Have you ever heard of DDT?
It was banned in 1972, but in order to get rid of the excess that was produced, nearly HALF A MILLION barrels of it were dumped in the the ocean off the coast of California in the San Pedro Basin, between Catalina and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Researchers have estimated there is 1,535 TONs of DDT on the sea floor, slowly oozing out of the dumped barrels.
Their existence has been known about for DECADES, and each time it was brought up (until recently) agencies brushed it aside, or just covered it with sand (literally) hoping it would go away on it's own.
But the “fun” thing about DDT is that it is very stable and doesn't break down. Instead it has been leeching out into the water, where it is collecting and bio accumulating in fish, dolphins, and other aquatic species as its makes its way up the food chain.
In October 2020, the dumped barrels made news headlines and in a few short months, scientists from Scripps were able to put together a team of 31 researchers, get a vessel (Sally Ride), and create a method to survey the area using the equivalent of deep sea rumbas.
The team started their work on March 10th 2021 and are expected to be finished on March 24th 2021.
Each of the ROV's deployed will survey the ocean floor for 12-16 hours before returning to recharge. While one is charging, one will be able to survey.
They hope to have the data available to be studied further approximately 30 days after the expedition on NOAA's website.