moon pool

British  

noun

1. (in the oil industry) an open shaft in the centre of the hull of a ship engaged in deep-sea drilling through which drilling takes place

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Example Sentences

One of her key features is an enclosed "moon pool".

From BBC

Using a compact crane, engineers lowered the jeep-sized R.O.V. into the moon pool, an opening in the deck that offers entry into the water.

From The New Yorker

The ROV, capable of 6000-meter descents, can be launched through large side doors or a moon pool in the hull.

From Science Magazine

One of its key features is an enclosed "moon pool".

From BBC

And the Attenborough will have a hole in the hull known as a moon pool, allowing researchers to deploy oceanographic and geological equipment more smoothly and safely than by swinging it off the side of the ship.

From Nature