the Alvin

The deep sea is not an easy place to explore. To observe the ocean below 2,000 meters (or 6,562 feet), scientists must travel in deep-sea submersibles specially designed to endure the extreme pressure. Scientists from the United States use a submersible called the Alvin. Its successful missions have ranged from the first observation of hot-water vents to finding the Titanic.

Image credits: main image, courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.