A multidisciplinary effort will augment a major, multi-media, educational expedition planned for the Guaymas Basin off the coast of Mexico scheduled for late February and early March 1993. The educational aspects of this program are being funded by the JASON Foundation for Education and the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations. Scientists will be using a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle system to explore the seafloor and conduct experiments. Investigators at sea will transmit live video from cameras mounted on the underwater vehicles via satellite to other scientists and students at several sites across the country. Concurrently, scientists ashore in their laboratories will also be able to control several functions of the remotely operated undersea vehicles while they are submerged. The expedition amounts to a significant undersea test of telepresence using modern oceano- graphic and satellite communications technologies. The NSF funds will permit the extended use of these undersea systems and communications links beyond that required for the JASON Project's educational purposes. NSF-sponsored ocean scientists will be able to test and assess the effectiveness of these modern undersea capabilities for controlling submerged vehicles and making seafloor observations remotely and for manipulating certain basic ocean science research experiments.
