Discussions continue through the summer while final funding decisions are being reached. The ship s schedule for the following year firms up by late August or September. The Marine Science coordinator is located at the Coast Guard's Pacific Area headquarters in Alameda, California. As soon as possible after a science cruise has been scheduled, a planning meeting with principal investigators will be arranged. Marine science personnel are happy to answer questions about the ship or refer inquiries to the appropriate person.
Email addresses are effective for both inport and underway use.
Despite compelling scientific justification, the Gakkel Ridge has been virtually unsampled petrologically due to the perennial ice cover. Detailed geochemical study of the samples along with geophysical estimates of crustal and lithospheric thickness can be combined to generate quantitative models of oceanic crust formation under ultra-slow spreading conditions. The Chief Scientist for this 63-day cruise is Dr. Peter Michael of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Tulsa. Dr. Jim Bellingham of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is Chief Scientist and principal investigator. The test of the AUV will involve high-latitude navigation, ice thickness measurement, thin ice search algorithm and under ice retrieval using recovery buoys.