Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.
Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.
Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.
All good things must come to and end, so they may have a new beginning.
So begins the next chapter in the history of deep ocean exploration...
The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer was commissioned this week in Seattle, WA. The vessel will be equipped with two deep-sea ROVs capable of broadcasting high-definition video from the deep-sea in real-time using Dr. Robert Ballard's "telepresence" technology. Word on the street is the Chief Scientist's quarters come equipped with an inflatable hot tub, sushi bar, and wine rack Dr. Ballard keeps in a briefcase chained to his wrist at all times. ;)
NOAA's Ocean Explorer website hosts a cool time lapse video of the conversion.
Check it out.
Comments
AWESOME
Posted by: Karen James | August 23, 2008 10:57 AM
They have a ship, yet Congress says the don't exist.
Something fishy about that, no?
Posted by: Sheril R. Kirshenbaum | August 23, 2008 4:12 PM
NOAA has ships, planes, sanctuaries, and robots. Even an elite Corps. With a leader. But they don't exist. I guess they're like a shadow army ... for the oceans?
Posted by: Peter Etnoyer | August 24, 2008 7:44 AM