The sea, the great unifier, is man's only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat.
- Jacques-Yves Cousteau
The Gibraltar Survey analysed the dynamic behaviour of the water in the Straits in order to understand which factors affected the region. For instance, it measured current movements, the salt content of seawater at varying depths and temperatures and other parameters, which would help understand the evolution of the Mediterranean Sea. Its conclusions could also be applied to other regions and contribute to the advancement of oceanographic research in general.
Professor Hakon Mosby of Bergen University in Norway, Chair of NATO’s Sub-Committee on Oceanography, recommended that a six-week survey of the Gibraltar Straits be conducted and directed by Professor Henri Lacombe, Head of the Physical Oceanographic Department of the Natural History Museum in Paris. Professor Lacombe was no beginner in the field; he had already conducted a study on the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. He would now lead a scientific team for six weeks to push his findings further. You can see how the crew conducted the survey by following them on board the Calypso in this photo story.