Self-folding polyhedra have emerged as a viable design strategy for a wide range of applications, with advances largely made through modeling and experimentation at the micro- and millimeter scale. Translating these concepts to larger scales for practical purposes is an obvious next step; however, the size, weight, and method of actuation present a new set of problems to overcome. We have developed large-scale folding polyhedra to rapidly and noninvasively enclose marine organisms in the water column. The design is based on an axisymmetric dodecahedron net that is folded by an external assembly linkage. Requiring only a single rotary actuator to fold, the device is suited for remote operation onboard underwater vehicles and has been field-tested to encapsulate a variety of delicate deep-sea organisms. Our work validates the use of self-folding polyhedra for marine biological applications that require …