Thirty-four teams from junior high and high schools from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island will compete in the 2025 Regional Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition from May 2-3.

The MATE ROV competition is an underwater robotics challenge that engages a global community of learners each year. MATE’s mission is to inspire and challenge students to learn and creatively apply STEM skills to solve real-world problems and strengthen their critical thinking, collaboration, entrepreneurship and innovation, preparing them for the blue economy workforce.

The event will take place at the Marine Institute (MI) campus at 155 Ridge Rd., St. John’s.

Teams are required to design and construct an ROV that must complete a series of tasks while deployed in MI’s flume tank.

This year’s competition recognizes the National Science Foundation-funded GO-BGC Project by assigning tasks focused on solutions designed to monitor circulation, chemistry, biology and overall ocean health.

Students will focus on measuring and identifying shipwrecks and collecting eDNA data of invasive marine species.

The competition challenges teams to build an ROV with the necessary tools and technology to monitor ocean conditions, understand marine ecosystems and document the impacts of climate change.

The schedule for Scout (junior high) and Ranger (high school) competitions follows below.

Friday, May 2

• 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Scout competition
• 5:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.: Scout awards presentation and closing ceremony
• 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.: Ranger opening ceremonies

Saturday, May 3

• 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.: Ranger competition
• 7:30 p.m.: Ranger awards ceremony

The Scout and Ranger events will be live-streamed on May 2-3 on YouTube starting at 9:00 a.m. each morning.

The MATE ROV competition is a global network of 28 regional events.

The top two teams from the Ranger competition will qualify in the 2025 World Championship MATE ROV Competition at the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan, from June 19-21.

The 2025 regional competition is supported by Equinor, Hibernia Management and Development Company Limited, Oceaneering, Cenovus Energy, DOF Subsea, Cooke Aquaculture, GRi Simulations Inc., Sonardyne, Cahill, EnergyNL, Deep Trekker, ASI Group, Kraken Robotics, SEAMOR Marine Ltd., Sub C Imagining, Subsea 7, Voyis, TCarta, Angler Solutions, Marine Technology Society, Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University.

-30-

For more information, please contact Madeline Meadus, communications, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University, at (709)-327-7578 or madeline.meadus@mi.mun.ca.