"Using equipment that looks more like a space suit than scuba gear, we plunged to 444 feet on the Challenger seamount", says Jill Heinert in her online expedition log. Breathing a helium-rich breathing gas, their closed circuit rebreathers (CCR) enabled the recycling of precious gas supplies. Jill Heinert was diving with a Sentinel CCR from VR Technology and Brian Kakuk was using a Megalodon from Innerspace.

Sea level has fluctuated more than 100 m (328 ft.) up and down over the course of the Ice Ages. In order to learn more about climate and sea level fluctuations, the NOAA Ocean Explorer team conducted a multi-tiered project. This project has involved multibeam sonar mapping of the vertical cliffs on the platform edge, ROV dives to examine particular points on interest, and now mixed gas, closed circuit rebreather dives to make first hand geological and biological collections and observations.

In particular, the Ocean Explorer team examineed deep cave structures and wave cut notches that were formed when sea level was at its lowest point. The team consisted of a small team of the world’s foremost technical and scientific divers, using state of the art diving equipment, striving to solve puzzles that have until now evaded direct observation.

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