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Homeward Bound

The end of a cruise with the deep-sea submersible (DSV) Alvin can be almost as busy as the middle. This photo, taken on April 13, 2010 after dive #4618, shows the crew of the R/V Atlantis washing the sub and preparing it for the next cruise. Visible behind the group on the starboard (right) side of Atlantis is the yellow autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry, which scientists deployed in conjunction with Alvin to map and sample lava fields on the ocean floor near the Galapagos Islands. Atlantis and Alvin are due to arrive at the WHOI dock on September 5 for a rare stopover in Woods Hole.

(Photo by Mark Spear, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)