PPE

PPE enters the Portland wreck. Photographed using ROV Pixel.

Possibly the most exciting thing that has happened during telepresence week (aside from connecting with our audiences) is that our team has successfully penetrated the shipwreck Portland. On Tuesday, the weather was spectacular, and our at-sea team was able to carry out ROV operations. We showed live footage from the seafloor during two of our broadcasts. The team used ROV Pixel, the same vehicle we’ve been relying on all summer, and a brand-new, custom-built vehicle named PPE.

In our case, PPE stands for Portland Penetration Explorer. There’s a nice symmetry to that name, since the same acronym is used for Personal Protective Equipment - things like gloves and masks. PPE is the acronym of the year, and in some ways, the vehicle is a daughter of the pandemic.

To reach the wreck, PPE hitches a ride on Pixel, then thrusts forward to leave her cradle and enter the wreck. Our ROV team collected some amazing footage from inside the Portland, including the engine room. A large boiler sits half-covered in sediment, while other artifacts are strewn about. It was very cool to see inside the wreck.

A tubed anemone (Cerianthus borealis) and horse star
(Hippasteria phrygiana) inside the Portland wreck

The most surprising thing for me is that there are actually a lot of organisms inside! I expected a few fish, maybe a sea star here or there, but there are actually sponges and brachipods (lamp shells) on some of the structures. There must be at least some water flow inside the wreck that allows these animals to feed. Wrecks provide critical habitat for so many organisms, and I was excited to see what lives inside the Portland.

Our final broadcast is at 2:30 EDT today. You can tune in on Facebook, YouTube, or at this link: www.whoi.edu/stellwagen-2020