On July 2, 1937, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan vanished without a trace during her attempt to become the first woman to fly around the world at the equator.

In early 2009, the Waitt Institute conducted an extensive deep-sea search for Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra aircraft in the area of the South Pacific where many researchers believe she crashed. The expedition, known as CATALYST 2, involved assembling a diverse group of experts from multiple backgrounds and institutions to identify areas to search for Earhart’s plane. The CATALYST team then utilized the Waitt Institute’s REMUS 6000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles to survey over 2,000 square miles of ocean floor at an average depth of 5,200 meters.

The Electra was not found during the expedition, but the data from the sea floor created a 2,000 square-mile exclusion zone where we now know the plane is not located. For the benefit of future researchers, the Waitt Institute is sharing all of these results, as well as a provocative, first-hand account of life aboard ship, at a specially designed new website known as Search for Amelia. One of the most comprehensive digital records on the life and legacy of Amelia Earhart available today, Search for Amelia is a collaborative site where comments and ideas about Earhart and her final flight are invited and encouraged.

Explore the expedition’s website

View videos from the CATALYST 2 Expedition Log

The Waitt Institute is committed to enabling interdisciplinary research deep beneath the planet’s last frontier of discovery. The ocean has much to reveal to us about the earth’s natural and cultural history — from mysterious new life forms to long-lost ships of ancient seafaring cultures. The Institute believes that our future, like our past, is tied to that of the sea. A better understanding of the world’s oceans is critical to the survival of all life on our planet.

Our most recent efforts are focused on submerged cultural resources. The mission of these expeditions is to assist non-profit and governmental institutions in surveying and documenting underwater and coastal archaeological sites. The Waitt Institute provides leadership and resources so that these historical areas can be inventoried and evaluated for preservation. Our efforts serve to preserve history through these sites, while also assisting in increasing awareness about their importance to our shared cultural heritage.

Learn more about our expeditions:

Third Century BCE Shipwreck - Ionian Coast, Albania

New Spain Fleet - Chinchorro Reef, Mexico

The Rio Chagres - Castillo de San Lorenzo, Panama

Submarine Explorer - Pearl Islands, Panama

H.M.S. Endymion - Turks & Caicos

Survey Location: Albania

Dates: August 15-25, 2008

Co-Principal Investigators

Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld
Assistant Professor of Classical Studies
Trinity University

Dr. Adriani Anastasi
Professor of Archaeology
University of Tirana

In Collaboration With
RPM Nautical Foundation
Albanian Institute of Archaeology (AIA)

Expedition Background
Sometime early in the third century BCE, a ship carrying a cargo of amphoras wrecked near a rocky shore on the Albanian coastline.  These ancient ceramic vases will break upon impact, but do not disintegrate once they have come to rest on the sea floor. This durability has left them as the sole witnesses to many ancient shipwrecks, and the stories they have to tell have transformed our understanding of history.

During an underwater survey in July of 2007, conducted by the RPM Nautical Foundation, researchers discovered a grouping of these amphoras resting on the seabed. About forty of them remain visible above the accumulating sand.

Expedition Summary
The Waitt Institute and RPM Nautical Foundation teamed up for this reconnaissance mission and invited Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld to lead the research team. The goal of the 10-day expedition was to evaluate the potential of this shipwreck for archaeological excavation. The research team dived the wreck site in order to examine the seabed topography, to identify the area of scatter, and to confirm or revise the initial report of the types, quantity, and preservation of the finds.

The accomplished recon provided insight for planning an excavation project for the site, including a determination of the equipment, funds, and personnel that will be needed to excavate, record, and conserve the finds properly.  At the same time, Dr. Hirschfeld acted as an ambassador for the proposed project to various Albanian officials, educators, and students, with the hope of exciting interest in a collaborative enterprise and to learn of available facilities and expertise.

The Waitt Institute’s long-term goal for this project is to participate as a catalyst in the development of a sustainable program of cultural resource management of the maritime heritage of Albania, conducted by and for the Albanians. A secondary goal is to broaden the American student perspective of the people and history of the Balkans.

