| Press Releases - April 2005
April 29, 2005- New ExxonMobil Technology to Substantially Reduce Subsea Well Intervention Costs
April 23, 2005- MBARI Records ROV Dives on Video Annotation and Reference System
April 21, 2005- ROVeXchange Distributes MicroWing Conversion Kit for VideoRay ROV
April 20, 2005- Mystery of Sunk Sub Re-examined in ROV Survey
April 14, 2005- European Ecosystem Project Employs ROVs and AUVs
April 12, 2005- Benthos Stingray ROV Systems Accepted by Canada Border Services Agency for Port and Harbor Security
April 7, 2005- Univeristy of Victorica faculty share in C$23.8 million for research support, including $144,067 for an ROV system
April 4, 2005- National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions Launch Inaugural Journey of National Geographic Endeavour- with ROV Onboard
April 3, 2005- 'Vampire' Fish Found in Amazon with aid of ROV
Past press releases are also available:
Current Press Releases
Date: April 29, 2005
Organization: Exxon Mobil Corporation
New ExxonMobil Technology to Substantially Reduce Subsea Well Intervention Costs
Irving, TX- (Business Wire) - Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) announced today that it has developed a new technology that significantly reduces the cost and time of downhole logging, acidizing and other interventions in deepwater oil and gas wells.
The Subsea Intervention Module (SIM) system is expected to perform these activities up to three times faster than a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU). Initially, cost savings of the SIM system compared to a MODU are expected to be up to 50%. The expected lower operational cost of the SIM system will lead to improved production rates and accelerated reserve recovery benefits to operators and host nations.
The patented SIM system, which ExxonMobil has been developing for several years, consists of a 380-foot long vessel designed to accommodate a specially designed intervention tool that is lowered to the sea floor and latched onto the subsea well.
The SIM tool will be functional in up to 6,500 feet of water. It will be able to accommodate well depths of up to 13,000 feet below the sea floor. The system is designed for use in wells employing horizontal subsea trees with 36-inch structural casings.
To commercialize this new technology, an ExxonMobil affiliate has licensed the SIM system to a joint venture formed by BJ Services Company (NYSE:BJS), a leading provider of pressure pumping, coiled tubing and well-intervention services, and Otto Candies, LLC, a specialty offshore vessel operator. This venture will operate the SIM system following completion of design and construction in approximately three years.
"The SIM system is another tangible example of ExxonMobil's world-class research and development capabilities, which is a cornerstone in building our reputation as the preferred partner for host nations around the globe," said Rex Tillerson, president of Exxon Mobil Corporation. "We envision the system will help to maximize production from subsea wells and aid the economics and potential development of deepwater offshore fields."
According to Bill Stewart, Chairman and CEO of BJ Services Company, "the SIM system represents a tremendous advancement in coiled-tubing technology which will allow us to deploy many of our existing world-class remedial well-intervention technologies in the expanding deepwater market."
"The SIM vessel will be a dynamically positioned ship, which will be about 1.5 times the size of a standard offshore stimulation vessel," said Otto Candies, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Otto Candies, LLC. "The ship will feature a large moonpool for deployment of the SIM tool, a mission control center and accommodations for a crew of more than 100 people. It will be outfitted with all the fluid tanks, pumps, work areas and other systems needed for the SIM subsea intervention work."
ExxonMobil, BJ Services and Otto Candies intend to introduce the SIM system at this year's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), May 2-5, at the Reliant Center in Houston. A detailed model, short film describing the system and additional information will be available at the BJ Services Exhibition Booth #5527. Technical experts will also be on hand at OTC to answer questions.
NOTE: This tool will be the world's largest ROV, or more accurately, the largest remotely operated tool (ROT). The MTS ROV committee chair's day job is designing and managing the build of the control systems and two work class ROV systems that will be a part of the tool.
CONTACT: ExxonMobil Bob Davis, 713-656-4376 or BJ Services Trey Whichard, 713-462-4239 or Otto Candies, LLC Nicki Candies, 504-469-7700.
Date: April 23, 2005
Organization: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
MBARI Records ROV Dives on Video Annotation and Reference System
Video Data Turns Into Knowledge- With thousands of hours of videotape, researchers needed a better way to access and use the images.
