Crowley Ships Unique Equipment for Smithsonian

Crowley Liner Services is in the process of transporting one 20-ft. flatbed and one 20-ft. container of unique satellite equipment from Houston, Texas to Panama as part of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's Jason Project, a research and learning series on rainforests. The cargo departed Houston by ship on Jan. 2 and is expected to arrive in Panama January 9.

Crowley was chosen for the job by Total Export of Florida Inc. and Leblanc Enterprises, Ltd. The satellite, which is the only one like it in the world, required careful handling by Crowley and was secured onto the vessel for transport with hooks and wires. The satellite and its production equipment will allow the broadcast of 55 shows (five shows per day for 11 days) for JASON XV: Rainforests at the Crossroads, an expedition by the Jason Project.

"I have been shipping with Crowley for 20 years and they are the best," said Larry LeBlanc, Owner of LeBlanc Enterprises, Ltd. "No other carrier compares to Crowley in the quality and care that they give to a project. They give attention to the entire shipment from start to finish."

Once the satellite arrives at its destination of Pedro Miguel in Panama, a location in the Panama Canal, it will be transferred onto a barge for transport to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on the Barro Colorado Island, also in the Panama Canal. Once the project is complete, Crowley will transport the equipment back to Houston.

The Jason Project is the world's largest distance learning project. It was begun by Dr. Robert Ballard, the scientist and oceanographer who discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic, and is sponsored by NASA, NOAA, Department of the Navy, the U.S. Department of Education, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, National Marine Sanctuaries, EDS, Sun Microsystems, ExxonMobil, National Geographic Society, Honeywell, Oracle, Bechtel and the National Science Center Foundation, Inc. It allows students to electronically interact with scientists on various expeditions via computers and streaming video on the web.