Sub-surface oil surveillance near Mobile, Ala. 11

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala.--Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Mark McCormick, bass player for the Coast Guard Band in Groton, Conn., oversees a crew conducting sub-surface oil surveillance operations while underway near Dauphin Island in the southwestern corner of Mobile Bay, Ala., Aug. 26, 2010. Crewmembers Charles Wight, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Joe Festa, from Millington, Tenn., from the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, check water samples in pre-determined locations along the Alabama coastline. The crew is joined by Reservist Petty Officer 1st Class Alessio Faccin, from Coast Guard Station San Diego, and Vessel of Opportunity operator Sam Mason, from Dauphin Island.Sub-surface oil assessment is a critical step in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response, allowing responders to thoroughly map, track and collect crucial underwater data.U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.