Alvin's official title is "Deep Submergence Vehicle."

Today, scientists are making exciting discoveries about the ocean floor, thanks to deep-sea submersibles such as Alvin. Operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, this three-person sub made its first dive in 1964. Since then, Alvin has made more than 4,000 dives to an average depth of 2,079 meters (6,820 ft).

Alvin has conducted a wide variety of research missions, from discovering giant tubeworms on the Pacific Ocean floor near the Galápagos Islands, to exploring the wreck of HMS Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.

Alvin has met some amazing life on its travels, but so far it has not encountered one of the deep sea's most mysterious inhabitants — the elusive giant squid. However, Alvin once was attacked by a swordfish, which became trapped between two pieces of the sub's fiberglass skin. The fish was brought back to the surface and cooked for dinner!

Plans now are under way for a new Alvin. The new sub, slated for completion in 2008, will reach more than 99% of the seafloor, diving to depths of 6,500 meters (21,320 ft).

	Where can you learn more about the submersible Alvin?

Can you convert the units above to metric?