Surrounded by Work

It’s been 18 months since engineers took Alvin apart, a major undertaking involving submersible pilots Dave Walter (center) and Bruce Strickrott (right) as well as a host of WHOI engineers and technicians, including Megan Carroll (left). This summer, they are reassembling the submersible with improved features, including bigger viewports, a larger personnel sphere, and improved controls. “As a pilot, the feature that I am most looking forward to is the addition of a forward lateral thruster,” Walter said. This will allow him to drive the submersible sideways and spin it on it’s center point, like a top, allowing greater maneuverability and more efficient work on the seafloor.(Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)