Maiden dive of the new MARUM-QUEST 5000

May 8, 2025

The new diving robot MARUM-QUEST 5000 shortly before its first dive in the North Atlantic. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; M. Schröder — The new remotely operated vehicle MARUM-QUEST 5000 shortly before its first dive in the North Atlantic. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; M. Schröder

The new remotely operated diving robot MARUM-QUEST5000 has dived for the first time. The dive took place as part of the ship expedition M210 from on board the research vessel METEOR in the Atlantic. If all technical requirements are met in time and the weather cooperates, the dives will be streamed live.

The hydrothermal field Menez Gwen was the target location of the first dive of the ROV MARUM-QUEST 5000 at a water depth of about 830 meters. During the dive, which lasted several hours, the team successfully tested the system, took samples and documented everything.

During expedition M210 of the METEOR, geochemical and biological samples will be taken from hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic. The cruise follows on thematically from expedition M190, which also takes the scientific team to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The expedition will also deliver important results within the framework of the Cluster of Excellence “Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface”, which is based at MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen.

The new diving robot replaces the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) MARUM-QUEST 4000 after more than twenty years of operation. It was manufactured by the US company TechnipFMC Schilling Robotics and upgraded with the necessary scientific equipment at MARUM for two years before its first deployment. In addition to a significantly higher payload capacity and state-of-the-art control technology, the new ROV is equipped with more powerful gripper arms and a hydraulic drive. This means that observatories can also be transported into the deep sea and serviced there in future. The new device can now be used for a variety of high-precision scientific investigations at depths of up to 5,000 meters.

The costs for the new diving robot, including the supply cable and winch, amount to around 4.5 million euros, half of which was provided by the federal government and half by the state of Bremen.

The new robot's dives will be broadcast live on the internet and announced in advance, provided that all technical requirements are met in good time. The live transmissions of the dives can be followed on MARUM TV (YouTube).

More information on the M210 and M190 expeditions and MARUM-QUEST5000:

Contact:

Dr. Volker Ratmeyer
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-65604
Email: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]

The new remotely operated vehicle MARUM-QUEST 5000 on its first dive in the North Atlantic. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; M. Schröder

MARUM produces fundamental scientific knowledge about the role of the ocean and the seafloor in the total Earth system. The dynamics of the oceans and the seabed significantly impact the entire Earth system through the interaction of geological, physical, biological and chemical processes. These influence both the climate and the global carbon cycle, resulting in the creation of unique biological systems. MARUM is committed to fundamental and unbiased research in the interests of society, the marine environment, and in accordance with the sustainability goals of the United Nations. It publishes its quality-assured scientific data to make it publicly available. MARUM informs the public about new discoveries in the marine environment and provides practical knowledge through its dialogue with society. MARUM cooperation with companies and industrial partners is carried out in accordance with its goal of protecting the marine environment.