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SUSTAINABLE SEAS EXPEDITIONS LAUNCHED IN MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY MONTEREY, CA---June 30, 2000---Sustainable Seas Expeditions today launched the 2000 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary mission with a live undersea uplink. The event represents a cooperative effort between Sustainable Seas Expeditions, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the National Geographic Society, and NASA. During the uplink, a live Internet chat enabled viewers from around the country to ask questions of ocean explorer and expedition leader Dr. Sylvia Earle, a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence. The uplink covered live underwater exploration of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, with activity and interactive questions of Mike Guardino, a Carmel High School teacher and submarine pilot. Sustainable Seas Expeditions (SSE) is the first systematic exploration of the deep waters of America's National Marine Sanctuary System, with exploration missions continuing on both coasts of the U.S. in 2000. SSE will be in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary for a 14-day mission, until July 12, 2000. Sustainable Seas Expeditions is a project of the National Geographic Society in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, made possible by the Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund. Begun in 1998, the five-year project involves deep-water exploration and public education in NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries. Undertaking the first systematic exploration of marine sanctuaries to depths of 2,000 feet, SSE is photodocumenting the natural history of each sanctuary's plants and animals and establishing protocols for the first system-wide monitoring network in the marine sanctuaries. Directly involving teachers and students in conducting operations and analyzing data, SSE focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of marine reserves within sanctuary boundaries, exploring canyon systems and documenting the behavior of marine organisms. For the uplink, Dr. Sylvia Earle facilitated communication between on-line students and Mike Guardino, who fielded questions from his underwater research transect in the kelp forests off Monterey. Mike was aided by one of his Scuba trained high school students who also participated in the SSE Student Summit held in Monterey last April. Launch of Monterey Bay SSE mission During the Monterey Bay Sustainable Seas Expedition, the NOAA ship McArthur will be in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary waters for 14 days straight, with research going on throughout its stay. Dr. Sylvia Earle is leading the expeditions, using a remotely operated vehicle and two of the newly designed DeepWorkers, one-person submersibles that can dive to depths of 2,000 feet. These innovative submersibles enable the expeditions to explore areas that are usually studied from the surface. Important data being gathered include information on currents, living resources, habitats, and conditions. "We have the ability to observe the ocean using satellites, remotely operated vehicles, sonar or even nets, but the DeepWorker sub allows humans to directly observe areas of the Sanctuary deeper than Scuba would allow," says Andrew DeVogelaere, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Research Coordinator. "This not only enhances our observational capability, but excites the imagination." "Sustainable
Seas Expeditions help us learn and gather more detailed information about
the deeper areas of the Sanctuary, so that we can better understand these
resources and protect them. We also hope the excitement and involvement
of students inspires a whole new generation of marine explorers and educators." |
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