On the R/V Falkor, the monitors sync up and display incoming real-time data of the ship identifying our location, movement, and other elemental data. I was intrigued by a line on the monitor that was steadily generating high-resolution imagery of the seafloor directly beneath us, this process of mapping called multi-beam sonar bathymetry. 

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It is this moment of the reveal with the mapping line that I find interesting. The art symbolizes the moment when the complexities and mysteries of the ocean floor are revealed to scientists through powerful technology. Presenting this artwork to the scientists was a way for us to see the mapping technique manifested in something other than a computer screen. And it offered ceremony and a connection to culture. 

Read more about the Moment of the Reveal on Schmidt Ocean Institute's cruise log.