Video: A Tale Of Two Atolls

It is no secret that we, as human beings, have had a detrimental effect on the word's oceans. We have polluted them, over fished them, and generally treated them poorly in most regards. As a result, the creatures that live in the sea are not as plentiful as they once were. Recently, marine biologist and photographer Thomas P. Peschak traveled to the Mozambique Strait to shoot a story for National Geographic. What he found there was something extraordinary. Two atolls that remain protected and largely untouched by man's effects on the sea. The video below gives us a glimpse of what he found.

A Tale of Two Atolls from Save Our Seas Foundation on Vimeo.

James Cameron Donates Sub To Oceanographic Institution

Filmmaker/Explorer/All-Around Great Guy James Cameron has donated his Deepsea Challenger submersible to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in a bid to spur more underwater exploration and research. The Challenger is the same vehicle that Cameron used last year on his record setting dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of that epic adventure to the lowest point on the planet, located some 11 km (7 miles) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Cameron, whose filmography includes the likes of Avatar and Titanic, became just the third person to visit the Challenger Deep and the first to do so solo. He spent seven years and $8 million on building the sub, which captured footage for an upcoming 3D film about the dive. Despite some rumors about making another voyage to the bottom of the sea however, the director has not gone back into the depths.

In donating the vehicle to the WHOI, Cameron also joined the organization's advisory board. Researchers at the institute will use vehicles advanced lighting and camera systems as part of their own programs as they continue exploring trenches in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Cameron will consult with engineers there on those systems as well as others that he helped develop for his dive.

It is hard not to have massive respect for Cameron. He is highly successful in his day job, to say the least, and yet he has a passion for science and exploration that is tough to deny. I get the impression he makes hundreds of millions of dollars making films for Hollywood so he can fund his other projects. And when he's done with his high tech toys that he personally helped develop, he passes them along to others who can benefit as well. We should all be so lucky to have that flexibility in our lives.

Arctic Row Update: Slow Progress Across The Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Row 2012 expedition has now been underway for just over a week and the team continues to make slow, but steady progress – that is when the weather allows. After setting off last Tuesday, the four men aboard the small rowboat have had their ups and downs as they struggle to find their rhythm, but it seems they remain in good spirits and committed to achieving their goal of rowing across the Arctic Ocean.

As you no doubt recall, Paul Ridley, Collin West, Neal Mueller and Scott Mortensen are attempting to row from Inuvik, Canada to Provideniya, Russia, a distance of 2100km (1300 miles). They had planned for the entire journey to take approximately 30 days, as they are rowing 24-hours per day in two hour, two-man shifts. But already in the first week they've had to spend some time on anchor as rough seas and high winds have made progress impossible. Still, their home team reports that they are making the most out of the experience and have enjoyed the expedition thus far.

According to their latest blog update the boys are just now starting to encounter ice. They've come across absolutely massive icebergs that are easily spotted from a distance and they've only seen smaller ones that have broken off from the bigger ones so far. As they progress further along in the expedition they expect to encounter more ice in general, which could slow progress at times too, but for now things are good.

The team's SPOT device hasn't been providing accurate tracking of their progress, so it's difficult to tell how much ground they've covered. Reading through the reports, I'd guess that they aren't on their intended schedule however, so it is already starting to look like the could go past their 30 day window. Of course, they could make up time if the weather cooperates, but we'll just have to wait to see how things unfold.

Either way, they team is just getting started and there is still a lot of rowing to go.

Mission Aquarius Looks To Explore The Ocean Depths

Built in 1986, the Aquarius Reef Base is one of the last remaining underwater stations dedicated to scientific research. Operated by the National Oceanographic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), the base is located at the heart of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, where it has been used to conduct research on coral reef ecosystems for many years.

On July 16, the base will host a team of researchers and scientists possibly for the last time. Dubbed Mission Aquarius, this team will be led by the legendary Sylvia Earl and will live aboard the station for six days as they conduct research on the nearby Conch Reef. You'll be able to follow that expedition and watch live streaming from the Aquarius itself, on the team's website. The video below includes more information on the base and it's purpose over the past 25+ years.

