Smooth as Silk

WHOI mechanic Vic Miller applies a final coat of paint to a large piece of syntactic foam that will be installed on the human-occupied submersible Alvin. The foam, which is made of tiny glass bubbles embedded in epoxy, provides buoyancy for the sub. Alvin is undergoing an extensive upgrade that includes a larger, heavier personnel sphere that necessitates some new blocks of syntactic foam. However, many pieces from the previous Alvin, such as the one in this photo, are being examined, repaired, and re-used. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)