The First Offshore Survey

Yesterday the team conducted our first offshore survey of this years project. We left the apartment at around 3:00pm yesterday with IVER in tow, and walked the short distance to the docs to the dock. Here we met up with Dr. Gambin, two of his graduate students John and Cece, and captain Kevin . Shortly afterwards we set off, exiting out of Marsamxett Harbour and heading northeast.

Weather was ideal, granting us good visibility and low winds. First release of the IVER went smoothly and was aided by the convenient inclusion of a diving elevator on the boat. However, just a few minutes after release an error message was broadcast from the IVER and it began resurfacing. Following the IVER’s reported coordinates we spent a good ten to fifteen minutes searching with no success. The situation was becoming worrisome, but just then Mitchell managed to spot the robot off in the distance. Afterwards the team determined that the error message and mission abort were the result of a maximum depth threshold that had not been reset for these deeper surveys. Additionally, a reset of the boats GPS system corrected a discrepancy between the IVER’s GPS which had lead us to the wrong locations while searching.

A second launch started clean with the first leg of the survey being completed. Unfortunately upon resurfacing we noticed the IVER having difficulty diving back down. This issue was resolved shortly afterwards and was, in short, the result of the IVER’s DVL altimeter being unable to detect the sea-floor once the robot was angled downwards for a dive. The IVER was reconfigured to continue diving regardless of altimeter reading up until it reaches 50m bellow the surface, resolving the prior issue.

The third launch went off without a hitch, and we were able to get a full 3-legged mission completed prior to sunset. Afterwards we headed back into the harbor, unloaded our gear, and met back at the apartment for dinner and analysis of the collected data. During initial overview of the collected sonar data Dr. Gambin was able to identify several potential points of interest, as well as point out debris from a known dumping sight nearby. We’re all eager to find investigate these location further, and to continue surveying the area for new archaeological sites over the next couple of weeks.

We also welcomed Dr. Ambereen Dadabhoy to Malta when she arrived yesterday evening. She will be joining us on surveys, and conducting her own humanities focused research during her stay in the country.

- Kolton Yager