BomaiCruz welcomes its second miniROV – Rastapis#2

Posted on May 6, 2020 by BomaiCruz

I am pleased to announce the arrival of our second miniROV christained ‘Rastapis#2′. 

MiniROV (Rastapis#2) and accessories on display, ready for action

Our association with the development of these miniROVs go back almost a decade when under funding from Nautilus Minerals and in collaboration from our friends at Black Beard and OpenROV, we assembled students from the University of Papua New Guinea, University of South Pacific and participants from Tonga at Nago Island, Kavieng for a 3 week workshop finishing with building 6 miniROVs, one of which was ‘Rastapis 1’. More on the workshop can be found here

Our new unit is capable of diving to 100m and can run for 2 hours with live feed to the operator. This makes it far superior to any PADI certified diver. Furthermore, this unit can be transported in a backpack and launched off a dugout canoe making it a very versatile and economically viable option for use if there is a requirement for;

  • Marine/aquatic biodiversity surveys,
  • Submarine infrastructure integrity assessments
  • Searching for relics,
  • Environment Impact assessments,
  • And inspection of submarine tailings discharge to name a few.

We have a number of projects lined up and will start soon. Keep watching this space for more.

 

 

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BomaiCruz looking forward to receiving its new ROV

Posted on March 25, 2020 by BomaiCruz

A few weeks ago, I came across an invitation to put together a short research proposal for projects that would involve the use of a mini Rov. If successful, that proposal could win me a new ROV valued at more than US1, 700. 00.

The new Trident, underwater drone is use. (Sofar Ocean Trident)

I had a lot of possible projects in my mind to propose and eventually settled with a proposal to investigate shallow water vents in the Matupi Harbour in Rabaul. Little did I know that this proposal would eventually win me one of those miniROVs. Well, it did, I just got news of it yesterday and am so excited to be receiving the unit soon.

Thank you Conservation X Labs ROVs for Good and Sofar Ocean Trident

 

 

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Acorn worm

Posted on June 1, 2016 by BomaiCruz

Source: Discover Magazine

Here’s another interesting animal documented in the 2016 deep sea exploration in the Marianas Trench, an enteropneust or commonly known as the ‘acorn worm’. This worm leaves behind spiral deposits in the mud. The front end of these animals is shaped like an acorn, hence the name (who would have guessed, right?) and consists of a proboscis and collar that is likely uses to burrow. It ingests sediment and filters out nutrients much like an earthworm. This specimen was pictured at the bottom of the ocean in the Sirena Canyon.

an acorn worm in the process of leaving behind its characteristic fecal coil on the bottom of the ocean. Image courtesy of the NOAA office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

An acorn worm in the process of leaving behind its characteristic fecal coil on the bottom of the ocean. Image courtesy of the NOAA office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

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Zealandia coral garden

Posted on May 31, 2016 by BomaiCruz

Zealandia is a large fragment of the former super-continent of Gondwanaland, an ancient super continent that existed between about 570 and 510 million years ago (Mya). This coral garden was spotted here (Zealandia)

Cral garden at Zealandia. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deep water Exploration of the Marianas

Coral garden at Zealandia. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deep water Exploration of the Marianas

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Deep sea exploration in the Marianas

Posted on May 30, 2016 by BomaiCruz

As the deep sea exploration in the Marianas Trench reaches another week in the 69 day expedition, we enter the second week of posts about amazing deep sea animals pictured during the expedition. Special thank you to the expedition team for making these pictures available and the guys at Discover Magazine for making the pictures available to the public.

Simbiotic relationship between the hermit crab and sea-anemone

Symbiotic relationship between the hermit crab and sea-anemone

…this anemone secrets a shell of shorts for the crab to inhabit instead of  a shell

We start this week with a look at this amazing picture of an anemone sitting on top of a hermit crab. It is said this anemone secrets a shell of shorts for the crab to inhabit instead of a shell. Such a relation ship where both animals benefit from each other is a symbiotic relationship whereas a parasitic relationship is when one of the two animals will only be benefiting with nothing provided back to the host.

Relationships between the anemone and other species of hermit crabs are well documented – often, when the crab outgrows their shells, they will transfer the anemone from the old shell to a new one.

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Predatory turnicates

Posted on May 27, 2016 by BomaiCruz

Source: Discover Magazine

Turnicates spend their days attached to rocks feeding on small fish that swim into their hood-shaped mouths.

If you have seen a Venus flytrap catch prey then you have a good idea of how a predatory turnicate eats

If you have seen a Venus flytrap catch prey then you have a good idea of how a predatory turnicate eats

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Jelly from the depths

Posted on May 26, 2016 by BomaiCruz

Source: Discovery Magazine

This fleshy jellyfish was seen during a dive at a depth of over 12,000 feet. The red lines appear to be radial canals connecting the bright yellow gonads.

Jellyfish. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

Jellyfish. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

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Angler fish

Posted on May 25, 2016 by BomaiCruz

Source: Discover Magazine

These deep-sea fish use a lure to attract prey and ambush them, swallowing them whole. The lure on this one is the round white structure resting between its eyes.

Resting which its lure safely tucked away, this angler fish will use its lure to lure fish and ambush them

Resting which its lure safely tucked away, this angler fish will use its lure to lure fish and ambush them

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SeaPig

Posted on May 24, 2016 by BomaiCruz

Source: Discover Magazine

Here’s a seapig from the depths of the Marianas. Its called the seapig because it is plump, pink and possesses short limbs. These animals feast on particles plucked from the mud they munch on. Researchers are not sure which genus it falls into.

Seapig, plump, pink and short limbs. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

Seapig, plump, pink and short limbs. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

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Deep water exploration of the Marianas

Posted on May 23, 2016 by BomaiCruz

Source: Discover Magazine

Deep-sea holuthorian. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

Deep-sea holuthorian. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

A little bird brought me exciting news this morning. As i am writing this, an expedition in the Marianas Trench is in the middle of its 69-day expedition into the deepest part of the worlds oceans. Led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its partners, this expedition is starting the second leg of its 3- leg mission aboard the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer to collect critical baseline information of unknown and poorly known areas in and around the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM) and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

The tentative schedule for the full expedition can be found here.

This expedition will bring light to extreme habitats, sponge communities, mud volcanoes, hydrothermal vents and some strange creatures some of which will be posted here throughout the rest of the expedition.

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