August 6, 2010
Oceana Latitude Prepares to Set Sail in the Gulf
On Sunday, the Oceana Latitude will set sail from Fort Lauderdale on our Gulf of Mexico expedition.
Yesterday Oceana staff from Chile, Spain and around the U.S. began arriving in Florida to prepare for the launch. They sent us this report:
The boat is already abuzz with activity as sailors, engineers and technicians sort out all the last-minute details.
While Oceana photographers, cameramen, communications and scientific teams had a meeting about security and protocol matters aboard the research vessel, we could see the workers bringing supplies, food and diving equipment on-board, testing the deck tow, greasing the belt gear once more and making finishing touches to one of the bow sides.
The organized, meticulous and professional work of each member of the crew continued until the unceasing Florida sunshine finally hid behind the horizon.
Tomorrow will be a long day but extremely interesting. Many journalists from Miami and Fort Lauderdale will come aboard to interview Xavier Pastor, Expedition Leader, and Mike Hirshfield, Expedition Science Director, to learn more about our research plan in the Gulf of Mexico.
Stay tuned for more!