ROVs - Remotely Operated Vehicles - can be thought of as underwater robots.

ROVs vary greatly in size and capability, from small, light "observation" class machines which are little more than a camera and some thrusters (propellers) to move them around underwater to massive "work class" machines weighing many tons capable of doing heavy work in offshore industries like oil and natural gas.

In 2005, we conducted a successful trial off Sodwana Bay in conjunction with Subtech Diving and Marine. We found that with skillful boat handling and ROV piloting, we were able to place the ROV into coelacanth habitat and recorded several new individuals. We used a Seaeye Falcon ROV, which you can see to the right.

Small ROVs are generally cheaper to own and operate than manned submersibles, and have considerable safety benefits as there are no people underwater, however, as any researcher who has analysed footage obtained remotely compared with actually being in the environment will tell you, manned submersibles provide an invaluable first hand experience which results in a better understanding of the alien underwater environment.

Small ROVs are also relatively easy to transport and can be operated from relatively small support vessels, which also carries considerable cost implications. ROVs used for scientific research are usually much smaller than manned submersibles and can get into smaller spaces and safely penetrate caves with no risk to human life. A "fly away" ROV  tethered to a manned submersible would be of considerable use in coelacanth research.  

We believe that both manned submersible technology and ROV technology have an important place in coelacanth research.