us. From identifying plants on a hike, to forming hypotheses about ideal surf conditions, science continues to be woven into our daily lives. With the right training and knowledge, everyone can be an asset to the scientific community. Community-driven science, the collaboration of volunteers and professional scientists, is changing the way research is collected. Around the world, community members are stepping in to fill data gaps in a variety of fields, from monitoring water quality around the world with EarthEcho to supporting the Audubon Society’s annual bird count. Here in California, the Blue Latitudes Foundation (BLF) is gearing up to launch its own community-based science initiative with the unveiling of our volunteer marine survey program, which will eventually enable members of the public to go out and collect information on the marine communities found on California’s artificial reefs using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
Due to increased urbanization and coastal development in Southern California, acres of natural reef habitat have been degraded. To help compensate for this loss, artificial reefs (i.e. rocks, concrete, sunken boats) have been placed offshore throughout coastal California to provide additional habitat for invertebrate and fish species. Assessing the health and productivity of artificial reef habitats is a valuable tool in understanding their role within marine ecosystems. The BLF has designed a series of ecological surveys to gather marine life data on a variety of California reef habitats, including artificial reefs. Enlisting the help of the community as volunteer scientists to carry out these surveys presents the opportunity for the public to directly contribute to research and create a community of people that are invested in environmental issues.
The proposed surveys will focus on identifying and quantifying key indicator species (such as California mussels and California sheephead) and examining how they change over time. The project will utilize ROVs for data collection. ROVs are unmanned, underwater robots that are connected to the surface by a power cable. While the BLF team relishes every opportunity to gear up for a SCUBA dive, ROVs can remain in the water longer than a human diver, safely expanding the time available for underwater surveys, and helping to eliminate human error. Our future volunteers will learn how to safely drive the ROV while following a standardized protocol for collecting scientific data. ROV surveys will take place at both natural and artificial reef sites across Southern California and all research will be compiled into a publicly accessible database.
We will also be examining opportunities to take students on ‘virtual dives’ by live-streaming these surveys from the perspective of the ROV. Whether you are in the middle of the country, have never seen the ocean, or are simply curious about what lies beneath the ocean’s surface, our goal will be to help make the ocean and its ecosystems accessible to a wide range of individuals.
Teaming Up with Deep Trekker
Established in 2010, Deep Trekker is a women-led, Canadian based company that specializes in a line of durable and low-maintenance underwater ROVs. Our team at the BLF recently became a part of Deep Trekker’s Ambassador Program and are thrilled to be working with them! As Ambassadors, we will be loaned a DTG3 ROV for a period of three months, during which we will be documenting our progress and sharing our experiences with Deep Trekker. This opportunity will allow us to become acquainted with a new model before purchasing one of our own.
The Deep Trekker DTG3 model, photo courtesy of Deep Trekker
Launched in 2019, the DTG3 model is the perfect fit for our research needs. It is equipped with a camera, powerful lights, lasers to measure the size of marine organisms, and a grabber arm. The ROV is connected to a game-style controller via a 50-meter tether. Using the controller, the ROV can be navigated to explore natural and artificial reefs at depths of up to 200 meters and will enable our team to gather data, engage with citizen scientists, and record videos, all from the surface.
The DTG3 handheld controller
In the upcoming months, we will be conducting multiple test dives and fine-tuning data collection protocols. Before launching the DTG3 in the Pacific, we will be taking the ROV on its first test dive in a local pool, where we will be learning to master how to pilot the ROV around a series of obstacles. We look forward to documenting and sharing our progress with you along the way. Follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram) and on our website to stay up to date with our latest ROV adventures!