SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is sending a world-class submarine and a team of researchers to the sea floor, taking one of the deepest dives in human history. Crews spent time preparing the submersible at the Nimitz Marine Facility in Point Loma Friday.
It's bound to the coast of Alaska, on a first-of-its-kind mission.
"Looking for new everything," said Lisa Levin, a Distinguished Professor Emerita at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "New species, new ecosystems and habitats, and new ways of life. We also are in research mode."
Levin is going to lead a team of scientists to study parts of the ocean floor later this month. She's also one of the world's leading experts on the submarine they're using for the trip.
"I've been diving on Alvin for decades now," said Levin.
The D.S.V. Alvin may sound familiar, because it's the same submarine used to discover the wreckage of the Titanic back in 1986.
It's had several upgrades over the past few decades to handle some of the deepest dives people have ever taken. That includes this month's upcoming trip going as deep as 5,000 kilometers, or 3.1 miles.
"Knock on wood there haven't been any accidents. So I don't worry about safety," said Levin. "It gets cold over the course of the many hours down there, especially the deeper you go."
The destination: Methane seeps, places where methane leaks out of the ocean flood.
"Methane's really potent greenhouse gas. So if it gets into the atmosphere it can exacerbate global warming," said Levin. "So we're really interested in what keeps the methane from getting into the atmosphere. And the answer is the microbes and animals at methane seeps."
So those microbes could turn into tools in the fight against climate change.
"They basically eat the methane, the microbes do," said Levin. "I think if we can mimic some of those it can be very useful for processes on land, like landfills."
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is teaming up with researchers from places like Caltech, UCLA and the World Hole Oceanographic Institution. The expedition starts May 16.
