The A-frame at the stern of the research vessel Atlantis positions Alvin to be lowered into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday morning. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Atlantis chief mate Peter Leonard leaps off Alvin carrying a safety line back to a small boat dispatched from Atlantis. Leonard and Shipboard Scientific Services Group technician Allison Heater were Wednesday's "swimmers," who play important roles in launching and recovering the sub. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
SSSG technician Allison Heater swims back to Atlantis' small boat after assisting in Wednesday's launch. She holds a sound-phone used to talk with Alvin's pilot inside the sealed personnel sphere, keeping it above water so it won't get wet. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Able-bodied seaman Raul Martinez swims toward Alvin during Wednesday's recovery. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Ordinary seaman Ronnie Whims drives the small boat with able-bodied seaman Patrick Neumann aboard to retrieve the line to secure the sub to Atlantis. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Amanda Demopoulos, a biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, and University of Delaware chemist George Luther were the scientists who dove in Alvin Wednesday with Pilot Bob Waters. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
George Luther (left) of the University of Delaware and Don Nuzzio of Analytical Instrument Systems prepare their instrument on Alvin's payload basket the evening before a dive. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Expedition chief scientist Peter Girguis and Jennifer Delaney of Harvard University extract the viscera of a deep-sea clam collected by Alvin Wednesday. A preserved sample will be sent to the Ocean Genome Legacy, which aims to archive the DNA of every marine species and make the data available to scientists. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)