What do marine zoologists need from an underwater vehicle?

Future perspectives in underwater vehicles potential uses and needed features are here presented and discussed through different study cases embracing research, monitoring and exploration, from shallow-water to deep-sea habitats and communities. Essential features asked to the next generation of underwater vehicles include the possibilities to explore deeper depths, observe in detail targeted specimens, use further spectra besides the visible, sample soft-body benthic organisms, move within demanding situations (e.g. obstacles on the seabed), as well as the ability to stably stop on the seabed and collect images in a relative long (e.g. few hours) time spam.