Congo River is Almost as Deep as an Ocean!

Imagine yourself in central Africa, in a dug-out canoe crossing the lower
Congo River's rapids and whirlpools, and realizing that parts of the river
were hundreds of feet deep. USGS scientist John Shelton found himself there
this past summer, measuring places where the waters reached a depth of over
700 feet. His measurements indicate that the Congo River is perhaps the
deepest river in the world. This discovery was made during data collection
to describe the river's conditions and understand its extraordinarily
diverse richness of fish species. In this effort, Shelton worked with a team
of scientists from the American Museum of Natural History. Want to learn
more? Visit http://research.amnh.org/ichthyology/congo/index_02.html or
contact John Shelton at jmshe...@usgs.gov or (803) 750-6112.

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March, 2009