 Moss Landing, CA- By Leonard A. Hindus- In a dark room in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), technicians called "annotators" search deep-sea videotapes looking for creatures that look like they could be the products of a mad scientist. Some species are known and familiar; some have never been seen before.
In February 2004, researchers discovered a "bumpy" jellyfish that moves through the water like a shooting star, trailing four fleshy oral arms -- but no tentacles -- behind it. This and other unique features resulted in the jelly's categorization as a new genus and species.
Each organism, once classified, is entered into a computerized database, dubbed the knowledge base, using a taxonomic annotation along with the tape identifier and time code. Sometimes a frame grabber is included.
The Institute was founded in 1987 by David Packard, a founder of Hewlett Packard Inc. "MBARI emphasizes the peer relationship between engineers and scientists as a basic principle of its operation," Packard wrote on the MBARI website. "All of the activities of MBARI must be characterized by excellence, innovation, and vision." A goal of MBARI is to "transfer research results, technology and operational techniques to the marine science community worldwide."
In keeping with these goals, the Institute uses high-resolution video equipment to record more than 300 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives per year. Researchers needed a system to maintain a database of the information contained on the thousands of hours of tape so that the information is accessible and useful to researchers. In the past 16 years, 11,000 hours of videotape have been annotated and archived into a centralized institutional resource. Using the videotapes, researchers and lab technicians have produced more than 50,000 frame grabs and 1.21 million interpretive annotations. All of this research is available, free of charge, over the Internet through the Knowledge Base and an archival system called the VARS Query system.
MBARI Software Engineer Brian Schining says the VARS (Video Annotation and Reference System) consists of three parts, the annotation system, the knowledge base and the query system.
The Annotation System The annotation system is how data gets entered into the knowledge base. The annotators scan the tapes looking for biological or geological features. Each animal and feature is classified. When a feature or animal is entered, the system notes the time code from the tape or disc. At this stage, these data are matched with conductivity, salinity, temperature, depth, oxygen and navigation data and ancillary data such as vehicle position, and camera state values including focus, zoom, iris and fieldwidth. The annotator has the option of grabbing and storing the frame and can enter descriptive information such as "The rockfish swam on the sea floor," or "The rockfish is red."
The user interface for the annotation system can be customized by each annotator. The user can set up a custom icon tab, allowing them to add observations. Each icon represents a word, specifically the name of a concept. For efficient annotation, the user can create separate tabs for different types of dives, such as Geology or Midwater, and populate each with the names of observed objects in those categories.
The Institute operates a number of remotely operated vehicles including the Tiburon and the Ventana. The Tiburon has a Panasonic WVE550 three- chip camera. The Ventana has a Sony HDC-750A high-definition camera. For recording all dives, they use Sony's DVW-500/A500 Digital Betacams. For recording select dives, a Panasonic AJ-HD2000 high-definition recorder is used. The annotators scan the images using a studio monitor and a Sony DVW5000 digital betacam tape deck.
"We save all our video to tape," says Nancy Jacobsen Stout, MBARI's video lab manager. "It is important to retain the maximum definition possible and only tape has sufficient capacity without any compression." Tape also lets them archive the video over time.
The Knowledge Base The knowledge base is the core of the system. "Right now we keep the knowledge base on a Microsoft Sequel Server," says Schlining, "but we are not wedded to it. The knowledge base constrains the annotators to a set of terms that can later be used to retrieve the data."
The system employs a knowledge base of taxonomic and litho logic terms, equipment, behaviors and other descriptive elements, so that the context and spelling of ideas are consistent. This same knowledge base is employed later by the samples database, so that specimens can be queried for by keywords derived from the same body of terms.
MBARI's knowledge base is a lexicon of more than 3,500 biological, geological and technical terms used to describe deep-sea research conducted by the institute. This database is comprised of objects, which are identifiable things such as Atolla wyvillei jelly, fault, myctophid fish, gas vent and suction sampler. The knowledge base also contains associations, which serve as descriptors, such as blue, large, juvenile or active. The descriptors can be associated with the objects being analyzed. The taxonomic data can be viewed in alphabetic or hierarchical order and is accompanied by descriptive information that serves as a marine-reference guide for system users.
The knowledge base ensures that the data can be accessed by a variety of equivalent terms. For example, the genus Sabastes includes rock cods that are also commonly called rock fish, rock cod or rosefish. The knowledge base recognizes any of those terms for fish of the genus Sabastes.