And for those wonder, the reason this could be the final mission to the reef base is because it has become the victim of budget cuts. It seems NASA isn't the only organization dedicated to exploration that has had to tighten its belt. We need to get this economy going again so we can pay for more programs like this one.

Chinese Submersible To Attempt Mariana Trench Dive

After years of mostly being ignored, the Mariana Trench has become a busy place this year. A Chinese submersible named Jiaolong (aquatic dragon) is set to make another dive into the trench sometime in the next few days, where its crew of three hopes to plummet 7000 meters (22,965 ft) below the surface of the ocean. To date, the vessel has only been down to about 5188 meters (17,020 ft).

As of the last report, the small craft was still aboard the  Xiangyanghong 09 science vessel and was approximately 200 nautical miles away from the proposed dive site. The crew was waiting for a tropical storm to vacate the area, and for seas to calm, before proceeding with the operation. They intend to make a shake-down dive to 5000 meters (16,404 ft) before proceeding deeper towards their ultimate goal.

This deep sea expedition is vastly different from the one James Cameron made back in March. For starters, Cameron went down solo and in a smaller vehicle. The Jiaolong will be manned by Ye Cong, Cui Weicheng and Yang Bo who are hoping to claim a "deepest dive" record, although what that record is I'm not sure. When he went down a few months back, Cameron reached a depth of about 10,940 meters (35,900 ft).

Still it is great to see more renewed interest in exploring the ocean's depths and I'll be watching to see how this crew fairs when it finally does make its big dive. Hopefully all will go well and they'll come back with some interesting finds as well.

National Geographic Honors Two Explorers Tonight

National Geographic will host a "Evening of Exploration" event tonight to honor two famous explores that have gone to the opposite ends of the Earth. The organization will posthumously present it's highest honor, the Hubbard Medal, to Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard and name Austrian mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner its Explorer of the Year.

Piccard, who died in 2008, is best known for diving into the depths of the Mariana Trench, along with Don Walsh, back in 1960. The duo were the first to travel seven miles below the surface of the ocean, into the Challenger Deep, to explore the floor of the Pacific. That feat wouldn't be repeated for another 52 years, when James Cameron did it a few months back. Cameron and Walsh, who received the medal in 2010, will join Nat Geo CEO John Fahey in presenting the award to Piccard's family.

Kaltenbrunner, who is no stranger to readers of this blog, is being honored for her climbing efforts on the world's tallest peaks. Last year she became the first woman to summit all fourteen 8000 meter peaks without supplemental oxygen when she topped out on K2. It took her 13 years to accomplish this feat and along the way she has been a great role model for other climbers, men and women. She'll receive the Explorer of the Year award from last year's winner, Kenny Broad, along with a specially engraved Rolex Explorer timepiece. Rolex is the sponsor for evening's festivities.

Congratulations to the family of Jacques Piccard and to Gerlinde on these much deserved honors. For more information about Piccard, Gerlinde and the Evening of Exploration click here.

Deepsea Challenge Update: Cameron Survives The Abyss, Returns Without Aliens

Yesterday was a historic day in the exploration of our planet's oceans. James Cameron became just the third person – and the first to dive solo – to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the lowest point on our planet. Cameron made the dive inside a specially designed submersible that took him nearly 11km (7 miles) beneath the surface.

The project, which is called the Deepsea Challenge, has been a dream of Cameron's for some time. He partnered with National Geographic and Rolex on this expedition, which was shot in high definition 3D for an upcoming documentary. It took him about 2.5 hours to descend into the Challenger Deep, the lowest point in the Mariana, at which point he spent roughly 3 hours exploring and filming the trench. He then proceeded back to the surface, more quickly than anticipated, with a return trip that took just 70 minutes.

Those hoping that he would find giant sea creatures or aliens lurking in the depths will be sadly disappointed in what was actually down there. In a post-dive press conference Cameron described the bottom of the ocean as "lunar, desolated, isolated." He also noted that what life he did see was quite small and didn't include large jellyfish or anemones.

