Today, the Bioinspiration Lab set out on our first expedition aboard MBARI’s flagship research vessel David Packard. The last time the whole lab embarked on an extended expedition was in August 2022 on MBARI’s previous flagship, R/V Western Flyer. Since that expedition four years ago, we’ve enhanced our imaging systems and developed an entirely new one. In total, we brought six imaging systems on board for the Movement in the Deep expedition: four for use in the lab and two installed on the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts to observe animals in their natural environment. 

Our primary goal is to gather information on animal morphology and movement, but this expedition is also an important field test for the new system to refine camera setups and establish standard operations protocols. Ultimately, taking the lab out to the ocean is the most effective way to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of our research tools.

Before setting sail, Bioinspiration Lab engineers and ROV Doc Ricketts pilots tackled the complex integration of our imaging systems onto the vehicle. Once that was complete, it was all hands on deck in the lab aboard the ship as the expedition team assembled the remaining imaging systems. Before we left port, it was time to familiarize myself with each system. This is my very first research expedition, and I have to say, keeping track of all the science, technology, and ship operations has been a fun challenge! 

Here’s an inventory of the innovative imaging tools we’ll be using during this expedition.

On the ROV:

1. EyeRIS (remote imaging system) has one sensor with an array of 36,000 microlenses that all provide a different perspective of the same point in space. You can think of it like an insect’s eye with many facets, all creating one image. Using EyeRIS, we can create 3D reconstructions of animals to learn how they move through the ocean. 

2. DeepPIV (particle image velocimetry) projects a sheet of laser light that illuminates objects and particles in the water. Integrated with the ROV, the laser scan creates 3D in situ visualizations of the structures of delicate, transparent animals that can be challenging to collect for examination in the lab.

In the lab:

3. Particle image velocimetry is essentially a portable version of DeepPIV for use in the lab. 

4. Wide telecentric shadowgraph collects precise size and shape measurements of animals. Animal specimens are placed between a structured light source and camera, which captures a silhouette of the animal swimming in its tank. 

5. Narrow telecentric shadowgraph is the same as the wide version, but has a narrower field of view. 

6. Multi-view macro imaging system combines three cameras and high-powered lights to capture multiple simultaneous high-resolution perspectives of animals. Taxonomists can use these images to zoom in on details like tentacles, stomach shape, and hair-like cilia. The multi-view macro imaging system is the newest technology developed by the Bioinspiration Lab, and this expedition is its second field test. 

With all the equipment and crew on board, we departed Moss Landing and headed out to Monterey Bay, where we quickly began our first ROV dive. Members of the Bioinspiration Lab were in the control room with the pilots operating ROV Doc Ricketts and navigating through a vast expanse of blue. We searched for delicate drifters—jellies and siphonophores that are transparent and fragile—to capture 3D images of these unique animals. 

It didn’t take very long to find a jelly. “Oh, Solmissus, how I missed you,” exclaimed Kakani Katija, lead of the Bioinspiration Lab and chief scientist for the expedition. The excitement in the control room was palpable. After four years of anticipation and preparation, the team can’t wait to see what discoveries await us in the days ahead. 

For the next five days, we’ll continue deploying the ROV, scanning imagery in situ, and collecting animals to examine up close in the lab. Stay tuned for more!