  Underwater manipulation is one of the most remarkable ongoing research
subjects in robotics. \acp{I-AUV} not only have to cope with the technical
challenges associated with traditional manipulation tasks but do so while
currents and waves perturb the stability of the vehicle, and low-light, turbid
water conditions impede perceiving the surroundings. Certainly, the dynamic
nature and our limited understanding of the marine environment hinder the
autonomous performance of underwater robot manipulation. This manuscript
provides a discussion on previous research and the limiting factors that impose
on the long-envisioned prospects of autonomous underwater manipulation to
finally highlight research directions that have the potential to improve the
autonomy capabilities of I-AUV.
