Indopac Expedition, 1976-1977

INDOPAC was a cooperative international expedition consisting of some 15 legs on the R/V THOMAS WASHINGTON. The expedition investigated the deep circulation of the waters, the nature of the crust beneath the sea floor in the marginal basins of the western Pacific Ocean in cooperation with the R/V CHIU LIEN of National Taiwan University, and the R/V ATLANTIS II of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. One of the most significant accomplishments of the cruise was the recovery of live benthic amphipods from 5700 meters in pressure retaining traps. This was the first successful attempt to recover and maintain live deep-sea benthic animals in the laboratory. Legs 4, 5 and 6 provided preliminary site surveys for the International Program of Ocean Drilling series of drill sites across the marginal basins of the Philippine Sea. Work on Leg 13 was in cooperation with the K/M SAMUDERA of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

Explore the UC San Diego Digital Collections for more photos from the expedition

Reports:

• Cruise report, INDOPAC Expedition, legs 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8
• Cruise report, INDOPAC Expedition, legs 9-16

Letters, clippings and ship's logs available in the UC San Diego Library Digital Collections