"As Titanic's discoverer does research at sea, armchair explorers can watch online"

And you thought your desk was on dry land.

Excerpts from Brian Vastag's July 16 Washington Post story follow.

Bob Ballard, who discovered the Titanic in 1985, is a shipwreck-finding machine. Now you can watch his crew search for ancient wrecks through the eyes of the machines that do the real work.

This summer, as Ballard and his exploration ship Nautilus sail the Black and Mediterranean seas, armchair explorers can watch online at nautiluslive.org. As a rotating crew of 100 scientists and educators search for Byzantine-era ships and sample ocean life, live video from two remotely operated vehicles — the classically named Hercules and Argus — will take viewers to the seafloor in real time. Outfitted with a high-speed data link, the Nautilus is the only exploration ship in the world bringing the public along for the ride.

Follow Nautilus Live on Facebook and Twitter to receive alerts when the crew is about to splash its ROVs, outfitted with high-definition cameras and robotic arms. And check the Web site for bios of the crew and video from past cruises.