For ALVIN its 40 and 4,000 in 2004!
March 1, 2004
ALVIN, the nation’s only deep-diving human occupied submersible, will mark a number of milestones in 2004. In April, the sub, currently at work in the eastern Pacific, is expected to make Dive #4,000. In early June, the sub will celebrate its 40th anniversary serving the US ocean research community. Operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution since it was built in 1964, the three-person vehicle has carried thousands of scientists to the ocean floor to observe firsthand, collect samples and take photographs of a world few have seen before. Although none of its original pieces remain, ALVIN continues to be a workhorse of deep-sea exploration, currently making an average of 175 dives each year to depths of nearly 15,000 feet. For more information go to ALVIN home page.
Deep Submergence Vehicle ALVIN (Photo by Craig Dickson, WHOI)