The CATALYST Program
The Waitt Institute for Discovery’s CATALYST Program is a series of deep-sea expeditions that will significantly transform undersea exploration and the future of our oceans. The program makes available for the first time a versatile and highly portable deep-sea tool kit and operations team that is rapidly deployable all over the world.  The program represents a major milestone in the effort to integrate public and private forces in exploring and understanding our oceans.

The CATALYST Program marks an unprecedented collaboration between the Waitt Institute for Discovery and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The Waitt Institute commissioned the construction of two 6000-meter REMUS AUVs, originally developed and engineered by WHOI, and has built an AUV operations team based at Woods Hole that possesses the expertise to conduct CATALYST AUV operations anywhere in the world.

CATALYST Mission
As a major initiative of the Waitt Institute for Discovery, the CATALYST program aims to accelerate the science community’s capacity to carry out deep-sea exploration, cutting-edge scientific research and sustainable ocean policy through innovative technologies and inspired collaborations.

CATALYST Technology
The CATALYST program makes available to the scientific community the Waitt Institute’s two REMUS 6000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).  The CATALYST AUVs have been designed to operate in depths ranging from 25 meters (82 ft) to 6,000 meters (19,685 ft or 3.73 mi).  This innovative and efficient new technology can be used for numerous explorations and mapping purposes, including marine conservation, ocean health studies, geological charting and archaeological investigation. 

The CATALYST AUVs can be configured to include a wide array of sensors depending upon expedition requirements.  They can be used for hydrographic surveys, environmental monitoring, debris and field mapping, search and salvage operations, fishery operations, scientific sampling and mapping.  As versatile research tools, the CATALYST AUVs can be outfitted with dual frequency side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profilers, conductivity/temperature sensors, pressure sensors, acoustic modems, fluorometers, optical sensors, still cameras, and acoustic imaging.

CATALYST Partners
Through the CATALYST Program, the Waitt Institute for Discovery gathers world-renown scientific organizations to create synergistic collaborations, maximize scientific expertise, and merge institutional resources. The program represents a major milestone in the effort to integrate public and private forces in exploring and understanding our oceans.

The CATALYST Program marks an unprecedented collaboration between the Waitt Institute for Discovery and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The Waitt Institute commissioned the construction of two 6000-meter REMUS AUVs, originally developed and engineered by WHOI, and has built an AUV operations team based at Woods Hole that possesses the expertise to conduct CATALYST AUV operations anywhere in the world.

For initial expeditions, the Waitt Institute for Discovery has partnered with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Harbor Branch brings its ocean exploration expertise and resources to the CATALYST Program in the form of expedition logistics and science plan development, as well as through the Waitt Institute’s charter of HBOI’s research vessel Seward Johnson, making it the first CATALYST AUV launch vessel.

In additional to current institutional partners, the Waitt Institute for Discovery is seeking out a diverse assortment of organizations to contribute additional resources, funding and expertise to future CATALYST expeditions, including university, private, non-profit, and governmental organizations.