​Our first deployment site is in Cadboro Bay, close to the University of Victoria. We picked this site because sculpins have been seen there and also because this is a sheltered site. For the first deployment we didn’t really want to go straight in the open ocean. Baby steps.

So, on Monday, Jess Qualley (manager of the Juanes lab and skipper), Katie Inness (Juanes lab assistant), Tristan and I went onboard the M/V Liber Ero to deploy the hydrophone array. The weather was cooperating, and everything went pretty smoothly. One of the challenges was to find out how to fit the array on the tiny boat. It was tight, but we made it work. For this first deployment, we chose to have a surface buoy for the recovery, just to be safe. This might cause some noise if there are big waves, but at this point in the mission we just wanted to make sure we could retrieve the instruments easily. We’ll get braver in a few deployments, once we gain more experience and confidence.

Once everything was deployed, we put the Trident ROV in the water to make sure the array was sitting properly on the seabed. It was only the second time using the Trident (the first time in the ocean). It was neat and reassuring to be able to inspect the array once deployed.

The instruments will stay in the water for 4 days before we come back to pick everything up.

• Camera system
• Hydrophone array
• PVC frame
• Trident ROV

This is it ! We now have everything we need to start real measurements in the ocean. First deployment planned before Christmas.

​This week I received the Trident from OpenROV. I was not expecting it before January, so it was a nice surprise. After getting familiar with the hardware and making all the necessary software updates, I took it on a test dive. I initially wanted to test it in the ocean right by my house but seeing all the kelp floating around made me a little bit anxious. All I wanted to know for this first dive was how hard/easy it was to control the Trident. Until I knew this, getting tangled in kelp didn’t seem like a good idea. So, I went to Thetis Lake instead, a lake few kilometers away from where I leave. There is nothing too exciting in this lake, but at least there were no big waves or kelp. Good conditions to get started.

After about 15 minutes, I was getting used to the controls and was able to go where I wanted in a relatively smooth fashion. The compass, tilt and depth meters on the cockpit display appeared to be essential for navigation. Without these, it would be very easy to get disoriented. The lights are surprisingly powerful and allow to have a good image even at depth where it is very dark. As I expected, there was nothing too crazy to see in the lake. Only a few cans of beer and branches. But at least now I am more comfortable with controlling the Trident.

Next step, the ocean!

​Back in September, I started to investigate how the Trident underwater drone could be useful for our expedition. I quickly realized that it would not only be a nice tool to have, but would be a complete game changer! Its amazing technology and portability would allow us to deploy the hydrophone array without requiring divers. This is huge, because divers can be expensive and the few that have all the required certifications at the University of Victoria are already very busy with other projects. So, with the Trident, I would be able to deploy much more often and at more locations. Also, I could not stop thinking about how neat it would be to integrate hydrophones to it and perform the acoustic localization right from the Trident.

Having limited funding, I contacted OpenROV to see if they would be willing to collaborate and lend us a Trident. I agree… it was a long shot, but I had to try. And I am so glad I did. Nicole Guintu from OpenROV nicely replied to me and told me about the Science Exploration Education (S.E.E.) Initiative. An initiative where OpenROV is giving away 1,000 Tridents to citizens, educators, researchers and students to monitor and protect marine environments. Say no more! I barely finished Nicole’s emails, that I started the grant application process. Unlike typical academic research grants, the application for the S.E.E. initiative is largely based on how the science and progress are communicated to the public. Being the only scientist in my family, I appreciate the importance of science outreach, and could totally relate to this approach. This Open Explorer expedition page is in fact the very product of the application process.

Few days ago, I received the results from our S.E.E. application and…. WE GOT IT!! Our application was successful, and we will receive a Trident in the coming weeks! I can’t think of a better way to end the year. I am really thankful to Madeleine Foote from Open Explorer and the OpenROV team for their support! Also, thanks to all the people who support me by following this expedition and posting comments! Now, just like a kid, I am counting the number of sleeps until the Trident arrives…