Rhode Island Illustrated Event Covers
MAR-ECO (Marine Ecology) Bear Seamount Cruise May 2003
(Scroll Down for further information and background)

The Research Vessel Delaware II one of two research vessels based out of Woods Hole, Massachusetts conducted a deep water troll on the Bear Seamount from May 19 to May 24, 2003. The cover above was prepared by Jack Treutle a member of the Universal Ship Cancellation Society and canceled in Providence, Rhode Island at the completion of the trip on May 24, 2003. The cover is signed by the expedition's leader Michael Vecchione, a Cephalopod Taxonomist, (Deep Sea Squid Expert) employed by the National Museum of Natural History.

The main objective of the cruise was to explore the biodiversity of Bear Seamount by collecting marine specimens from bottom and mid-water trawls. Some of the Trolls were conducted at depths of over 5660 feet. During the cruise, researchers also tested a new computer based measuring system. 

Bear Seamount is an inactive undersea volcano and is located near Georges Bank off of the New England Coast.  It is at the Northeast End of an underwater mountain chain that runs Southeast towards Bermuda. The water depth at the base of the seamount is approximately 9840 feet. Although this underwater mountain rises over 6000 feet; the flat top of Bear Seamount is still  more than 3000 feet below the surface.