A famed ocean explorer who discovered the Titanic is leading an expedition of the California Coast on a state-of-the-art vessel. His mission: to map the mostly unknown sea floor of the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary and live stream every minute of it to classrooms, learners and scientists across the country.
The Exploration Vehicle Nautilus' "telepresence" technology lets experts lead the research team from anywhere in the world if the crew makes a discovery or is unsure of a finding's significance. Dr. Robert Ballard, who found the Titanic in 1985 and has conducted 150 deep sea expeditions, said he has been dreaming of the technology since 1981.
Ballard's ties to LA run deep. He was raised in Downey, educated at UC Santa Barbara and the University of Southern California and he lives in the area.
"We will bring the brightest minds in America to the point of discovery within 30 minutes," Ballard said.
Parts of the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary remain a mystery. Ballard said more is known about the moon and Mars than the chain of eight islands off the coast of Santa Barbara. As of 2014, 50 percent of the region's sea floor was poorly mapped, according to the research team's expedition overview.
Two remote operated vehicles, the Hercules and the Argus, allow the team to conduct exploratory dives and gather samples from the sea floor. Each is equipped with a camera that feeds live footage to a website.
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Viewers can ask questions in real time and receive answers from the crew. During a recent trip, the team says it answered 60,000 inquiries.
The three-week expedition is part of a collaboration between AltaSea and the Ocean Exploration Trust that aims to provide access to science for kids in Southern California. Three educators will join the research team during different parts of the expedition.
"The Nautilus can help kids in this region, including some who live within walking distance in pretty rough neighborhoods, to make the right decisions in their lives as they fight to overcome very difficult circumstances," said Jenny Krusoe, executive director of AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles.
The research team set sail Friday from the Port of Los Angeles, where the Nautilus is based. A similar vessel will be housed on the East Coast.
After the Channel Islands expedition, Ballard and the Nautilus will head to Baja California before returning to LA in November.
