A
submersible is a small
vehicle designed to operate underwater. The term submersible is often used to differentiate from other underwater vehicles known as
submarines, in that a submarine is a fully autonomous craft, capable of renewing its own power and breathing air, whereas a submersible is usually supported by a surface vessel, platform, shore team or sometimes a larger submarine. In common usage by the general public, however, the word submarine may be used to describe a craft that is by the technical definition actually a submersible. There are many types of submersibles, including both crewed and uncrewed craft, otherwise known as
remotely operated vehicles or ROVs. Submersibles have many uses worldwide, such as
oceanography,
underwater archaeology,
ocean exploration, adventure, equipment maintenance/recovery or
underwater videography.