An unmanned, remote-control sub went missing during a six-mile dive in the Pacific Ocean on Friday and has yet to be recovered. The sub was operated by researchers out of Woods Hole.
A remote-control sub went missing near the Kermadec Trench during a deep dive Friday. Image courtesy of Facebook.
Researchers at the site of the dive said they believe the remote-control sub vehicle, Nereus, imploded during a deep dive, per a press release from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The press release said: “Extreme exploration of this kind is never without risk, and the unfortunate loss of Nereus only underscores the difficulty of working at such immense depths and pressures,†according to WHOI Director of Research Larry Madin.
The missing submarine was operated as part of the Hadal Ecosystems Studies Program, per The Associated Press.
Nereus disappeared into the deep blue abyss during its six-mile dive to the Kermadec Trench, the fifth deepest ocean trench in the world, â€" about 75 miles off the coast of New Zealand.
Woods Hole science editor Ken Kostel called the loss of Nereus a “body blow†but the research team will continue their work to learn more about “a place that does not give up its secrets easily.â€
The remote-control sub was built in 2008, designed specifically to study deep-ocean trenches.
“The submersible’s mission was to undertake high-risk, high-reward research in the deepest parts of Earth’s oceansâ€, Madin said. Before the suspected implosion took place, Nereus recovered species of animals unknown to scientists and seafloor sediment, according to WHOI.
The submarine’s mission was to undertake high-risk, high-reward research in the deepest parts of the Earth’s oceans, Madin said. Before the sub got lost at sea, Nereus recovered species of animals unknown to scientists and seafloor sediment, WHOI said.
The team operating the submarine searched near the site of the dive and was able to recover what they believe to be a portion of the vessel, according to Boston Magazine.
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