A science team on the research vessel Seward Johnson departed Fort Pierce, FL, USA, Friday for the eastern Gulf of Mexico to gather baseline data against which to measure change if oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill reaches the area. The expedition will use a submersible, a ROV and other technology to assess and record conditions in the water column and on the seafloor. The mission is funded by NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology and is led by Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Other partners include SRI...
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