A Deepest Depth ROV for Sediment Sampling and Its Sea Trial Result

Recently, a number of bacteria have been found from a mud sample of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. Sampling those sediment samples, an ROV to the oceans´ deepest depth is needed. But no vehicle gets to the deepest depth in the world. Scientists want to continuously explore the deepest parts of the oceans with a vehicle equipped with sediment samplers. JAMSTEC started developing a sediment sampling system from April 2005. The system consists of a sampling station and a sediment probe. The station contains two types of bottom samplers. One launches the probe to make a preliminary survey, launching the sampler to obtain a sample. We carried out a sea trial on January 5-7, 2007 in Sagami Bay and was successfully completed. The ROV took a mud sample by using the gravity core sampler.