Underwater Vehicles Underwater vehicles, also called submersibles, are used by scientists, industry, and the military for a variety of reasons.
Scientists use underwater vehicles to study marine biology, geology, or archeology.
They also use these vehicles to measure properties of interest to oceanographers, like velocity, temperature, and salinity of the ocean water at various depths and locations. Industrial uses of underwater vehicles include undersea pipe or cable inspection and salvage. Potential military uses include search and recovery and minefield mapping. Shown below are a few examples of underwater vehicles. The vehicle on the far left is Alvin, a famous manned underwater vehicle which has been operating out of Woods Hole since 1964.