While it may be hard to fathom, modern fuel tankers that transport millions of gallons of oil across the Arctic are sometimes forced to rely on ocean depth measurements reported by the explorer and mapmaker Captain James Cook back in 1778! In August, the NOAA Ship Fairweather heads out on a 30-day reconnaissance mission to that will help NOAA prioritize its efforts to update navigational charts along a busy maritime transit corridor in this region.

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