Winterizing Aquarius
Mission: Winter
Posted by: Ellen Prager | Write a comment!
For those of you who are following Aquarius and our missions. The November mission was the last for the year. Thanks to all of our aquanauts, visitors, NOAA, UNCW, NASA, the U.S. Navy, supporters, and of course the staff for making it a great mission year.
The staff is now busy winterizing the undersea habitat, doing yearly maintenance, and hopefully taking a little well deserved time off. There is actually quite a lot that needs to be done before the next mission season begins, probably sometime in March or April. Besides, the water gets a little chilly for long hours of diving if you are an aquanaut. One major task ahead this winter is that the large Life Support Buoy that sits over the habitat will be disconnected, towed, and hauled out of the water for some much-needed maintenance, including a new paint job. Gazebo waystations will be hauled out and rennovated. Basically, what can be removed, cleaned and checked will be and the rest will be worked on undersea by divers.
Everyone at the base is also excited by our much-needed, new (used) workboat that has aptly been named the R/V George F. Bond after the Navy Captain who is considered the father of saturation diving. Though we are sure there will be plenty of jokes around about the other famous Bond…..
Over the winter we also hope to redesign our website a bit, so if you have any suggestions, send them in as comments.
There will definitely be a lot going on next year as our mission schedule is already filling up and 2008 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Aquarius program - so stay tuned.
Ellen Prager
Chief Scientist, Aquarius Reef Base