Week 2 was a whirl! Not only did we have another batch of
excited and attentive beginning scuba divers, but we made progress with our
summer ROV fun as well.
What a dive!
This past week we gave the Waterstart students the chance to
build ROVs of their own. Using just clothes hangers, ping-pong balls, duct
tape, small motors, and wires, the students worked in groups to design, build,
and test-drive their prototypes. As mentioned in last week’s post, Bermuda Program interns J.D. and Kweshon have been taking the lead on the Waterstart ROV
activities.
As graduates of Waterstart and the Marine Science Internship
program, J.D. and Kweshon are now taking on more of a leadership role both out
on the boat, and in the classroom. They
have BIOS logbooks that date back to 2006, and now you can catch them hauling
anchor on Polaris and giving demos in the Clark Lab. The scaffolding of
education programs at BIOS allows for this progression of skill development and
responsibility, and it’s a lot of fun to see them work. For this week’s
activity, Kweshon introduced the students to the significance and many uses of
ROV and AUV technology, and then gave them a quick run-through of the materials
before letting them give it a go.
Kweshon gives students tips and tricks for adjusting the buoyancy of the ROV.
The lab was abuzz. With ping-pong balls, rubber bands,
sparks, and ideas flying, we knew from the start that the designs would be
good. When the creative chaos subsided, we took the ROVs out to a freshwater
tank to let the piloting begin.
Alex gives her group some vision in the design of the "H.M.S. Sinkable."
We were struck by the three unique strategies—one ROV was
designed to glide the surface, another to dive straight down, and the third to
make diagonal dives. The students discussed what each ROV design could be used
for out in the open ocean—they mentioned everything from surface-temperature
monitoring to deep sea specimen collection—and what modifications they would
make in future prototypes.
The team shows off its ROV down at the dock.
Of course, all of this R&D took place in between our
typical scuba instruction. Whalebone Bay, Gibbets, and Cooper’s Island made for
excellent confined water training grounds; and once again, we topped off the
great week with a mesmerizing open water dive at Hourglass Reef—where each and
every glittering fry was enough of a reminder as to why we explore life
underwater.
Already, Week 3 is off to a great start. Kweshon and the
team will continue to develop the ROV lesson, we will share real-time data from
BIOS’s very own AUV glider, and 26 more campers will discover the wonderful
world of scuba diving and ocean science.
Alex and Haley enjoy a snorkel at Whalebone Bay.
Be sure to like us on Facebook for more frequent updates and
oodles of pictures: https://www.facebook.com/bios.explorer
Cheers!
The Waterstart Team
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