The voyage to the bottom of the sea wasn't without a few issues. A mechanical arm that would have been used to collect samples from the trench failed to work and a mechanical failure caused him to lose his starboard thrusters. That meant he was simply spinning in place for a time, which caused him to cut about three hours off the dive. For the most part the mission was a big success however and plans are already underway to make another return trip sometime in the next few weeks. No word on whether or not Cameron will be the one piloting the sub or if one of the other team members will be able to take over those honors.

Congrats to Cameron and his entire team on a job well done. I can't wait to see some footage from the bottom of the ocean. I'm already looking forward to the documentary, which is probably at least a couple of years away at this point.

Deepsea Challenge Update: Waiting For Calm Seas

Last Friday I posted a story about James Cameron's attempt to dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which is the lowest point on our planet at 10,912 meters (35,800 ft) below the surface of the ocean. Considering that there was a lot of interest in Mr. Cameron's little journey, I thought I'd follow-up with some news today.

When I first wrote about the Deepsea Challenge it wasn't clear exactly when Cameron would attempt the dive, although we did know that he intended to do it soon. The Hollywood director and his crew are racing to beat four other teams, including one sponsored by Richard Branson, to the bottom of the sea and after completing the testing phase of their submersible, a specially designed vehicle named the Deepsea Challenger, they are eager to get underway. With that in mind, earlier this week the team left Guam and have proceeded to the South Pacific where they are anxiously awaiting calm seas and good weather to begin the long and perilous journey to the depths of the ocean. You can read the Captain's Logs on the conditions by clicking here.

And just how perilous is this journey? Cameron will be making a solo dive inside the Challenger to seven miles below the surface. At that depth the ocean exerts 1000 times more pressure than it does at sea level, which is strong enough to crush anything not specifically built to resist those conditions. He'll be going where only two other men have ever gone – those two men being ocean explorers Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard who did it back in 1960. Yep, the journey is so dangerous that it has only been done once before and that was 52 years ago.

While he's down there, Cameron intends to collect a number of samples for use in a variety of scientific research. He'll also be shooting the entire voyage in high definition 3D which will be used in an upcoming documentary and possibly even for some scenes in Avatar 2. When Walsh and Piccard visited the bottom of the trench, they weren't able to see much at all, let alone bring back quality film footage. Technology has improved dramatically since then however, and we can expect some stunning visuals when the film is eventually released.

Stay tuned for more updates. It sounds like the dive could happen any day now. When it does, it'll take nine hours both directions and Cameron is planning on staying at the bottom for as many as five hours as well. I get the feeling he won't be the only one holding his breath until he returns to the surface.

Deepsea Challenge: James Cameron To Dive The Mariana Trench

At 10,912 meters (35,800 ft) below sea level the Mariana Trench is the deepest point on our planet. It is so deep in fact that it has only been visited by humans once and that was back in 1960 when explorers Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard made the perilous voyage to the bottom of the sea. That means that more men have walked on the moon than have visited the trench, which is simply amazing when you think about it. Now, director James Cameron is planning on diving into the trench as well and, as you would expect, he plans to make a movie about the experience.

Last week Cameron completed testing of the specially designed and built submersible that he'll use on this dive. On the last test run he took the vehicle down to about five miles below the surface of the Earth and the equipment all checked out and performed to spec. Following that shakedown cruise he immediately traveled to Guam, where he is making the final preparations for his journey into the trench, which runs for more than 1500 miles along the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition is being called the Deepsea Challenge and Cameron has partnered with both National Geographic and Rolex on this endeavor. During the dive, he'll spend approximately five hours at the trench's lowest point, known as the Challenger Deep, where he hopes to gather a variety of samples to be used in a number of research projects. The voyage down and back up will take an additional 90 minutes in both directions and all the while he'll be filming the expedition in High Definition 3D. That footage will be used in a documentary, most likely for IMAX, sometime down the line.

There is no exact date yet set for the dive, but Cameron and his team are working towards launching the expedition in the near future. The video below gives us a bit of perspective on what he can expect as he makes this journey to the ocean's deepest point.