The S.E.E. initiative

​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…