Venturing to the Western Galápagos Spreading Center

Traducción al español a continuación Deep-sea hot springs, also known as hydrothermal vents, were discovered in 1977 along the Eastern Galápagos Spreading Center (EGSC), about 250 miles from the Galápagos Islands. Since then, these hydrothermal areas, as well as those elsewhere around the world, have been visited periodically by researchers eager to study the biology, … Continued

Scientists Discover New Ecosystem Underneath Hydrothermal Vents

International science team discovers deep-sea habitats, evidence of hydrothermal animals, in volcanic cavities beneath the ocean floor  Video and photos available here. Balboa, Panama – A new ecosystem has been discovered in volcanic cavities beneath hydrothermal vents at a well-studied undersea volcano on the East Pacific Rise off Central America. The landmark 30-day expedition aboard … Continued

Succession and Diversity through Dispersal and Settlement

Traducción al español a continuación The 9°North East Pacific Rise is an ideal study site to unravel primary succession, the rate at which animal communities colonize a hydrothermal vent after a volcanic eruption. About every 15-20 years, volcanic eruptions pave the area with lava, allowing us to study the change in the species structuring a … Continued

Curiosity-Driven Science – Week 2 Update

Working as part of a team on Research Vessel Falkor (too) creates a situation ripe for the spreading of knowledge and cross-collaboration. Scientists are close to – and may work on – projects that are not in their precise field of expertise. “Through doing that, you learn a lot about sort of different methods that … Continued

Traveling through Vents – Week 1 Update

“We do not fully understand how the animals who live on hydrothermal vents find them and come to the vents.” The #VentUnderworld team has embarked on an expedition to determine how animals are transported to hydrothermal vents and build communities. The team suspects that the answer does not solely lie in the waters above the … Continued

Giant Worms on a Very Special Volcano

Traducción al español a continuación I come from Austria, a country in the middle of Europe that is landlocked but contains beautiful mountains, lakes, and rivers. Nevertheless, I have been drawn to the Ocean for as long as I can remember. I’d like to say that this is why I became a marine biologist, but … Continued

Scientists Discover New Deep-sea Octopus Nursery in Costa Rica

International team of scientists explored previously unseen seamounts in Costa Rica, found new active octopus nursery and witnessed babies hatching  Video and photos available here. Puntarenas, Costa Rica – A team of international scientists have discovered a new deep-sea octopus nursery at a low-temperature hydrothermal vent offshore of Costa Rica. The discovery of the brooding … Continued

Discovering New Species and Exploring Deep-sea Microbiomes

Traducción al español a continuación Ten to 30 million species are estimated to exist on our planet, yet only ~1 million of these have been formally described. These estimates do not include the vast majority of microbial life, let alone how microbes interact with animals. A major goal of scientific discovery is to understand not … Continued

Odyssey Origins – Week 1 Video Update

The Octopus Odyssey expedition is currently underway in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Costa Rica, with the objective of investigating underwater mountains that scientists believe harbor distinctive habitats and biodiversity. The multidisciplinary science team aims to gain a deeper understanding of the hydrogeology, microbiology, ecology, and geochemistry that potentially contribute to the captivating … Continued