A Sphere With a View

Jefferson Grau, an Alvin pilot-in-training (or PIT), peers through the front viewport of the newly upgraded sub during his first dive. He assisted WHOI engineer Lane Abrams and Pilot Mike Skowronski in performing functional checks of the viewports and other components during sea trials to achieve Navy certification for the new sub to dive. Before he was a PIT, Grau helped assemble the upgraded Alvin, which included testing its new viewports. The new Alvin has two more viewports than the old sub, for a total of five. The larger front viewports provide much greater visibility for the pilot and scientists. (Photo by Rod Catanach, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)