The Query System A key to the reference system is its accessibility. "The VARS system is unique in that it is designed to be accessible by anyone anywhere who has access to the Internet," says Stout.
Scientists at MBARI and collaborative researchers use information from the VARS database to investigate individual species and the relationships between them. They document such things as depths, spatial relationships, seasonal occurrences, seawater conditions and diversity of organisms in Monterey Bay waters. Scientists can also use the timecode-referenced database queries to return to archived videotapes for more comprehensive analysis of organisms, to view a geological feature, locate deep-sea equipment or other research.
Event Detection MBARI is now developing technology to visually process images for event detection and for recognition of target biological species. The system, which is called AVED (Automatic Visual Event Detection), will use neural network technology to locate and identify animals and features.
"Annotation is very intense work by highly trained people," says Stout. "The annotator has to scan through the tape to locate an animal or feature. They have to identify that feature or classify that animal, enter that information with relevant comments into the knowledge base and then scan for the next animal or feature." Sometimes there are many animals in the frame. Each one must be annotated and entered into the knowledge base with comments on their relationship to each other. Says Stout: "Because of fatigue and eyestrain, we don't allow our annotators to work more than four hours a day. Even a system that did no more than scan the tape and locate animals or features would be a great help."
MBARI is developing an automated system for detecting marine organisms visible in the videos. Video frames are processed with a neuromorphic selective attention algorithm. The candidate objects of interest are tracked across video frames using linear Kalman filters. If objects can be tracked successfully over several frames, they are labeled as potentially "interesting" and marked in the video frames. The plan is that the system will enhance the productivity of human video annotators and cue a subsequent object classification module by marking candidate objects.
The goal is to identify an organism autonomously in real time. State-of-the-art feature and motion-detection chips, modeled after biological vision systems as silicon implementations of the selected algorithms, will be used. These neuromorphic systems feature ultra-low power, large dynamic range and intrinsic real-time image processing and feature detection with greatly reduced data-storage requirements. The science application focus includes mid-water and deep-ocean animals, as well as animals that use bioluminescence in the deep sea.
Many organizations are tackling the problem of how to make video images and the information they contain accessible. Few other organizations have ever attempted to index the amount of videotape that MBARI has collected. Even fewer maintain the depth of information the VARS system contains.
MBARI had a vision of what data they wanted to annotate. Even more remarkable, they wanted to make the knowledge base available to any researcher, anywhere who wanted to use it. The combination of the Annotation System and Knowledge base and the Query System is a practical example of how videotape can be turned into a flexible resource. MBARI is achieving its primary goal of turning thousands of hours of videotape into a flexible knowledge resource for the global research community.
Date: April 21, 2005
Organization: ROVeXchange, LLC
ROVeXchange Distributes MicroWingTM Conversion Kit for VideoRay ROV
 Pacific Northwest - ROVeXchange, LLC based in Oregon, is now distributing the new patented arcuate (bow) shaped MicroWingTM conversion kit, which is to be used on the VideoRay® underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for towing and current operations.
The MicroWingTM is a scaled down version of the larger observation or general class ROV, The Nova Ray®. The Nova Ray® solves long-time industry struggles with cable drag in strong currents, creating unequaled ocean and river maneuverability, stability and performance. Its modular design, portability and multi-use platform address the serious challenges of underwater environments.
The creators of the patented arcuate shaped wing, Nova Marine Exploration, Inc. based in Kirkland, Washington, came up with the idea to create a mini MicroWingTM conversion kit for the VideoRay® in hopes they could better aid military, government and law enforcement agencies in their quest for safer waters and effective rapid response. Many of these agencies choose to purchase and use the VideoRay® due to it being very small in size and lower in price, compared to the Nova Ray®. Now with the MicroWingTM conversion kits the possibilities on each mission are expanded dramatically.
The MicroWingTM is great for use in all current and towing operations. Wide area surveys and undersea mapping and documentation are performed with ease. The MicroWingTM conversion kit will be an excellent tool for all VideoRay® owners and operators.
 
For more information on the patented arcuate wing design, along with information on the MicroWingTM conversion kit and Nova Ray® vehicles visit: www.novaray.com and www.rovexchange.com/microwing.
