Prepare a deep-sea submersible for a dive of more than 2.5 miles below the ocean's surface. Discover new species thriving in complete darkness. Guide a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to explore shipwrecks thousands of feet below the support ship. EXTREME DEEP: Mission to the Abyss sponsored by John Hancock Financial Services and Discovery Channel offers opportunities for hands-on exploration of an undersea world few have ever witnessed firsthand. Presented by Clear Channel Exhibitions in collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), EXTREME DEEP is a blockbuster interactive exhibit that highlights the adventure of deep-sea exploration and discovery.
EXTREME DEEP depicts the mysteries of the ocean's greatest depths. Newly discovered life forms, thermal vents and shipwrecks including Titanic are among the attractions in this deep-sea museum adventure, which puts exploration technology in the hands of museum patrons. Visitors will simulate the actions of oceanographers and scientists at nearly 20 EXTREME DEEP interactives. They include:
Research Vessel: The journey to EXTREME DEEP begins when visitors step aboard this ship-themed area into a model of a control van on the deck of a ship.
Command Center
Launch Alvin Interactive: Prepare Alvin for a deep-sea dive. Visitors can simulate the checklist the expedition commander must run through before each exciting dive. After you push the right buttons and turn the proper switches, this command center video illustrates stages of launching the 17-ton submersible for another trip to the abyss.
ROV (remotely operated vehicle) Shipboard Control Van: Video images offer remarkable detail of the sea floor and appear as though they were actually coming in live from an ROV. Visitors get to choose which amazing site to explore or which ROV to pilot by pushing buttons on multiple screens.
Under Pressure Interactive: A view of objects subjected to the tremendous water pressure at the bottom of the sea helps visitors understand the dangers and implications of deep-sea dives. Place your arm in a pressure cuff for a physical sense of increasing pressure.
Alvin Photo Op Interactive: Few will ever get to dive in the real Alvin, but we can all dream! Picture yourself as an Alvin crew member on this full-size Alvin mock-up with a mural of the ship Atlantis as the backdrop.
Alvin Personnel Sphere Interactive: Three visitors at a time enter this full-size recreation of the Alvin sphere to prepare for a dive. Complete a checklist of tasks to prepare the submersible to "dive." Video footage from actual dives appears in the three viewports.
Robot Arm Interactive: Watch through a 4-inch viewport window--just like Alvin's window--and attempt to operate Alvin's robotic arm. Others may watch the motions of the scaled-down robotic arm from the sides, then try to perform the same task watching only the video monitor.
Alvin Arm Artifact: It's the real thing! Touch and manipulate the claw of a real Alvin arm. This is the essential tool on Alvin used by scientists to collect biologic and geologic specimens for examination from the ocean floor.
Types of Vehicles: Visitors have all the pieces in their hands to build a high-tech submersible. Using colorful puzzle pieces, visitors can build one of WHOI's remarkable underwater explorers, let the pieces fall and try again.
Pilot A Sub: Little ones can enjoy the deep, too! Children 3-6 climb into and on this toy mini-sub one at a time and play with a periscope. An accompanying mural depicting the vehicles in the exhibit, including Jason, Alvin, ABE, and Remus, evoke an undersea experience.
Build A Sub: Kids of all ages can flex their engineering muscles building this 3-D Alvin. Using the lightweight, interconnecting pieces the complexity of this remarkable submersible is made clear. The arms go in front, the personnel sphere goes in the center. What else do you need to build a research sub?
Water Column Interactive: Highlight descriptions of sea life at different depths on a descent to the abyss.
Garden 9 North: "Now I know what it feels like to get out and walk around in this amazing world!" That's what a deep-sea biologist said about the vent site recreation. This life-size environment depicts what scientists never expected they would find-- life at the bottom of the ocean where the sun never shines. You can be Alvin's pilot and manipulate its cameras to zoom in on some of the more than 500 new species discovered in recent years.
Encounter with a Giant: Juan de Fuca Ridge: It's dark down here! Scientists see only what Alvin's lights illuminate. View Alvin in scale with the ocean depth for a sense of just how tiny the sub is. Turn on the light; is that a giant?
High Definition Video: Imagine your living room window opens up into the extreme depths of the ocean--it's that clear! Through the use of state-of-the-art, high definition technology, you will experience 9oNorth and the amazing and bizarre creatures that live at such depths.
High Resolution Video: "Swim with the fishes" (almost) by viewing astonishing video of three different vent sites, (1) 9oNorth off the coast of Mexico, (2) Juan de Fuca Ridge off the coast of Washington state, and (3) the Mid Atlantic Ridge, smack dab in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Biological/Geological Specimens: The Real Stuff. Five-foot worms, see-through crabs, and other fragile-yet-tough creatures thrive more than 3 miles below the ocean's surface. These other-worldly creatures live on a diet of hydrogen sulfide and bacteria, nestled snuggly around volcanic vents in near freezing water. Now we get to see them up close and personal. Visitors examine deep-sea life--biologic and geologic specimens--through a magnifying lens.
Shipwrecks
ROV Pilot: Explore the wreck of the Titanic as the ROV pilot. Manipulate this ROV and work with another guest to spot and identify surface details on the deck of the sunken vessel.
Shipwreck Footage: Explore three actual shipwrecks via video footage, including the Derbyshire, a Roman vessel and the century's most famous ship, Titanic.
Where in the World?: Explore the seas of the world with a high-tech viewer and select areas to learn more about. You target the areas of greatest interest to you. The viewers will provide you with specific information on what lies within reach at various ocean sites.
The Spinning Planet: The earth is our home. Its oceans, which make up 70 percent of its surface, make life possible. Choose from three spectacular views of our world--360o around of pure daylight showcasing the Earth's glorious colors, or two 180o journeys, one taking you from day to night and the other which peels away the water uncovering the breathtaking geography of the ocean floor.
EXTREME DEEP, designed for ages 6 and older, introduces geology, history, biology, chemistry, exploration and the critical role that technology plays in understanding our world and its future.
All releases & terrific photos available electronically at Clear Channel Exhibitions.
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