You can’t see anything at the bottom of the ocean without the help of technology. Sailors originally created seafloor maps using weighted ropes, known as lead lines, that they would throw over the side of ships; the rope went slack when it hit bottom. After recording the depth, the sailors would create rough topographic maps … Continued
Stunning 800-meter long coral reef discovered with Schmidt Ocean Institute’s underwater robot off Galápagos Islands Video and photos available here. Puerto Ayora, Ecuador– Scientists examining underwater cliff ecosystems onboard research vessel Falkor (too) using the 4,500 meter robot, ROV SuBastian, have discovered two pristine coral reefs in the waters surrounding the Galápagos Islands. These newly … Continued
Dive into a world of unparalleled natural beauty and biodiversity in this ROV highlight reel from the #CliffReefs expedition. Our awe-inspiring journey took us through two of the most pristine and protected areas in the world, where we were fortunate to document amazing displays of nature’s splendor. The expedition’s multidisciplinary team worked to map and … Continued
A mountain range starts off the coast of Galápagos Islands and ends south of Costa Rica — as part of the Galápagos Marine Reserve, it exists in one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. In this near-pristine underwater habitat, deep-sea corals are extremely important, providing homes for fish, crustaceans and a host … Continued
“What we don’t sometimes realize is that under the water, we have this amazing topography. So you have valleys and hills and mountains, ravines, crevasses – you have places where continental plates are rubbing against each other, and that creates an entirely new space… it is a big three-dimensional connected area.” The #CliffReefs team is … Continued
“The moon has been mapped to much higher detail than the deep sea. It’s a massive cliche, but it is true: We know more about the face of the moon than we know about our own deep ocean.” Different types of maps will reveal different characteristics of a place. The Galápagos Islands are iconic sites … Continued
“Vertical deep-water coral reefs are areas where essentially corals live on the side of an underwater cliff.” Imagine walking in a forest, but then the entire scene is shifted 90 degrees – the forest is flipped up on its side. Everything in that ecosystem – living on the trees and vegetation – is still there, … Continued
Would you follow a trail of crabs? While it took a huge array of the latest technology – sonars, chemical sensors, a remotely operated vehicle and more – the biggest clue that the team was on the right path came from squat lobsters leading the way. Join in the excitement of this momentous discovery and … Continued
After 43 hours of searching, international science team discovers new hydrothermal vent field off the Western Galápagos Video and photos available here. Puerto Ayora, Ecuador– Scientists on a Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition have discovered a new hydrothermal vent field larger than a professional soccer field. The vent field found in the Pacific Ocean off the … Continued
“It is no exaggeration to say that all life on earth is inextricably tied to the rocks upon which we live and the geological processes occurring deep inside the planet.” The latest #GalapagosVents expedition update video dives deep into the history of interdisciplinary research, where biologists, chemists, and geologists work together to paint the first … Continued
