Another Day, Another Departure

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, R/V Neil Armstrong departed Woods Hole on the first of three trips to the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Pioneer Array 100 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Each trip is organized to deploy new moorings (some of which are visible at right) or to recover existing equipment, sometimes both. Even on a beautiful weekend day, the departure of a WHOI research vessel draws a group of well-wishers to see the ship, it’s crew, and its science party off on another mission. (Photo by Ken Kostel, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)