View Platform

The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry replaced the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE) at the National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) in the Summer of 2010. Sentry can reach depths of up to 6,500 meters (21,450 ft) and builds on ABE's successes with improved speed, range, maneuverability, and with a more hydrodynamic shape for faster ascent and descent rates. Sentry can be mobilized readily for use as a stand-alone vehicle on a wide range of research vessels but can also be used very effectively in tandem with Alvin or an ROV such as the NDSF's Jason to improve the efficiency of deep submergence investigations. Sentry carries an extensive scientific sensor suite as standard but can also accommodate additional user-provided science payloads enabling it to be used for a variety of oceanographic (mid-water) as well as near-seabed (imaging, geophysical survey) investigations. Sentry produces bathymetric and magnetic maps of the seafloor and is capable of taking high quality digital color photographs in a variety of deep-sea terrains including along mid-ocean eidges, at ocean margins, and in complex settings such as hydrothermal vent and cold seep ecosystems.