"JAGO" is a manned submersible primarily dedicated to exploration and research in marine sciences. It allows researchers of different disciplines a personal view on the seafloor to a depth of 400 meters.
The submersible moves autonomously underwater and is not connected by an umbrilical cable to a support ship. Two large hemispherical viewports provide excellent views of the sea bed and surrounding environment for both the pilot and one observer.
The relatively light weight (3 tons) and the compact size (3 x 2 x 2.5 m) enable worldwide operations from a wide variety of support ships that have sufficient crane capacity, as well as logistically simple transportation in a single 20' sea freight container.
Typical applications are deep-water exploration of the seafloor and overlying water column; digital photo/video documentation; selective collection of specific organisms, rock, gas and water samples; deployment of instruments; environmental impact studies; inspections and salvages.
JAGO, Germany's only manned research submersible, was in service at GEOMAR from 2006 to 2021. The craft was built in 1989, according to the rules of the DNV-Germanischer Lloyd for underwater vehicles, by a small expert team at the former Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Physiology in Bavaria.
