Shirts off for Science

On a hot day in late August, WHOI scientist Peter Traykovski and engineer Kevin Manganini prepare the autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) JetYak for a survey off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Developed by Hanu Singh, the JetYak is a low-cost kayak platform outfitted with an engine and scientific instruments. Remotely operated from a beach or boat and capable of piloting itself autonomously, the JetYak can reach areas that are too dangerous for humans: in 2013, the JetYak took the first measurements of sub-glacial meltwater flowing from the Greenland Ice Sheet.(Photo by Daniel Cojanu, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)