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It's about 4:45 p.m. and Alvin is surfacing about a quarter mile away from the bow of the Atlantis. Why so far off? The distance is to make sure that Alvin does not bump into the Atlantis. Just after Alvin is sighted, two swimmers on the Alvin crew take off in the Zodiac. I can see one of the swimmers now standing on top of Alvin, talking on a phone. The crew told me that the recovery team would check with the Alvin pilot to make sure everything's all right inside the sub. Alvin is approaching the fantail with one of the swimmers still aboard. Another swimmer has gone into the water to tie ropes from the Atlantis to the sub. They are attaching the line from the A-frame to the top of the sub. They have given the signal for the crane to lift Alvin. As the sub lifts out of the water, both swimmers dive off. Once on deck, it's an exciting and cheerful moment to see Peter and Chris popping out of the submersible. After asking them about the dive, everybody gathered around the baskets attached to the Alvin, curious to see what is come up from the bottom of the sea. Gorgonian corals and other exotic specimens fill the baskets. But were there any chemosynthetic organisms? Not today. We ended the day with a science meeting led by Dr. Levin at 7 p.m. to discuss the location and objectives of the first dive in the second part of the cruise. The search for seep life continues tomorrow and a night of multi-beaming begins. |
A C T I V I T I E S
• Activity 3.4a • Activity 3.4b |
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