Roller coaster ResQ

The end of summer this year felt like the end of a roller coaster. I had been speeding along at who-knows-how-many miles per hour, banking around tight curves, turning upside-down, enjoying the thrills with my hands in the air, but then all of a sudden, it came to a stop. The coaster car entered a dark tunnel, screeched to a halt, and I found myself disembarking before even registering that the season was over. Oof. 

The last major event of my summer came in the final week of August. The team for my Marine Debris project marked a major milestone by deploying our robot, ResQ, in the ocean. ResQ was designed by my collaborator, Robin Littlefield, and his team of engineers, specifically to recover derelict fishing gear or other equipment lost at sea. The vehicle's design was inspired by a leatherback sea turtle, to make ResQ as sleek and immune to entanglements as possible. After two years of work, ResQ was ready for her first in-field demonstration, so we gathered on a fishing boat in Provincetown to set the vehicle to sea. 

Near the end of every roller coaster is a photo booth: an automatic camera that snaps shots of the screaming passengers. If the end of summer 2026 was the end of a roller coaster ride, this is my camera reel. 

WHOI engineer Robin Littlefield and his team members, Zoe and George, prepare ResQ for deployment aboard F/V Miss Lilly.

Unlike most marine robotic vehicles, which are brightly colored, ResQ is black. The choice was intentional, to minimized disturbance to the behavior of surrounding fauna, but it makes her hard to see!

Engineer Zoe Daheron operates ResQ from the deck of F/V Miss Lilly. It was too bright to see the screen, so we got creative. 

What started out as an operational test ended in gear recovery! We found two lobster traps right outside of Provincetown Harbor, near the jetty. ResQ was able to recover them both. This one was from 2002 - it had sat unused underwater for >20 years. As soon as it was on board, I just had to see what was living on the derelict trap. 

"I want a photo of ResQ sitting atop her traps like the victor she is." - Robin Littlefield

The whole team (L to R): me, George, Zoe, Robin, Captain Mike, Isaac, and Laura