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Blog: June 1, 2011

By Lauren Heesemann
Research Coordinator, MNMS

Joe Hoyt, Principal Investigator for the BOTA project, is interviewed by Wild Life Productions aboard the RV-8501. (NOAA)

I travelled to Ocracoke last week to meet the research team, the crew of the research vessel, RV-8501, and to help make sure that all the plans for this year's Battle of the Atlantic Expedition were falling into place. There was so much excitement as people arrived- old friends meeting up for another project together as new members arrived for their first BOTA Expedition, bringing lots of talent and technology with them. The RV-8501 captain and crew was busy preparing the boat for its days offshore: stocking, fueling, tidying, and organizing.

A researcher from University of TX Applied Research Laboratories talks to Wild Life Productions about the AUV that will be used for the first leg of the BOTA project. (NOAA)

The researchers were loading the equipment for the first phase of the project which included an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and sonar system. The flurry of excitement and all the cool gadgets at the dock attracted a number of Ocracoke visitors who came by to talk to the researchers and team to see what was going on. People only got more curious as the crew from Wild Life Productions, a film production company that will be filming the entire BOTA expedition, began interviewing researchers and capturing the beginnings of what is sure to be an amazing project.