ROVeXchange.com is a central online remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and maritime activities community, providing a meeting place for top employers and job seekers, along with up to date ROV news, reviews, specifications, interviews and much more. Visit www.rovexchange.com.
Date: April 20, 2005
Organization: National Undersea Research Center, NOAA, and the History Channel Series, Deep Sea Detectives; in coordination with the Naval Historical Center
Mystery of Sunk Sub Re-examined in ROV Survey
By Cara Berkley, Naval Historical Center Public Affairs- The Naval Historical Center (NHC) received the official report in April from a September 2004 survey, which shed light on the loss of the submarine USS O-9, which mysteriously sank June 20, 1941, with the loss of all 33 Sailors. Coordinated with the NHC, the survey was undertaken by the National Undersea Research Center (NURC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the History Channel Series, Deep Sea Detectives.
"The NHC is responsible for archiving the Navy's history and as such, safekeeping this report ensures that the Center and the Underwater Archeology Branch in particular continues to fulfill its mandate," said Dr. Robert Neyland, Underwater Archaeology Branch, NHC.
The wreck of the submarine, renumbered SS-70 in 1941, was examined over three days using a NURC research vessel and remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The Research Center's staff and crew were able to confirm the exact position of O-9, which is situated at an upright angle at an average depth of 409 feet and remains virtually intact despite the decades it has spent permanently submerged on the New London seabed.
"The objectives of the survey included determining the condition of the vessel, collecting video and photographic documentation, and investigating a potential cause for the submarine's loss," said Dr. Susan B.M. Langley, senior scientist/principal investigator. "The report indicates that these aims were largely achieved despite the interference from marine life."
The film crew faced the challenge of navigating the ROV while carefully avoiding entangling fishing nets that surround the submarine's bow. When approaching from the stern, the survey discovered that the most severe damage to the vessel is in the vicinity of the engine room and the aft battery compartment.
"Dr. Langley's survey of the USS O-9 provides the Navy with a fresh look at the wreck and the grave site," said Neyland. "This survey and the following documentary illustrate that the Navy's history, tradition, and sacrifice survives in the sea."
Due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, just six months after the sinking, the tragedy was almost forgotten. This remained the case until 1997, when retired naval officer and diver Glen Reem personally persuaded Klein Associates, a sonar designer and supplier, to run a sonar search to relocate the stricken submarine, reopening interest in the O-9 mystery.
During the survey, a film crew from History Channel's Deep Sea Detectives documented, filmed and chronicled the research team's activities, which will be featured on an upcoming episode entitled "The Forgotten Sub of WW II", which is due to air in May. Descendants of the lost Sailors also participated in the documentary by throwing a commemorative wreath in memory of their relatives who have not received the same attention as their shipmates lost in action during World War II.
Date: April 14, 2005
Organization: Southampton Oceanography Centre/HERMES project
European ecosystem project employs ROVs and AUVs
 Europe's deep-ocean margin - where the continental shelf plunges from a depth of 200 metres to the abyssal plain some 4,000 metres below - stretches for some15,000 kilometres, from the Arctic to the Iberian peninsular, extending through the Mediterranean and into the Black Sea.
The majority of this frontier lies within Europe's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and its biological, energy and mineral resources are therefore of great strategic interest. But exploiting these resources in a sustainable manner requires a thorough understanding of the ocean margin ecosystem - something that does not exist today, but which a new 15 million euro EU research project is aiming to provide.
The HERMES project (hotspot ecosystem research on the margins of European seas) is funded under the global change and ecosystems priority of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). With a consortium made up of 36 research institutes and nine small companies from 15 countries, HERMES is one of the largest projects of its kind in the world.
The EU has already funded a number of small research projects on the deep-ocean margin, at specific locations and within one major discipline. The HERMES project represents a significant advance, however, as it involves a coordinated research effort along the entire European margin, and will greatly benefit from the ability to compare results from different locations having employed common research methods.
At a series of study sites, experts from a range of disciplines - biodiversity, geology, sedimentology, physical oceanography, microbiology, biogeochemistry, and socio-economics - will undertake the first major attempt to understand Europe's deep-ocean ecosystems in an integrated way.
