Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV)

IPE recognised the benefits of using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to conduct a range of environmental monitoring tasks. However the high cost of the equipment and their operation meant this was often cost prohibitive. To provide a cost benefit to their clients, IPE began investigating lower cost ROV options which had comparable capabilities, were reliable and which could be readily repaired whilst in the field. To further lower cost and reduce the time associated with transport, IPE saw benefit in utilising a unit that was light and compact which could be transported on a commercial flight. After liaising with several manufacturers, IPE subsequently added a ROV to their already extensive inventory of monitoring equipment. As well as the attributes outlined above, the ROV acquired can be operated by a single staff member and can be run independent of a shore or vessel based power supply. As a result the ROV can be operated from the shore, a jetty or small dinghy and has numerous applications including:  

• Benthic habitat assessment
• Demersal fish surveys
• Coral health monitoring
• Collection of benthic infauna
• Investigations of sediment deposition (e.g. dredge spoil grounds)
• Subsea infrastructure inspections
• Pre-impact site inspections
• Water quality monitoring