SharkCam at the MNHM

Join Research Engineer Amy Kukulya and learn about the use of underwater robotic vehicles to study shark behavior with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution SharkCam on Thursday, August 8at 7:00 pm at the Marion Natural History Museum(MNHM). Suggested donation to the Marion Natural History Museum: $10.00 members, $12.00 nonmembers, $15.00 for families with children.

            SharkCam research vehicle has been featured multiple times on the Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week. The REMUS AUV SharkCam, originally developed for coastal mapping and monitoring, is outfitted with water current profilers, salinity, and temperature probes as well as six HD video cameras to give scientist a broad range of data on the animal’s position in the water, as well as its habitat and behavior. During operation a harpoon is used to tag the shark’s dorsal fin with a transponder, while Kukulya and her colleagues quickly launch the REMUS SharkCam. The tag’s transponder communicates with the AUV, allowing it to track the animal up to depths of roughly 100 meters. When the mission is complete, the team sends an acoustic command to the shark tag’s release trigger, which then mechanically releases the tag from the animal, allowing it to float to the surface for retrieval. Let’s learn more about this fascinating research technique.

Partial funding for this event has been provided by the Marion Cultural Council.

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