Argus is the name of the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) used to explore the Gulf of Mexico during the
Secrets of the Gulf expedition. Unlike many ROVs that are self-propelled,
Argus is towed behind a surface vessel (in this case, the
Carolyn Chouest). Small thrusters provide some additional maneuverability from side to side or up and down in the water column.
Argus can be equipped with a variety of cameras and sensors according to the needs of the expedition in which it is employed. For the Secrets of the Gulf expedition, Argus carried 5 cameras, a sub-bottom profiler and a multi-beam sonar system. The sub-bottom profiler used sound waves to create a picture of the geological structure beneath the sea floor, while the multi-beam sonar used sound waves to give us detailed information about the contours of the sea floor itself.
Perhaps the most valuable piece of equipment from the sanctuary's perspective was the hi-definition video camera which captured 38 hours of high-quality deepwater habitat footage. This will aid in our habitat characterization efforts in the sanctuary and its surroundings.
Additional expedition images can be viewed at the following links:
Click on a picture below to see a larger, hi-resolution image. All unlabeled images should be credited to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). All other images on this page should be credited to Sea Research Foundation (SRF) and the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET).