Re: Congratulations and salutations on your 3000th dive
As the representative of the deep submergence community and as a frequent ALVIN diver, I send all of you my congratulations and best wishes on this momentous event. It does not seem that long ago that I made my first dive on the Galapagos Rift and we celebrated dive 1000, and now you have attained a remarkable milestone of 3000 dives. I know full well the efforts; planning, sacrifices and dedication it takes from members of the ALVIN group, the AII crew, and scientific staff to make each dive succeed and to have made ALVIN the world's most successful and renowned submersible.
I look forward to the near future when ALVIN comes out of overhaul and is united with its new support ship, so that the oceanographic community can explore parts of the seafloor never before seen by man and so we can continue our quest for knowledge and understanding of the abyssal realm. I salute the efforts of everyone involved in the ALVIN program and wish you all the best of luck for the next 3000 dives.
Michael Perfit
Department of Geology
1112 Turlington Hall
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611