Hello! Here’s the latest from the National Deep Submergence Facility. It’s been a busy winter already, with hybrid planning sessions for AUV Sentry dives to survey the seafloor of the Gofar transform fault in the eastern Pacific Ocean, ROV Jason in Woods Hole for a maintenance period, and the Alvin Group repairing the submersible’s syntactic foam. Members of our team will be at the virtual DeSSC meeting this Friday, February 25, and attending Ocean Sciences next week.
Keep reading for updates on our vehicles, interviews with our engineers, and some upcoming events—including a deep-sea photography workshop—that you won’t want to miss.
On a research expedition in the Gulf of California, scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution tested new instruments, deployed by Jason and Sentry, to find and detect methane and other gases in situ. Read the whole story.
A mechanical engineer on independent workflow and collaboration
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Events
February 28 through March 4: Find us at Ocean Sciences
Browse this roundup of sessions that feature scientists using data and observations from NDSF vehicles and the engineers developing new underwater technology with ROV Jason and AUV Sentry. Take a look.
April 12 and 19: Deep sea photography workshop
A guide to image collection—both video and still—using the vehicles that enable ocean exploration and research. This interactive virtual workshop will feature experts in deep-sea imagery and technology to create a foundation for new and experienced users as they use the world’s deep submergence assets. Sponsored by UNOLS. Open to scientists, post-docs, and students. Check the UNOLS-DeSSC site for registration in March.
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Updates
Welcome: New DeSSC Chair Andrew Thurber
The facility welcomes microbial ecologist Andrew Thurber of Oregon State University as the new chair of the Deep Submergence Science Committee! We thank Anna-Louise Reysenbach for her long and continued commitment to deep submergence during her term as chair.
Apply: Seeking Alvin’s next pilot-in-training
The Alvin Group is currently seeking a highly motivated, technically competent and responsible mechanical engineer to join our operations team. The position includes six-to-eight months at sea. Exceptional candidates will be entered into the Alvin Pilot in Training program. View and share job posting.
Watch: Live from hydrothermal vents in the Guaymas Basin
Three live-stream events from an ROV Jason and AUV Sentry expedition on the Scripps-operated R/V Roger Revelle to the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California. Watch here.
Stay tuned: Surveying the vehicle data landscape
The NDSF Data Team is working to develop a holistic assessment of the data landscape across all NDSF vehicles. In addition to addressing user requests with Sealog interface improvements, the team is reviewing all aspects of the at-sea data pipeline to identify potential efficiencies that can be gained by standardizing operations. The team is also harmonizing data deliverables, formats, and policies while utilizing maintenance periods to establish cross-vehicle consistency. The team is devoting significant effort to modifying Sealog to improve usability and to streamline back-end components to help make future changes easier to achieve. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
The 2021 Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Awards announced the honor in December. Special thanks to the collaborative team at WHOI that worked with South Florida PBS on the program, especially Digital Assets Director, Jayne Doucette. Watch the award-winning program here.
The National Deep Submergence Facility is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.