Expedition Team Members

Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld, Co-Principal Investigator
Trinity University

Dr. Adriani Anastasi, Co-Principal Investigator
University of Tirana

Joe Lepore, Director of Dive Operations
Waitt Institute

Derek Smith
Scientific Diver/Hyperbaric Chamber Technician
University of Hawaii

Ardiola Alikaj, Translator/Archaeologist
University of Tirana

Liz Smith, Diver/Videographer
Waitt Institute

From the Expedition Leader – Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld

When I was in high school, one of the reasons I decided to become an archaeologist was that I wanted to travel and explore the world, especially the parts of it that are very different from the places I know.  My career so far has offered me more than I ever would have imagined: years of living in Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, participating in excavations throughout the Aegean, the Levant and Egypt, and exploring museum storerooms all over Europe.  And now, just when I have gotten comfortable in those orbits, chance has opened the door to Albania.  Once again, a new and strange and exotic land lies ahead.  Last night I learned that the official currency of Albania is the lek, which is subdivided into 100 quindarka.  What could be more unfamiliar?  I feel like Dorothy about to step into Oz.  I expect to encounter every bit as much of magic, different ways of doing things, and new-yet-familiar friends.

Survey Location: Campeche Bank and Chinchorro Reef, Mexico

Dates: March 3-22, 2008

Principal Investigator
Pilar Luna Erreguerena
Director of Underwater Archaeology, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)

In Collaboration With
National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)

Historical Background
The reefs and islands of the Campeche Bank were a notorious navigation hazard for Spanish ships traveling between Havana and the Mexican port of Veracruz, the latter of which was established by Cortés in preparation for his assault on the Aztec capital. It was in these waters that some of the 13 ships of the New Spain Fleet, under the command of Admiral Manuel Serrano, sank during a storm in 1631. Due to the threat posed by the reefs and islands of the Campeche Bank, the amount of shipwrecks found here makes this area one of the richest regarding underwater cultural heritage.

Over the past several years, Archaeologist Pilar Luna Erreguerena and her team from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have recorded more than 150 sites along the Campeche Bank. INAH’s underwater archaeology team has carried out an intense archival research in Mexico, Spain, and Cuba regarding the New Spain Fleet. The flagship Nuestra Señora del Juncal remains elusive.

Expedition Summary
The Waitt Institute partnered with Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) for this exploratory survey of Campeche and Chinchorro Banks. Leading the expedition as Principal Investigator was Archaeologist Pilar Luna, head of the Underwater Archaeology Area at INAH in Mexico City.

The first focus of the 18-day expedition was survey efforts on the search for the lost New Spain Fleet of 1630-1631 and its flagship, the Nuestra Señora del Juncal. The secondary phase of the expedition was to investigate shipwrecks and suspected shipwreck sites along the reefs of Chinchorro Bank. These locations are remote and many of the reef areas are unspoiled.

Expedition Team Members

Pilar Luna Erreguerena/Principal Investigator
Director of Underwater Archaeology, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)

Dominique Rissolo, PhD/Expedition Coordinator
Executive Director, Waitt Institute

Joe Lepore/Dive Safety Officer, Surveyor
Dive Safety Officer, Waitt Institute

Michael Dessner/Logistics Coordinator
Director of Operations, Waitt Institute

Jeff Morris/Director of Survey Operations
Director, Azulmar Research, LLC

Steve Bilicki/Surveyor
Maritime Archaeologist, Azulmar Research, LLC

Helena Barba Meinecke/Surveyor
Underwater Archaeologist, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)

Roberto Junco Sánchez/Surveyor
Underwater Archaeologist, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)
Edgar Merino Gallegos/Surveyor
Underwater Archaeologist, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)

Admiral Alberto Mariano Vázquez De la Cerda/Physical Oceanographer
Professor, University of Veracruz

Michael Jablonowski/Surveyor
Sonoma State University

Lance Milbrand/Videographer
Director, Milbrand Cinema

From the Expedition Leader – Pilar Luna Erreguerena

The fact that Mr. Ted Waitt created the Waitt Institute for Discovery is extraordinary due to the potential of service this can signify to many scientific projects around the world. So was the invitation he made me to be part of the Executive Board. It was a privilege that the Waitt Institute decided to support us in the 1630-1631 New Spain Fleet Research Project and Inventory and Diagnosis of Submerged Cultural Resources in the Gulf of Mexico, especially in the search for Nuestra Señora del Juncal, one of the two flagships of the fleet. The proposal was to survey one potential area in the Gulf of Mexico in which we think there are more possibilities to find Nuestra Señora del Juncal.

