Nautilus Live

(Screenshot/NautilusLive.com)

A robot submarine piloted by oceanic researchers is broadcasting live from the ocean floor off the Oregon Coast.

The crew of the Exploration Vessel Nautilus, a 64-meter research vessel operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust, and its remotely operated vehicle, Hercules, are scouring the Astoria Canyon looking for -- in the words of one crew member -- "exciting methane seeps."

In the live stream, Hercules' cameras offer sweeping views of the ocean floor while the researchers offer commentary -- and get very excited when they see bubbles.

Its mission in the Pacific Northwest is to find those "methane seeps," where the natural greenhouse gas is released from the ocean floor along the Cascadia subduction zone. (That's the fault line that's expected to someday cause the earthquake Oregonians have come to know as The Big One.)

The presence of methane can sustain certain ecosystems on the ocean floor, and the methane seep might point to geological activity underground.

Watch the live stream at NautilusLive.org. The mission off the Pacific Northwest coast continues through June 20.

Update: The live stream is wrapping up for the day, but here's a taste of the action from Nautilus Live's YouTube channel, posted two days ago after a dive off the coast of Washington state.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus