After nearly four decades of uncovering historic mysteries of the Pacific Ocean, the deep-sea submersible is embarking on a new journey on land. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa donated the legendary three-person research vessel to the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, ensuring that its legacy of deep-ocean exploration, volcanic research and historic maritime discoveries will be preserved for generations to come.
“The donation ensures the submersible’s storied past will be celebrated and shared with museum visitors from Hawaiʻi and around the world,” said Chip Fletcher, dean of the 糖心视频 Mānoa (SOEST), home of the (HURL).
HURL operated Pisces V along with its sister submersible, Pisces IV, for decades. However, after years in storage with no prospect of federal funding for refurbishment or redeployment, 糖心视频 made the decision to entrust the historic craft to the museum.
Unmatched discoveries across the Pacific
In 1985, 糖心视频 acquired Pisces V, anchoring HURL’s growing undersea capabilities. Its unique maneuverability, size and depth range, operating at depths up to 6,500 feet, made it the ideal platform for navigating complex terrain and gracefully exploring delicate ecosystems.
“Operating as the only United States (U.S.) deep submergence facility based in the Pacific Rim, HURL’s work with Pisces V revolutionized oceanography across several fronts,” said Terry Kerby, veteran Pisces V pilot and HURL operations director. “The submersibles were fine-tuned to adapt to the demands of operating effectively in the wide range of terrain and conditions of undersea volcanoes, seamounts in Papahānaumokuākea and beyond, maritime heritage site surveys, salvage operations of lost instruments and vehicles, and decades of pipeline support for the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority cold water pipe systems. It is exciting to see the Pisces V and this legacy preserved at the Bishop Museum.”
Close to home, Pisces V, enabled unprecedented exploration of the seamounts and coral reefs of the Main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The submersible made more dives on 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈’蝉 active underwater volcano, Kamaʻehuakanaloa (previously known as Lōʻihi Seamount), than any other submersible. HURL submersibles also pioneered research on mesophotic and deep-sea coral reefs off Maui and throughout the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, conducting vital impact assessments on commercial fishing damage.
Throughout the Pacific basin, the submersible ferried teams of researchers on voyages of discovery to places no human had seen before. In 2005, Pisces V embarked on a five-month expedition across the Pacific, exploring active submarine volcanoes along the Kermadec Arc near New Zealand.
“Each of these dives were unique, each different,” Kerby shared. “We discovered multiple new species and by combining submersible operations with human divers, we explored deep-sea coral ecosystems in a new way.”
.