This area is one of several selected through archival research made during many years in Mexico, Spain and Cuba, and comparative studies of 17^th century charts and modern maps. Manuscripts referring to this shipwreck do not mention exactly the site of the tragedy. A deep analysis of diverse aspects of life in Spain—social, political, economical, artistic, etc.—has been made since 1995, in order to comprehend the context in which the fleet was built and sent to America, as well as the facts that surrounded the trip back to Spain, which was interrupted when the convoy was hit by a storm in 1631 and lost some of their ships in the Gulf of Mexico.

In February 2008 a group of researchers from the Underwater Archaeology Vice-Directorate (SAS) of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) set sail with the technical assistance of Jeffrey Morris and Stephen Bilicki, as well as the support of Mike Dessner and the rest of the Waitt team. The assistance of all of them, and the support of Dr. Dominique Rissolo at the Waitt Institute’s La Jolla headquarters, was crucial during the expedition, since there were many meteorological obstacles to overcome. In spite of this, the result of the field season was absolutely positive.

Survey Location: Rio Chagres, Panama
Dates: January 22 – February 9, 2008

Principal Investigators
Dr. James P. Delgado
Nautical Archaeologist/President/Institute of Nautical Archaeology

Frederick “Fritz” Hanselmann
Research Associate/Nautical Archaeologist
Office of Underwater Science at Indiana University

In Collaboration With
Instituto Nacional de Cultura de Panama (INAC)

Historical  Background
Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal, for five hundred years the Rio Chagres carried people and cargo from the Caribbean deep into the jungle, where overland trails would then deliver them to waiting ships in Panama City. The pirate Captain Henry Morgan used this very same route in 1671 when he sacked and burned Panama City – the second most important city in the Spanish New World at the time. Four of Morgan’s ships sank off the mouth of the Chagres as he made his escape. Dozens of ships went down near the mouth of the Chagres, yet many have not been located and none have been formally mapped or recorded.

Nearly 200 years later, the Isthmus of Panama became a major highway for gold seekers enroute to California. The passageway supported ships on their way to take part in the Gold Rush.  Steamers made fast journeys from New York and New Orleans to Panama, where the small settlement of Chagres expanded across the river to “Yankee Chagres,” a temporary settlement of hotels, restaurants, bars and brothels.  One of the ships that participated in the “Panama Route” was the steamship Lafayette (1851), which sank near the mouth of the Chagres River.  At least five other shipwrecks from the Gold Rush also lie off the entrance to the Chagres.

Expedition Summary

The Waitt Institute partnered with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) and the Instituto Nacional de Cultura de Panama (INAC) for this exploratory survey on the Rio Chagres in Panama. Leading the expedition as Principal Investigators were Dr. James P. “Jim” Delgado and Frederick “Fritz” Hanselmann.

The 18-day expedition had several goals in multiple locations in Panama. The WID expedition team first conducted a survey in the mouth of the Chagres River at the site of the fabled Castillo de San Lorenzo in a search for the steamship Lafayette and other wrecks from the Gold Rush era.

Survey Location: Pearl Islands, Panama

Dates: January 22 – February 9, 2008

Principal Investigators
Dr. James P. Delgado
Nautical Archaeologist/President
Institute of Nautical Archaeology

Frederick “Fritz” Hanselmann
Research Associate/Nautical Archaeologist
Office of Underwater Science/Indiana University

In Collaboration With
Instituto Nacional de Cultura de Panama (INAC)

Historical  Background
The Pearl Islands are home to one of only four known submarines from the Civil War era. The Sub Marine Explorer (1865) lies half-submerged on a beach on Isla San Telmo. These islands harbored pirates and buccaneers lying in wait for treasure-laden galleon en route from Peru to Panama City. They also supported the pearling industry of the mid-1800s, which brought Explorer to Panama.

