This inaugural year of the Sustainable Seas Expedition has focused on exploring the deeper water habitats of the national marine sanctuaries. In fact, science can't happen without exploration, because exploration is simply the act of observing new places or phenomena and asking questions.
Science follows from exploration by answering questions in a verifiable and systematic way.
Dr. Erich Mueller, SSE pilot in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, is able to explore deep water reefs more thoroughly with DeepWorker than he has been able to in the past, and thinks he sees fewer diseases in deepwater corals than he does in shallower water corals. Another example of using the DeepWorker for exploration and science is for the design and monitoring of the proposed Tortugas ecological reserve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Sustainable Seas Expedition and its DeepWorker submersible have much to contribute to the exploration and science of national marine sanctuaries. Here in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary we look forward to seeing and learning new things, asking many questions, and finding the answers to some of them.