Lost at Sea: Research Sub out of Woods Hole Goes Missing in Deep Pacific Trench
An unmanned, remote-control sub operated by reseachers out of Woods Hole was lost during a six-mile dive in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.
Researchers at the site of the dive said they believe that the robotic vehicle Nereus imploded during the deep dive, according to a press release from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
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The lost submarine was being operated as part of the Hadal Ecosystems Studies Program, according to the Associated Press.
Nereus went missing on its dive to the Kermadec Trench, the fifth deepest ocean trench in the world and about 75 miles off the coast of New Zealand, according to the AP:
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The submarine was built in 2008 and design to study deep-ocean trenches, according to The Cape Cod Times.
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The submersible’s mission was to undertake high-risk, high-reward research in the deepest parts of Earth’s oceans, Madin said. Before the suspected implosion, Nereus recovered species of animals unknown to scientists and seafloor sediment, according to WHOI.
The team operating the submarine searched near the site of the dive and recovered what they believe was a portion of the vessel, according to Boston Magazine.
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