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Johnson-Sea-Link Cruise Planning Manual
Johnson-Sea-Link Submersibles
Harbor Branch has operated research submersibles since 1971. That year, Harbor Branch built the first of its two Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles. Almost four decades, 9,000 dives and continuous upgrades and improvements later, the Johnson-Sea-Links I and II are still the workhorses of Harbor Branch’s submersible fleet. With versatile, interchangeable tool packages, room for four persons, video and still cameras, as well as the most robust payload capabilities, these vehicles are the 'Swiss army knives' of research submersibles.
These subs are frequently spotted on Discovery, PBS and BBC documentaries, they are favored by cinematographers for their maneuverability, panoramic view and ability to accept specialized cameras and tools. Two notable achievements of these subs are the first video survey of the Civil War ironclad the USS MONITOR, and helping NASA locate the wreckage of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
Ensuring the success of these exploration and research platforms is a team of highly skilled sub pilots who not only operate the subs, but also maintain and upgrade the vehicles according to strict safety protocols.
Mission objectives have included biology, geology, chemistry, drug discovery, and archaeology of the sea. The areas of operation are as varied as the types of missions. Most operations have been conducted in waters between the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Maine. However, the RV SEWARD JOHNSON has also transported the subs to dive sites in the Great Lakes, major Caribbean islands (including Cuba), the Canary Islands, the Galapagos Islands, the Mediterranean, and in the Pacific waters off Panama, Peru and Ecuador.
The JSLs are certified by the American Bureau of Shipping to a maximum operating depth of 3,000 ft. The distinctive forward 5.25-inch thick acrylic sphere is roughly 6 ft in diameter and accommodates the pilot and an observer. The aft observation chamber, with two viewports and a video monitor, accommodates a second crew member and an observer.
Originally, the vehicles were used to deliver divers to work sites of up to 350 ft. Divers would exit, perform specific tasks, and return to the sub's aft lockout chamber for the ride back to the surface. Back on the ship, a dive to 250 to 300 ft, and lasting one hour, would result in a 4-6 hour stint in a decompression chamber.
With advances in robotics, electronics, imaging, and collecting tools the subs were outfitted with instruments and tools that made lockout diving unnecessary, which in turn allowed Harbor Branch engineers and pilots to focus on developing these platforms for deeper diving. The vehicles are outfitted with specialized equipment such as manipulator arms, suction devices and rotary plankton samplers, active sonar, laser aimed still and broadcast quality video cameras and sensors to record the temperature, salinity, PH and dissolved oxygen content of the surrounding sea water throughout the dive. They are also outfitted with extra outlets and wiring to allow visiting scientists to bring and run their own equipment to augment the subs’ standard suite of tools making them very versatile and efficient.
Deep Workers
A new addition to the submersible program at HBOI/FAU is the Deep Worker class of vehicle. The Deep Worker system is a small one-occupant free swimming submersible rated to dive to 2000 ft. Their small size (6.6’x 5.75’) and light weight (3500lbs) have earned them the description, “the submersible that you wear.” The systems are easily containerized for shipment to wherever a mission is to be conducted.
The pilot enters the vehicle through the 30” acrylic viewing dome/hatch and all of the sub’s controls are at the operator’s finger tips. In addition to standard life support, underwater communications and tracking equipment, these vehicles are equipped with scanning sonar and either a six-function manipulator arm or a camera boom arm holding a high definition video camera.
These vehicles open a new chapter in Harbor Branch’s submersible program. The Deep Workers will not replace existing capabilities but will augment the range and reach of Harbor Branch submersible operations because these subs can be shipped easily and operated from a wide range of oceanographic vessels.
