The expedition, which departed from Galveston, Texas on Oct. 16, is Alvin's first to the Gulf in eight years. With this trip, Alvin has made 3,637 dives since it was launched in 1964. The Commerce Department 's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sponsored the expedition through its National Undersea Research Program Center at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington . Alvin Expedition Coordinator, Andy Shepard from UNCW and Alvin Expedition Chief Scientist, Dr. Ian MacDonald of TAMU are available for interviews. Video highlights of the mission, including footage of sea creatures and ecosystems thriving in total darkness thousands of feet beneath the surface, is available.
Photos are on the expedition Web site.