The types of ecosystem found at these depths are diverse, from open slopes where biological communities are affected by landslides and deep-ocean currents, to communities dependent on escaping fluids from the seabed (cold seeps), cold-water coral mounds, canyon communities and anoxic environments (those without oxygen).
Coordinating the project is Phil Weaver, from the Southampton Oceanography Centre in the UK. 'These systems are incredibly fragile and need urgent study,' he says. 'A key goal of the HERMES project is to evaluate the vulnerability of these communities to global change and human activities, and if necessary, develop strategies to protect them. The outcome of our research will provide policy advice to the EU.'
The international team will aim to link their research on biodiversity and biological processes with the knowledge they are able to generate on the physical factors affecting these ecosystems, including geology and sedimentology. The scientists are also keen to put their findings into historical context by studying the sediment record to determine long-term environmental changes and their effect on ecosystems.
'Changes due to large-scale natural forcing (e.g. climate oscillations, sea level change) or to more local human effects (e.g. resource exploitation, inputs of pollutants and nutrients) must be distinguished from each other before man's activities make this distinction impossible,' states the project website.
The type of research that the team will carry out over the next four years will require sophisticated technology, such as remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles (ROV/AUV). Such resources are only available in certain Member States - another reason why such a large consortium is necessary - and the project will include coordination of the large-scale infrastructure of Europe's marine institutions.
By studying these 'hotspot' deep-ocean ecosystems and the wealth of unknown species that inhabit them, it is hoped that HERMES can deliver the knowledge needed to devise plans for the sustainable management of these most fragile and mysterious of European resources.
For further information, please consult the following web addresses: http://www.eu-hermes.net/ and http://www.cordis.lu/sustdev/environment/
Date: April 12, 2005
Organization: Benthos, Inc.
Benthos Stingray ROV Systems Accepted by Canada Border Services Agency for Port and Harbor Security
North Falmouth, MA (Business Wire)- Benthos, Inc. (NASDAQ: BTHS) has announced that Canada Border Services Agency (formerly Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) has accepted shipment of an additional five Stingray remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems that were ordered in February of this year. This follows rigorous acceptance testing that was conducted by Canada Border Services Agency in March. These five additional Stingray systems will be added to the fleet of five Stingray systems that were deployed by Canada Border Services Agency throughout Canada in March 2004. The Stingray units have proven to be highly successful in finding and identifying objects illegally attached to ships' hulls below the water line - particularly illegal drugs - and will continue to be used by the Canada Border Services Agency in port and harbor security operations. The Stingray is an inspection class ROV well suited for these security applications. For example, Stingray can inspect the critical hull areas of a 600-foot long vessel in two to three hours.
In June of 2004, a Stingray system was used to discover 83 kilograms of cocaine attached to a ship's hull in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
A Stingray system was also used last December in New Brunswick, Canada to accomplish another large drug seizure. In a news release, Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that they had confiscated 52 kilograms of cocaine that was attached to the hull of a Croatian-registered ship. The coal-carrying ship had originated in Venezuela and was targeted as needing inspection. A Stingray was dispatched with a small team of operators to conduct the search. An irregularity was discovered on the ship's hull and a RCMP diving team then quickly recovered the drugs, which were found in two plastic bags in the sea chest below the water line.
According to an article published in the New Brunswick Telegraph Journal at the time of this seizure, a Canada Border Services agent was quoted as saying, "Prior to the ROVs, in order to search a vessel's hull, (we) had to have divers and that posed risks to human health and safety. These are enormous vessels and we wanted to make sure the divers are safe."
Stingray ROV systems are small, lightweight (70 pounds) vehicles designed to perform a variety of underwater missions. They are equipped with high-resolution video cameras, lights, and powerful thrusters that allow them to operate in hostile marine environments that could pose risks to divers. A single Stingray ROV system includes an underwater vehicle, a remote control operator handbox, a topside control console, a high-resolution video display, a tether with storage reel, and a launch and recovery system. 
A Benthos Stingray ROV being deployed for a ship hull inspection. (Photo: Business Wire)
Benthos, Inc., through its Undersea Systems Division, designs, manufactures, sells and services a variety of oceanographic products for underwater tasks; and through its TapTone Package Inspection Systems Division makes systems for testing consumer packages made of glass, metal or plastic. The common stock of the Company is traded on the Nasdaq SmallCap market under the symbol BTHS. For more information, Benthos can be found on the Internet at www.benthos.com.
