Tom Nalepa of NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory studies invasive mussels in the Great Lakes.

Launching Pisces V submersible

The R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa launches the Pisces V over her stern, while the chase boat stands by.

Divers Dave Pence (left) and Ken Longenecker hold up a banner commemorating the Hawai's Undersea Research Laboratory's 1,000th dive with the Pisces submersibles.

Ken Longenecker swims down to the acrylic dome brought down by the Pisces V, and checks to make sure that the special pump is working correctly. The dome is used to apply a non-toxi stain to the Leptoseris coral head to be used for measuring the growth rate of the coral over time.

Inside the 81-ton, 43 X 20 x 16.5 foot underwater laboratory are six bunks, shower and toilet, hot water, microwave, trash compactor, refrigerator, and even air conditioning and computers linked back to shore. Aquarius undersea habitat .

The seamount display at the Sant Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The main hall of the Sant Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The Science on a Sphere display at the Sant Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

This orange bamboo coral is between four and five feet tall and was found 5,475 feet below the surface. It is believed to belong to a newly discovered genus.

Raising the anchor on the OKEANOS EXPLORER

Raising the anchor on the OKEANOS EXPLORER

Sometimes the anchor acts like a bottom sampling device - bottom sediment seen on the flukes of the anchor.

Maintaining a sharp lookout

Bridge watch underway

Portable spectrum analyzer

Satellite modem

Helm with rudder angle indicator

Seirios and Little Hercules control console

Seirios, mother ship of Little Hercules, being launched.

Launching Seirios from the stern of the OKEANOS EXPLORER

Monitoring Seirios and Little Hercules from the control console

Preparing to launch Little Hercules during night operations

Launching Seirios from the stern of the OKEANOS EXPLORER

Over-the-side operations is a hard hat job.

Hard hats and life vests for use by crew of OKEANOS EXPLORER for use during deck operations.

Preparing water bottles for Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) profile and water sampling operations

Oceanography is still a combination of cutting-edge technology and traditional marlin-spike seamanship.

Communications with plot room and bridge are required during over-the-side operations.

Preparing to launch the CTD rosette

Hand signals are used between the launch supervisor and winch operator during over-the-side oceanographic operations.

Launching Seirios from the stern of the OKEANOS EXPLORER

Seirios on deck showing off its aluminum sculpted NOAA symbol

Launching Seirios from the stern of the OKEANOS EXPLORER

Launching Seirios from the stern of the OKEANOS EXPLORER. The boatswain is signaling to lower away.

Seirios entering its element ready for work.

Little Hercules being launched following the launch of its mother ship Seirios.

Little Hercules entering the water.

Little Hercules being readied for launching.

Little Hercules seen from Seirios in the water column.

Preparing to launch Little Hercules

An ROV camera platform used in addition to Little Hercules on INDEX 2010.

Control room for Seirios and Little Hercules allows scientists and engineers to control and monitor movements and data collection systems of Little Hercules and Seirios.

Scientist maintaining watchful eye on the observations and location of Little Hercules and Seirios.

Scientist monitoring Seirios and Little Hercules. The left-hand image is what is seen from Little Hercules while the right-hand image is Little Hercules seen from Seirios.

Control room for Seirios and Little Hercules. The left-hand image is what is seen from Little Hercules while the right-hand image is Little Hercules seen from Seirios.

The pilot's controls for Seirios and Little Hercules.

Reminiscent of a NASA mission, scientists and engineers monitor navigation and observations of Seirios and Little Hercules in control room.

Recovery team for Little Hercules and Seirios are photographed by Little Hercules camera during recovery operation.

Little Hercules seen from Seirios hovering above a giant hydrothermal spring on the Mid-Cayman Rise.