Live with E/V Nautilus | USS Independence | Farallon Islands

Join us on the web or in person for a live chat with scientists and educators on board the Exploration Vessel Nautilus as it uses an ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) to explore the ocean floor just offshore from the Bay Area. The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, covering some 3,300 square miles of ocean, contains more than 400 shipwrecks. The Nautilus crew will conduct the first visual survey of the wreck of the USS Independence, a World War II–era aircraft carrier that was later used in the nuclear weapons testing at Bikini Atoll. In 1951, the heavily damaged ship was sunk near the Farallon Islands, 30 miles west of San Francisco. The Nautilus will also survey two other shipwrecks, and will study how fish and invertebrates have colonized the wrecks. The Exploratorium is hosting a series of live webcasts with scientists and educators on board the Exploration Vessel Nautilus, who have been exploring the ocean floor and sharing their discoveries live with the public worldwide.