Ethan Wachendorf

 

     Mission Aquamarine is a manned mission to Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the ocean. Only three men have been to this part of the Mariana Trench and only one of those men was able to study it. The overall goal of mission aquamarine is to collect samples of the bacteria, sediment, plants, and document anything found in Challenger Deep 11,035 meters below sea level.

     The sub being used will be equipped with 3-D cameras, a hydraulic grabber, and sample pods that will be prepared for both specific and general samples, and multiple safety features. The cameras will be documenting the process and getting images of aquatic animals and amoebas. The hydraulic grabber will be able to take rock samples and will also be calibrated so to capture (or grab) delicate xenophyophores as well. That function of the "Hydrograbber” arm is the most important because the goal after the mission is to study large xenophyophores. Of course the pressure from the surface and Challenger Deep are different, so when a xenophyophore is collected it will be put into a pressurized tank to maintain normal conditions. All of the other samples collected will have a more general storage tube that does not need such precise conditions.

     The second part of the mission is to send out sound pulses and document the geography of Challenger Deep. This is being done to recognize changes in the environment and possible patterns to identify natural disasters. These pulses may also find better dive spots or hotbeds for life of some kind.

The sub itself has multiple safety features incorporated, such as releasable weights to quickly resurface. Most of the sub is surrounded by batteries as a power source.

     The mission starts in january of 2016 when we begin testing the sub in shallower waters to make sure it is stable and all of the safety procedures are in order. We will continue these tests until early august when the Challenger Deep dive begins. However, mission Aquamarine will continue with the same process every year until the final dive in 2019.

After the end of each trench dive, picture and a summary will be released to the public and shown in schools to get the next generation interested in ocean exploration.