School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

July 8, 2003
University of Alaska Fairbanks
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

The Bluefin Odyssey III visits Alaska's Cook Inlet

The Bluefin Odyssey III AUV is approximately 22 inches in diameter and 11 feet long and is rated to explore the ocean depths to 3,000 meters. The West Coast and Polar Regions Undersea Research Center provided a developmental grant to Dr. Scott Pegau of the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to bring the AUV to Kachemak Bay for field testing in preparation for planned future studies.

 

The Bluefin Odyssey III is configured in three one-meter sections. The center section houses the instrument payload designed for the specific mission. In this configuration, the Bluefin Odyssey III is outfitted with equipment to map surface currents in Lower Cook Inlet's Kachemak Bay.

 

Two, one-kilowatt batteries power the Bluefin Odyssey III, allowing for eight hours of operation while running at three knots before needing to be recharged. Additional batteries can be installed if necessary.
(Photos by Dave Doudna, WCPRURC).