The ROCLS cable drum with >8000 ft of electro-optical cable is lowered on the R/V Thompsons trawl wire for deployment near PN3B. ROPOS will launch shortly, and acquire the drum with a sonar at ~ 600 ft beneath the surface. Near bottom, an acoustic release will free the drum to rest gently on the seafloor so that ROPOS can latch into it and begin the cable installation at Axial Summit. Photo credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V14.
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