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Science loses one of its finest research submarines
May 14, 2014 - 20:57
Nereus was lost while conducting a dive at 9,900 metres (32,500 ft) in depth in the Kermadec Trench
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Nereus was sent to complete the first systematic study of the Kermadec Trench.
Thirty days into the 40-day mission, about seven hours into a nine-hour dive, communications with Nereus was lost. When standard emergency recovery protocols were unsuccessful, the team initiated a search near the dive site. They then spotted several pieces of debris on the surface nearby later identified to be parts of Nereus, indicating a catastrophic implosion.
Nereus was a flagship ocean explorer for the US science community.