Tethys at sea

An advanced undersea robot developed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute promises to take oceanic research to a new level, going faster and farther than its predecessors--and even doing some thinking of its own.

Tethys, named after a Greek sea goddess, is an autonomous underwater vehicle unlike any other. Combining the best traits of traditional types of AUVs, it can travel faster and farther than the vehicles oceanographers currently rely on. It can also stay out at sea for weeks on end and carry larger amounts of scientific instruments than most of its counterparts, according to MBARI.

Here, Tethys takes a spin through Monterey Bay in Northern California.