Contact:
Benthos, Inc., Peter Zentz, Corporate Communications Manager, 508-563-1000
Date: April 7, 2005
Organization: University of Victoria
UVic faculty share in C$23.8 million for research support, including C$144,067 for an ROV system
Victoria, BC - Canada (UVic Communications) - Thanks to the Canada Foundation for Innovation's New Opportunities Fund, faculty members at UVic will soon be equipping labs to further their research. The fund provides infrastructure support to newly recruited academic staff. It also helps universities attract high-calibre researchers in areas that are essential to their research objectives. At UVic on March 10, Industry Minister David Emerson and Carmen Charette, CFI senior vice-president, joined UVic President David Turpin to announce C$23.8 million in funding to Canadian universities, C$760,588 of which is coming to UVic.
"This funding strengthens Canada's international research position," says Turpin. "It helps UVic recruit and retain outstanding scholars whose research contributes to the betterment of all Canadians."
The UVic researchers who received funding include Dr. Brad Buckham (mechanical engineering) who received C$144,067 to build a small, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system to test and develop advanced underwater vehicle technology. This technology is critical to maintaining Canada's leading role in undersea exploration, and especially to the installation and maintenance of the VENUS and NEPTUNE ocean observatories, both led in Canada by UVic.
The B.C. Knowledge Development Fund is an equal matching partner in CFI projects.
Date: April 4, 2005
Organization: National Geographic Society / Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions Launch Inaugural Journey of National Geographic Endeavour- with ROV Onboard
Valparaiso, Chile (PRNewswire) - National Geographic Endeavour today set sail on its 20-day inaugural voyage from Valparaiso, Chile, to the Panama Canal, launching an exciting, multifaceted alliance between the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions, leading pioneers in exploration and travel. On board the newly christened ship, formerly known as M.S. Endeavour, are National Geographic President and CEO John Fahey and Lindblad Expeditions President and Founder Sven-Olof Lindblad. The partnership, which signifies a new standard of excellence in the field of expedition travel, is aimed at furthering collaboration in the areas of scientific research, conservation and educational programming. During the launch ceremonies, Fahey and Lindblad unveiled plans for unparalleled opportunities for travelers to explore remote, pristine and endangered regions with scientists and photographers and to witness, firsthand, scientific discoveries and the use of new technologies, while interacting with experts in the field.
"This partnership is a great fit with our mission of advancing geographic knowledge, while promoting the conservation of natural and cultural resources," Fahey said. "We can now bring travelers to places that National Geographic has covered over the past century and allow them to participate in scientific exploration in real time from this special ship that bears our name."
Lindblad acknowledged National Geographic as a catalyst for inspiring both him and his father, Lars-Eric Lindblad, a pioneer of expedition travel who founded Lindblad Travel in 1958. "This partnership is a dream come true," said Lindblad, "and this voyage ahead of us promises to take us farther than we can both imagine."
Joining Fahey and Lindblad on this voyage is renowned high-altitude archaeologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Johan Reinhard, best known for his work in the Andes, especially his discovery of the Inca ice maiden in Peru. Other experts on board are Peruvian-born archaeologist and National Geographic grantee Guillermo Cock and National Geographic photographer Pablo Corral.
As on all Lindblad voyages, a seasoned expedition team, including veteran Expedition Leader Tom Ritchie, naturalists, undersea specialists, biologists and geologists, will run the day-to-day expedition. Among the many highlights of the inaugural voyage will be Zodiac cruises for up-close viewing of marine mammals, coves and bird colonies; hikes along the coast and inland; and visits to cultural and geological points of interest, such as Andean villages, museums and national parks. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV), hydrophones, video microscopes, "splash cams" and underwater cameras will be used to gather underwater data.
Enhancements to the  National Geographic Endeavour -- which now bears the Society's distinctive yellow border -- for its maiden voyage include the newly released "National Geographic Atlas of the World, 8th Edition" with a built-in rack in every cabin, National Geographic furniture, photographs, globes, maps, binoculars and other expedition gear. Some of these enhancements are being incorporated fleet-wide at Lindblad, allowing guests aboard the other ships to benefit from the partnership.
