Toward under-ice operations with hybrid underwater robotic vehicles

Few methods presently exist for routine benthic survey and sampling operations under permanent moving ice in high latitudes. Many benthic survey and sampling techniques commonly employed for blue-water oceanography are unsuitable for operations in ice covered seas due to the constrined maneuverability inherent in icebreaker operations. Over-theside deployments with lowered instruments prohibit ice-breaking and constrain the ship to the wind-driven motion of the ice. We propose that hybrid remotely operated vehicles (HROVs) with light data-only tethers could provide significantly enhanced under-ice scientific access to the world´s high-latitude oceans. This paper identifies operational obstacles to benthic survey and sampling operations posed by permanent moving ice cover and proposes solutions to these obstacles.