An Ocean Census Flagship expedition and GoSouth team of scientists found suspected new species, discovered one of the island chain’s shallowest hydrothermal vents, and explored the deepest trench in the Southern Ocean. Imagery available here Palo Alto, CA, USA — An international team of scientists on a recent 35-day deep-sea expedition to one of the … Continued
One hundred years after its discovery, the colossal squid has been filmed alive in its environment for the first time by a team on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) in waters off the South Sandwich Islands. Video and photos available here. PALO ALTO, California– An international team of scientists and crew on board … Continued
Southern Chile is a landscape shaped by glaciation and volcanism, and this cross-disciplinary international science team is working on R/V Falkor (too) to reveal the imprint of the 2008 Chaitén volcanic eruption on the marine environment. Their #EruptionArchives research will help unlock deeper-time records of significant volcanic eruptions in the region, allowing scientists to reconstruct … Continued
Since January 2024, Schmidt Ocean Institute has supported several scientific explorations, including the most recent #NazcaHighSeas expedition, to study biodiversity and oceanographic conditions along the Nazca, Salas y Gómez, and Juan Fernandez Ridges. International scientists have used the technology and expertise available on the Research Vessel Falkor (too) for data collection and a scientific examination … Continued
This expedition is special because it is the first one led entirely by Schmidt Ocean Institute staff. While we normally support visiting scientists and partners from outside organizations, this time, the science department on the ship and staff on shore are coordinating all aspects of this research along the Nazca and Salas y Gómez Ridges … Continued
An international team of scientists spent two weeks exploring deep waters off the coast of Chile. They set out to characterize the microbial and macrofaunal communities surrounding the Atacama Trench. The researchers observed incredible biodiversity, collected samples for further study, and located Chile’s deepest and most northern cold seeps. At 2836 meters deep, the seeps … Continued
Searching for tiny bubbles of methane percolating from the seafloor in the deep Ocean takes a dedicated team of scientists and engineers, a robotic guide, and a healthy dose of patience and persistence. During the #AtacamaTrenchAncients expedition, an international team of scientists searched for and found the deepest methane seep documented off the coast of … Continued
Dr. Armando Azua-Bustos of the Centro de Astrobiologíca has studied the Atacama Desert for the last decade and led the #AtacamaTrenchAncients expedition to explore the deep waters adjacent to it. When we think of life in the Ocean, we imagine octopuses, whales, and other charismatic megafauna. Still, in reality, the vast majority of life in … Continued
In the past decade, Chile has actively promoted the establishment of expansive marine protected areas, including the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park, the Juan Fernández Sea Protected Area, and the Juan Fernández Marine Park. These areas are among the largest marine protected zones globally. The biodiversity in these regions exhibits a remarkable level of endemism, with around … Continued
What does it take to truly see the seafloor? Turns out, you must listen! Researchers on R/V Falkor (too) are testing a sonar system new to scientific seafloor mapping: Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar (InSAS). Combining bathymetric data with acoustic imagery allows scientists to paint an incredibly detailed picture of the seafloor using sound beams. InSAS … Continued
