Off Alaska coast, research crew peers down, down, down to map deep and remote ocean

By JOSHUA A. BICKEL
Associated Press

KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — A research vessel motoring off the coast of Alaska is exploring the mounds and craters of the sea floor to surface new knowledge about life in some of the world’s deepest and most remote waters. The Okeanos Explorer is on a five-month mission run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The former Navy vessel has been outfitted with technology and tools, including a pair of remotely operated dive vehicles, to go thousands of feet below the surface. It’s mapping and collecting samples from areas along the Aleutian Trench and Gulf of Alaska, with high-resolution cameras that allow instant sharing of images and data with scientists on shore. The expedition’s coordinators said the work will likely fuel future research.