A look back at Alvin science verification (video)

The human-occupied submersible Alvin is ready to return to scientific research at its newly certified maximum depth of 6500 meters (4 miles). That's the conclusion of a team of scientists who have spent the past three weeks taking the iconic sub through its paces at locations at the Puerto Rico Trench and Mid-Cayman Rise, testing its scientific and engineering systems to ensure they are capable of supporting the demands of deep-sea sample and data collection.

"We set a high bar for Alvin and it easily met or exceeded our expectations," said Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Associate Scientist Anna Michel, chief scientist of the National Deep Submergence Facility that operates Alvin. "Alvin is ready for science."

Read the whole press release about science verification here.