Photo: Newscom
A National Geographic expert will accompany all future departures of the National Geographic Endeavour. National Geographic photographer and arctic expert Paul Nicklen will accompany the July 17 "Land of the Ice Bears" Expedition to Arctic Norway. Journalist and former host of the National Geographic Explorer television series Boyd Matson will be on board the Jan. 7, 2006, and Jan. 18, 2006, voyages to Antarctica.
National Geographic experts also will join select other Lindblad ships in coming months. Biologist, inventor and filmmaker Greg Marshall and his team will spend May and June this year on board Lindblad's M.V. Sea Voyager, conducting research in the Sea of Cortez on sperm whales, using Marshall's innovative Crittercam video technology.
About National Geographic
The 117-year-old National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. It reaches more than 280 million people each month through its official journal National Geographic and four other magazines; the National Geographic Channel, books, films, videos, maps and interactive media. The Society has funded nearly 8,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. National Geographic's travel products and services include National Geographic Traveler and Adventure magazines, travel guidebooks, maps and National Geographic Expeditions, the Society's travel program that operates more than 100 trips each year to destinations around the globe. For more information about the Society, visit http://nationalgeographic.com; AOL Keyword NatGeo.
About Lindblad Expeditions
Lindblad Expeditions was founded in 1979, originally as a division of Lindblad Travel, which was founded in 1958 by Lars-Eric Lindblad, the pioneer of expedition travel. Lindblad operates a fleet of six ships in regions such as Galapagos, Antarctica, Arctic Norway, Alaska and Baja California, to name a few. The company is known for its commitment to sustainable tourism and is the recipient of many environmental awards, including the Conde Nast Traveler Ecotourism Award (2002) and the ASTA/Smithsonian Magazine Environmental Award (1993). Sven Lindblad is a member of the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands; he serves on the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund and the Board of Directors of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation for Nature. He is a founding member of the Galapagos Conservation Fund and is a recipient of the United Nations Environmental Programme Global 500 Award (2001).
Source: Lindblad Expeditions
Date: April 3, 2005
Organization: BBC / University of Sao Paulo
'Vampire' Fish Found in Amazon with aid of ROV
By Emily Pennink (The Scotsman) - It may sound like a fishy horror story, but scientists really have discovered a blood-sucking vampire-like creature, according to the BBC. It was one of four new species of fish discovered on the bottom of the Amazon river in South America during the filming of the BBC One series Amazon Abyss.
The programme follows the exploration of the murky depths of the Amazon for the first time by an international team of scientists and divers, led by the BBC. Diving to new depths of 150 ft and using a remote operated vehicle to descend 300 ft into the darkness, the team recorded images of life at the very bottom of the river.
The unnamed new species of fish is a smaller relative of the candiru, which is well known in the Amazon as a danger to people who go into the water. The candiru feeds parasitically by burrowing into body orifices, jamming itself in place using barbs along its sides then drinking the blood of its victim. The new fish species is about 25mm long and is thought to feed off larger fish by swimming into their gill slits and sucking their blood. It is not yet known if this new species poses a risk to humans like its larger relative, the candiru.
Scientist Mario de Pinna from the University of Sao Paulo, a world authority on Amazonian fish, joined the BBC's expedition to the Amazon and has come up with five suggestions for its Latin name. The public can log onto www.bbc.co.uk/nature to vote for their favourite name.
The scientific expedition launched by the BBC, with the University of Sao Paulo, is the largest diving expedition to the Amazon and the first to film the creatures that inhabit the unknown depths. The four species discovered by the team also include a new species of "land living" fish, and a catfish that is the only fish in the world to eat wood.
The Amazon is a vast river, in places wider and deeper than the English Channel. Its deepest reaches are a series of great scars in the river bed more than 300 feet deep. They have only just begun to be probed by scientists.
Using the latest high definition cameras, underwater cameraman Mike deGruy descended a 150 feet deep channel on the Rio Tapajos - the deepest anyone has ever been in the Amazon.
Amazon Abyss will be broadcast on BBC One starting Monday, April 4 at 7pm for five consecutive nights. Viewers will be able to log on and vote on names of the fish from  Monday 4 April to Friday 29 April. The result of the vote will be posted online at www.bbc.co.uk/nature. The ultimately decision on the naming of new species is made by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
Photo: BBC
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