The VISIONS'11 Expedition

VISIONS'11 is a major research cruise scheduled for August 11 - September 1, 2011. Work to be accomplished is in preparation for the installation of the Regional Scale Nodes underwater cabled observatory as part of the National Science Foundation’s Ocean Observatories Initiative. This cruise will take place aboard the 274’ R/V Thomas G. Thompson and will utilize the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) ROPOS for real-time imaging, sampling, and mapping of 1) methane seeps and novel biological communities on the Oregon Margin at Hydrate Ridge, and 2) submarine hot springs on Axial Volcano, located more than 200 miles off the Washington coast.