R/V Maurice Ewing has departed Mexico as of March 2nd, after Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (and probably ultimately the National Science Foundation) paid the Mexican government $200,000 in fines.

Unfortunately, I think this will end US/Mexican joint research programs for a long while. This is the third time in a year that the Mexican government has blocked or fined a joint US/Mexican research trip. Both the Ewing and R/V Roger Revelle, operated by Scripps, were blocked from seismic cruises last year.