View from the Top

On board the research vessel Atlantis in March, Bruce Strickrott works at the communications station during one of Alvin‘s first dives following an extensive, three-year upgrade. As Alvin Expedition Leader, Strickrott helped guide the overhaul and expansion of the nation’s sole deep-sea research submersible. The 12-day Science Verification Cruise ensured that the upgraded computer systems, new deep-sea cameras and lighting, and larger viewports provide scientists with world-class tools for research. “We had conversations about all these upgrades for years, but everything was conceptual,” Strickrott said. “Now that they are all here, it’s awesome. It’s a great machine.”(Photo by Lonny Lippsett, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)