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U of Louisiana at Lafayette and NOAA Search for
Coral |
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In March 2009, the
Global
Explorer ROV joined NOAA and the University of
Louisiana at Lafayette in search of coral on the deep
slopes of the northern Bahamas.
According to Chief Scientist, Scott C. France, the goal
of the trip was to determine if coral species living in
the subtropical Bahamas are the same as those on the
seamounts to the north.
A most surprising discovery was that
of a wall more than a mile deep and 1000 feet high that
was covered with sponges and octocorals, the soft coral
that the scientists were most interested in.
There is more information
on
NOAA's website here. |
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Global Explorer joins NOAA in the Celebes Sea |
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In October 2007, the
Global
Explorer ROV joined NOAA and National Geographic
Magazine on an expedition to the unexplored waters south of
the Philippine Islands. The Celebes Sea is more
than 5,000 meters deep and the search was on for unknown
species of marine life.
According to Larry Madin,
Chief Scientist on the trip, "The ROV
was the star of the show all along, and
performed very well despite strong
currents and unexpected underwater
snares."
There is more information
on
NOAA's website here. |
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Search for the USS Grunion
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Deep Sea Systems joined in an effort
with John, Bruce and Brad Abele to locate and positively
identify the
USS
Grunion, a Gato-class submarine that was last heard
from July 31, 1942 near the Aleutian Islands.
The Grunion, which was commanded by the Abeles' father
Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L. Abele, and its crew of 70 had been
listed by the Navy as "missing in action, cause
unknown".
On August 23, 2007, the
Global Explorer ROV, fitted with broadcast quality
HD video cameras, found and photographed the wreckage of
the USS Grunion. The sub is heavily damaged and it
will be difficult to determine the exact cause of its
sinking.
There are still photographs
from the find here. |
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