July 1, 2014 — The Marcus G. Langseth set out for New York Harbor at 6 a.m. Tuesday, before its voyage had even received the final go-ahead.
Its mission, to use sound waves to record 3-D images deep below the sea floor 15 miles off Long Beach Island, has proved controversial — pitting different factions of the environmental community against each other.
On one side are geologists with the backing of the National Science Foundation who hope the prehistoric past will provide a glimpse into how sea-level rise will affect New Jersey in the future. The other is a bipartisan federation of environmentalists, fishermen and politicians worried about the impact that research could have on present-day sea life and the industries that rely on it.
Aboard the Langseth, Greg Mountain and a team of about 55 beat the tide this morning out of Hell’s Gate and set anchor, despite having no assurance that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would allow the monthlong expedition to continue any further.
Read the full story from The Press of Atlantic City