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Sub Scrub

Working on the deck of the R/V Atlantis, pilots and technicians from the Alvin Group scrubbed the submersible on the East Pacific Rise in December 2006. Dried on salt, grime, and the remains of doomed sea life that hitch rides to the surface leaves Alvin in need of a good washing. Cleaning the white exterior “skins” (removed for washing on deck) is just one item on the exhaustive list of maintenance requirements met by operators of Alvin to keep the submersible safe and working properly for the hundreds of researchers it transports each year to the seafloor. (Photo by Lance Wills, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)