By Ali Hochberg
The Operational Readiness Test (ORT) officially begins tomorrow (Monday, June 6), which means that most members of the CORAL team are either already in Hawaii or on their way.
Over the course of the next 10 days scientists involved in both the airborne (PRISM) and in-water components of CORAL will conduct test-runs of flyovers, instrument deployments and field surveys to ensure that sufficient communication and planning structures are in place for future CORAL campaigns.
From boat checkouts to airplane reengineering and certification to instrument calibration, it’s amazing how many moving pieces must be carefully planned and coordinated in order for CORAL to achieve its science objectives.