One big challenge facing cleanup crews during an offshore oil spill - such as 2010's Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico - is determining just how much oil is involved. Researchers at the.Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in the USA have now developed a remotely operated underwater vehicle to someday assist in this key aspect of the oil spill response. Project leader Paul Panetta, a scientist with Applied Research Associates, USA, and an adjunct professor at VIMS, says: "Gauging the volume of a spill, and the extent and thickness of its surface slick, are usually done by visual surveillance from planes and boats, but that can be quite difficult. Our ROV uses acoustic signals to help more easily locate and focus on the thickest part of the slick."
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