Into the Deep
This past fall, Hepsi Zsoldos found herself sailing the Pacific Ocean aboard the 274-foot research vessel Atlantis , part of an expedition linked via the Internet to 500 schools, including her own, Talley Middle School in Wilmington, Delaware. The 8th grade earth science teacher holds a master's degree in marine science and harbors a longtime fascination with the sea-floor hydrothermal vent systems that the Atlantis and its submersible, Alvin —best known for discovering the wreckage of the Titanic — were there to study.
While aboard the Atlantis for the National Science Foundation and the University of Delaware's Extreme 2002 project, she explained the ship's mission to students through phone calls and daily journal entries, participated in experiments, helped cook—and even learned to box. With research delayed by an encounter with Hurricane Kenna, Zsoldos was far from certain that she would make her scheduled date with the depths on October 29, but fair weather prevailed and she was cleared to dive.
The journey was of special significance for Zsoldos, who struggled with the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis for 14 years. At 39, she began a new drug regimen; within six weeks, she was climbing through a ropes course and preparing for the deep-sea dive. Later this spring, she plans to lead a second student-driven expedition to explore the unique chemistry and culture of the Black Sea. Compiled from Zsoldos' shipboard journals, available online at www.ocean.udel.edu/extreme2002 , here's her account of the journey that brought her classroom a mile and a half below the ocean's surface.
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