The Johnson Sea-Link submersible, in its element. Note the acrylic sphere, affording the pilot and one scientist a panoramic view of the deep ocean.
The two Johnson Sea-Link submersibles and their mother ship, the R/V Seward Johnson II, are slated to be sold by their owner, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Florida due to a lack of funds. These subs have a long history of scientific research and discovery around the world, detailed very well at Deep Sea News over the past week, including testimonials from scientists lucky enough to have made dives in the JSL. Aside from discovering the Bahamian sea grapes, these subs have had a role in thousands of deep-sea scientific studies, took the first video of the ironclad USS Monitor, and found the wreckage of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
If you felt yourself subtly enlightenened by the knowledge of fields of sea grapes rolling serenely across the abyss, please consider signing this petition to the State of Florida to help fund these submersibles and their ship.
