[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN RECOGNITION OF THE DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE ``ALVIN''

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                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2014

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of the 50th 
anniversary of the deep-sea research submersible Alvin and in 
celebration of the critical role the Woods Hole Oceanographic 
Institution (WHOI) has played in supporting ocean exploration for 
generations.
  Commissioned on June 5, 1964, Alvin epitomizes American innovation 
and has allowed our nation to secure its position as a global leader in 
oceanography and marine sciences. Throughout over 4,760 dives, Alvin 
has shed light on countless discoveries, including the first 
observation of the deep-sea mid-ocean ridge during the French-American 
Mid-Ocean Undersea Survey known as Project FAMOUS, exploration of wreck 
of the RMS Titanic, and emergency recovery of a hydrogen bomb from the 
Mediterranean Sea in 1966. Recently, Alvin served at the front lines of 
the response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster and investigated impacts 
to the deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.
  Today, Alvin continues to inspire scientists and engineers in 
developing a new generation of deep-submergence technology, which is 
vital to our national security and United States Naval operations, as 
well as marine commerce and maritime industries. Further, Alvin is a 
working example of the critical need for continued federal investments 
in research and development that will ensure that our understanding of 
this remaining frontier for discovery continues on trend.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in commemoration of Alvin and the 
irreplaceable advances in scientific research that it has helped to 
achieve. I am proud to represent Massachusetts, where Alvin and the 
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution call home.

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