Expedition Summary
The Waitt Institute partnered with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) and the Instituto Nacional de Cultura de Panama (INAC) for this documentation survey on Isle San Telmo in Panama. Leading the expedition as Principal Investigators were Dr. James P. “Jim” Delgado and Frederick “Fritz” Hanselmann.

The 18-day expedition had several goals in multiple locations in Panama. The Waitt Institute expedition team traveled to the Pearl Islands to complete an investigation of the submarine Explorer started by Dr. James Delgado in 2001. (Read more about Dr. Delgado’s work on Submarine Explorer.) Additionally, a first-ever sonar survey of the waters around Isle San Telmo was conducted.

Survey Location: Endymion Rock, Turks & Caicos

Dates: November 28 - December 13, 2007

Principal Investigator
Dr. Donald Keith
Lead Archaeologist, Ships of Discovery

In Collaboration With
Ships of Discovery
Turks & Caicos Museum
Turks & Caicos Dept. of Environment and Coastal Resources

Historical Background
The Turks Island Passage has been well-traveled since Columbus and is one of the main avenues for ships of all nationalities moving between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. At the southern end of the passage lies Endymion Rock, a shallow reef named for HMS Endymion, a British Fifth Rate that wrecked there in 1790. It has long been rumored that other shipwrecks lie in the vicinity.

Expedition Summary
The Waitt Institute partnered with Ships of Discovery and the Turks and Caicos National Museum for this exploratory survey of the Endymion Rock area.  Leading the expedition as Principal Investigator was Dr. Donald H. Keith, a nautical archaeologist and trustee of the Turks and Caicos National Museum.

The goal of this two-week expedition was to document the current state of the H.M.S Endymion, as well as search the site for other shipwrecks. The Waitt Institute team performed a side-scan sonar and magnetometer survey of a 12 square kilometer area around and beyond the reef in an effort to locate any lost ships from the 1700’s or any other time period. The research team also dived the site to survey and closely document the Endymion, as well as any other shipwrecks discovered at the site. A further goal of this expedition was to create documentation of the current state of the site for future comparison, while also providing deeper insight into the history of the region. The possibility for discovery of unknown wrecks was also high.

The inaugural CATALYST expedition launched on December 4, 2008 and utilized the Waitt Institute’s autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to create the first-ever high definition side-scan sonar maps of deep-water Lophelia and Oculina coral reefs off the coast of eastern Florida. This charter mapping effort will provide the data necessary to enable lawmakers to protect these unique, diverse and incredibly fragile reefs from bottom trawling, fossil fuel exploration and other destructive activities. CATALYST ONE was a collaboration between the Waitt Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.

UPDATE: Florida’s Deep Reefs One Step Closer to Full Protected Status

Press Release: Council Approves Measures to Protect Largest Deepwater Coral Reef in the South Atlantic

Science Objectives

CAT 1.1 - AUV Survey of Deep-Water Lophelia Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern, Part I
Map areas within and adjacent to the proposed Deep-Water Lophelia Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern, where low-resolution NOAA bathymetric charts indicate the possibility of undiscovered deep-water reefs.

CAT 1.2 AUV Survey of Deep-Water Lophelia Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern, Part II
Map the western edge of the primary Lophelia reef zone within the proposed Lophelia Habitat Area of Particular Concern, where commercial fishery interests (royal red shrimp) overlap known and possible deep-water reefs.

CAT 1.3 AUV Survey of Deep-Water Oculina Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern
Map a portion of the Oculina Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern where nearly 100 concrete reef balls have been placed for restoration experiments in areas of damaged corals. 
Investigate the effectiveness of deploying these concrete structures as reef-starters for Oculina coral larvae.

