Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility

Of necessity, this is an industrious, multi-talented, resourceful group with a collective 'anything is possible' approach. All have proven themselves able to maintain their perspective and a sense of humour under the often demanding conditions of work at sea. While this is an assemblage of independent contractors they must and do function as the ROPOS team. Expertise is exchanged readily and cross-training is mandatory. Through their individual and combined efforts they have gained the respect of scientists, commercial customers and ships' crew alike.

Background

Between 1973 and 1986, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) operated the manned submersible Pisces IV primarily to provide support to Canadian scientists. Based at the Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS), this national facility operated in the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans, completing more than 1886 dives. Budget cuts forced the cancellation of the charter for the support vessel, Pandora II in 1986, the ending to operation of Pisces IV. A HYSUB 5000 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from International Submarine Engineering (ISE) was ordered as a replacement, with the dual objectives of maintaining submersible support for the Canadian scientific community and promoting the national ocean technology industry.