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When the CDT reaches the bottom, its water bottles open to collect samples of the bottom water and then reseal again. We will bring these water samples back to the surface and analyze them at our laboratory. We will measure the amount of oxygen, nitrogen, minerals and pollutants in each sample. By taking many, many samples of the bottom waters of the world, oceanographers are slowly but surely mapping the bottom currents of the world.

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All along our journey, we will run the ship's SONAR and collect CDT data in certain locations. This will give us information on the water column as well as allow us to map the bottom below our ship's surface track. We will combine the bathymetric data collected on this cruise with similar data collected by other ships on other cruises to create accurate bathymetric charts of the ocean.

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