New deep-sea observatory goes live

摘要

Off the coast of Central California, in the inky darkness of the deep sea, a bright orange metal pyramid about the size of two compact cars sits quietly on the seafloor. Nestled within the metal pyramid is the heart of the Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) the first deep-sea ocean observatory offshore of the continental United States. Six years and USD13.5 million dollars in the making, the MARS Observatory went live on Monday, November 1.0, 2008, returning the first scientific data from 900 meters below the ocean surface. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) coordinated construction of the observatory. According to Marcia McNutt, MBARI president and CEO, Getting all of the components of the observatory to work together perfectly in the remote, unforgiving, inhospitable environment of the deep sea was no easy task. But the tougher the challenge, the greater the glory when it is finally achieved. Some day we may look back at the first packets of data streaming in from the MARS observatory as the equivalent of those first words spoken by Alexander Graham Bell: Watson, come here, I need you!