CATALYST ONE Results
The Waitt Institute’s CATALYST ONE expedition resulted in the discovery of three never-before identified Lophelia coral reefs. 
The three Lophelia coral reefs range in size from 40-60 meters (150-200 feet) tall and sit in water about 400m (1300 feet) deep. Individual Lophelia can grow to several meters in diameter and one to three meters high. Based on radiocarbon dating, live Lophelia coral off the coast of Florida is estimated to be 700 years old and is home to thousands of species of fish and invertebrates.

Principal Investigator, Dr. John Reed, has studied these fragile ecosystems off Florida’s coast for more than 30 years and will use the mapping data from CATALYST ONE to support his policy efforts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to delineate the region as a Deep Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC). The CATALYST ONE results will also assist Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in determining exact locations to revisit and explore in person with their Johnson Sea Link submersibles on future HBOI expeditions.

Read HBOI’s CATALYST ONE Blog

From the Expedition Leader - Dr. John Reed
In the past 10 years, scientists from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in collaboration with NOAA and many others have discovered hundreds of deep-water coral reefs, some up to 200 ft tall, off the coast of the southeastern U.S. These are irreplaceable resources that are thousands of years old, ecologically diverse and vulnerable to physical destruction.

Activities involving fish trawls, oil and gas production, pipe laying, mining, or harvest of reef resources could negatively impact these reefs. Unfortunately, deep reefs worldwide are being impacted by destructive fishing methods, such as bottom trawling for shrimp and fish, which destroys the delicate corals. These reefs are deserving of the highest level of protection as they are a national treasure, equivalent to old growth red wood forests, but at 2000 feet deep. Based on this research, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council recently has proposed a 23,000 nm2 region from North Carolina to South Florida as a marine protected area for deep-water coral reefs. In addition, President Bush is considering designating this same region as a marine national monument.

Our project, made possible by the Waitt Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, will provide detailed bathymetric maps for a portion of these reefs where data is critical due to possible overlap of fishing interests and an especially high concentration of healthy reefs. Deep-sea coral ecosystems are at a disadvantage in gaining public empathy because most people will never see them. It is the responsibility of scientists to educate the public about these valuable resources. This project therefore also includes an element of education/outreach toward teachers, students and the public.

During CATALYST 1 mission, we were excited to have a television crew aboard from the PBS documentary series Changing Seas. You can view the final 25-minute program that aired about the expedition on their website - Episode 103: Corals of the Deep

Science Team
John Reed (HBOI) - Principal Investigator
Lance Horn - Expedition Scientist
Tamara Frank (HBOI) - Expedition Scientist
Thiago Correa (University of Miami) - Expedition Scientist
Chris Koenig (HBOI) - Expedition Scientist
Glenn Taylor - Expedition Scientist

Logistics
Dominique Rissolo (WI) - Expedition Coordinator
Michael Dessner (WI) - At-Sea Operations Lead
Lee Frey (HBOI) - Project Manager
Bill Baxley (HBOI) - Project Manager
Joe Lepore (WI) - Deck Safety Officer

AUV Operations
Mike Purcell (WHOI) - AUV Operations Lead
Greg Packard (WHOI) - AUV Operations Lead
Brennan Phillips (WHOI) - AUV Mechanical Engineer
Fred Jaffre - AUV Electrical Engineer
Neil McPhee (WHOI) - Vehicle Operator
Stephen Murphy (WHOI) - Vehicle Operator
Mark Dennett (WHOI) - Vehicle Operator
Frank Lombardo (HBOI) – Vehicle Operator
Robin Hunter Littlefield (WHOI) - Vehicle Operator
Don Liberatore (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator
Jim “Sully” Sullivan (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator
Phil Santos (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator

Sonar Analysis
Andy Sherrell - Lead Sonar Analyst
Don Koningsor - Sonar Analyst
Steve Dabagian - Sonar Analyst

Media Team
Liz Smith (WI) - Communications/Media Lead
Stephani Gordon - Producer/Videographer
Brian Cousin (HBOI) - Videographer

