Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Although the deep ocean floor may seem isolated from life on the rest of the planet, it actually plays a vital role in the carbon cycle. Scientists are now gaining a better understanding of that role, thanks to a tracked robotic underwater rover.

A new type of underwater robot has completed sea trials in California. Developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and others, the Mesobot is a semi-autonomous robotic submersible designed to study the marine twilight zone of the mesopelagic region.