by David McKinnie, NOAA Liaison, American Embassy Jakarta
July 5, 2010
The Baruna Jaya IV welcomes visitors aboard before she sails for North Sulawesi. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download larger version (jpg, 777 KB).
While NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer has been offshore doing preliminary work mapping the deeper waters of the INDEX 2010 operating area, the Indonesian Research Vessel Baruna Jaya IV has been busy making final preparations to join the expedition and bring her complementary capabilities to bear on exploring the Sangihe-Talaud region.
An important INDEX-SATAL 2010 milestone was reached today with an event aboard the Baruna Jaya IV to reflect on progress to date and to launch the ship toward its rendezvous with the Okeanos Explorer in Bitung later this month. Ambassador Hume joined BRKP Chairman Gellwynn Jusuf and BPPT Deputy Chairman Ridwan Djamaluddin, along with Pak Sugiarta, Pak Wahyu, Jim Holden, and other INDEX-SATAL team members and Jakarta media to discuss the Indonesia-U.S. ocean exploration partnership and the results of the expedition so far.
>Left to right: BRKP Chairman Gellwynn, BPPT Deputy Chairman Ridwan, BPPT Center for Marine Survey Director Yudi Anatasena, Baruna Jaya IV Expedition Coordinator Wahyu Pandoe, Ambassador Hume, and David McKinnie discuss INDEX-SATAL 2010. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download larger version (jpg, 830 KB).
Deputy Chairman Ridwan recalled the first time he saw the Okeanos Explorer in San Francisco last year, and the second time he visited the ship in Honolulu in February. But the most rewarding sight of the ship, he said, was watching her sail out of the mist to dock in Bitung. Noting Ambassador Hume’s leadership on ocean, science, technology, and education issues, Pak Ridwan spoke about the value of INDEX-SATAL, not just to Indonesia and the United States, but as “good for science and technology.”
The Baruna Jaya IV departs the port of Tanjung Priok on July 6 for North Sulawesi. On arrival in the INDEX-SATAL operation area, she will begin collecting multibeam data in shallower waters to complement the multibeam data in deeper waters the Okeanos Explorer has collected. The two ships will meet in Bitung for the official dedication of INDEX-SATAL 2010 on July 20.