R/V Seward Johnson Crew (HBOI)
George Gunther - Captain
Michael Schoeller - Chief Mate
Bob Franks - Mate
Erik Bergendahl - Chief Engineer
Robert Kerr - Assistant Engineer
Phillip Kravitz - 2nd Assistant Engineer
Christopher Keene - Seaman
Tyler Thayer - Seaman
Maurice Andrews - Seaman
Gerard “GB” Bilquin - Steward
Kimberly Heine - Assistant Steward
Gregg Diffendale - Technician

Logistics Team
Dominique Rissolo (WI) - Expedition Coordinator
Michael Dessner (WI) - At-Sea Operations Lead
Lee Frey (HBOI) - Project Manager
Don Liberatore (HBOI) - Project Manager

AUV Operations
Greg Packard (WHOI) - AUV Operations Lead
Mike Purcell (WHOI) - AUV Operations Lead
Mark Dennett (WHOI) - AUV Mechanical Engineer
Brennan Phillips (WHOI) - AUV Mechanical Engineer
Robin Hunter Littlefield (WHOI) - AUV Mechanical Engineer
Stephen D. Murphy (WHOI) - Vehicle Operator
Neil McPhee (WHOI) - Vehicle Operator
Bob “Yogi” Elder (WHOI) - Vehicle Operator
Craig Caddigan (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator
Jim “Sully” Sullivan (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator
Frank Lombardo (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator
Phil Santos (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator
Gregg Diffendale (HBOI) - Vehicle Operator
Joe Lepore (WI) - Vehicle Operator
Matt  Tocchini - Vehicle Operator
Samantha Guse - Vehicle Operator

Sonar Analysis
Andy Sherrell - Sonar Analysis Lead
Steve Dabagian - Sonar Analyst

Flight Reconstruction Team
Christopher Nutter - Flight Reconstruction Team Lead
Michael DiBello - Flight Reconstruction Research Assistant

Science Operations
Adrian Flynn (UQ) - Expedition Scientist
Alan Goldizen - (UQ) - Expedition Scientist
Dave Wheeldon (UQ) - Expedition Scientist

Communications/Media
Liz Smith (WI) - Communications
Stephani Gordon - Videographer
Ian Kellett - Director of Photography
Mike Kasic - Sound Recordist

R/V Seward Johnson Crew (HBOI)
George Gunther - Captain
Michael Schoeller - Chief Mate
Mortimer Smedley - Chief Mate
Daniel Timm - Mate
Bob Franks - Mate
Erik Bergendahl - Chief Engineer
Robert Kerr - Assistant Engineer
Robert Curran - Assistant Engineer
Phillip Kravitz - 2nd Assistant Engineer
Charles Ormiston - 2nd Assistant Engineer
Christopher Keene - Seaman
Loren Lange - Seaman
Tyler Thayer - Seaman
Maurice Andrews - Seaman
Bob McMillen - Seaman
Gerard “GB” Bilquin - Steward
Kimberly Heine - Assistant Steward
Gregg Diffendale - Technician

For the first two CATALYST expeditions, the Waitt Institute partnered with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to charter their signature research vessel, the R/V Seward Johnson. The Seward Johnson became the first CATALYST AUV launch vessel and a proving ground for the 24/7 operations capability of the CATALYST AUV system.

The R/V Seward Johnson is a 204-foot oceanographic and submersible-support research vessel owned and operated by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) at Florida Atlantic University. It was built in 1984 and commissioned in 1985 as the namesake of HBOI founder, J. Seward Johnson, Sr. With a 6,000 nautical mile range and a cruising speed of 13 knots, the R/V Seward Johnson is capable of working in any of the world’s oceans, while accommodating up to 40 research staff and crew.

The R/V Seward Johnson has 360-degree bow and stern thrusters, twin propellers and rudders, dynamic positioning and state-of-the-art precision navigation, giving it the capability to maneuver and position easily and efficiently and station-keep with the accuracy required by today’s undersea and oceanographic research missions. The vessel also carries in-house ocean engineers who are experts in surface oceanographic procedures and submersible vehicle launch and recovery.

The ship routinely operates in the waters from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Maine, but has also carried out missions to Cuba, the Galapagos Islands and the Cape of Good Hope. Following the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, the R/V Seward Johnson was used to support the shuttle wreckage recovery mission.