Since 2004, the NOAA Ocean Exploration (OE) program and Dr. Robert Ballard’s Institute for Exploration (IFE) have conducted a series of expeditions using IFE’s remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) Hercules and Argus, and telepresence technology to provide scientists working on shore with high-definition video, images, and data in real time. These expeditions have also provided an opportunity for students, teachers, and the general public to share in the excitement of discovery — through events staged at “Exploration Command Center,” through links to real-time video via the Internet, and with various informal science centers and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (through a partnership with Immersion Presents). Finally, each expedition has served as a proving ground for a new paradigm for exploring unknown and poorly known ocean areas and phenomena using the new NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, currently undergoing conversion in Seattle, Washington. |