FIND SOI AT OCEAN SCIENCES — OSM24

DS11A-03 Relationship of Substrate Type, Low Oxygen and Megafauna Presence with Deep-Sea Macrofauna Assemblages on Mineral-Rich Hardgrounds of the Southern California Borderland

Knowledge of community dynamics, species interactions, and the effects of environmental conditions on deep-sea communities is still evolving. Understanding deep-sea ecosystem structure and function in a variety of seafloor environments is important for the resource management of marine minerals. In this study, rocks were collected from the Southern California Borderland (SCB) by remotely operated vehicle aboard R.V. Nautilus and R.V. Falkor in October 2020 and July 2021. The SCB is a unique continental margin setting that hosts both ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts and phosphorites that, although not currently targeted for resource development, provides numerous mineral substrates and variable oceanographic and geographic conditions for baseline studies. We analyzed the macrofauna communities on FeMn crusts, phosphorite, basalt and sedimentary rocks, at depths ranging from 231 to 2,688 m, above, within and below the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Our goal is to understand the relationship of environmental variables (e.g., substrate type and oxygen concentrations) with the diversity, density and community composition of the macrofauna assemblages, as well as megafauna presence on the rocks. Overall, macrofauna density decreases with depth; however, within the OMZ, the effect of oxygen is greater than the effect of depth, and density increases with increasing oxygen. The OMZ assemblage was dominated by annelids, bryozoans, and echinoderms, whereas zones with the highest measured oxygen concentrations were dominated by mollusks and annelids. FeMn crusts exhibited the lowest densities and a high diversity of macrofauna compared to other rock types, hosting mainly annelids and echinoderms. In addition, macrofauna densities were higher on rocks that also hosted megafauna. These findings suggest correlation with and potential influence of substrate, oxygen, and biogenic habitat heterogeneity provided by megafauna on hardground macrofauna biodiversity.

SOI sponsored this presentation, making it possible for a Scripps Institution of Oceanography student to present at a scientific conference.

DS11A-04 Substrate Relationships and Environmental Influence on Trophic Structure of Benthic Invertebrates on Southern California Mineral-Rich Hardgrounds

The environmental conditions that allow for the occurrence of FeMn and phosphorite rocks off the Southern California Borderland (SCB) also influence the megafaunal (> 2 cm) and macrofaunal (> 0.3 mm) communities that may take advantage of the increased habitat complexity provided by these hard substrates. Trophic structure is an important factor that affects ecosystem functioning, as energy is transferred through the food web. Although there are still knowledge gaps in understanding trophic relationships of invertebrates on such substrates, these minerals are being targeted for deep-sea mining in other regions and the associated communities are susceptible to environmental changes due to ocean warming and deoxygenation. With the goal of filling some of these gaps, we surveyed stable isotope signatures (δ13C, δ15N) of macro- and megafaunal invertebrate communities associated with hard substrates on the SCB margin along a depth gradient (120-2,400 m) passing through the oxygen minimum zone at 6 inshore (< 100 km from shore) and 8 offshore (100-250 km from shore) sites. Using generalized additive models and community-level metrics, we observed that macro- and megafaunal invertebrates show different isotopic patterns with environmental conditions, where macrofauna isotopes correlate more with substrate type but megafauna isotopes have a stronger correlation with proximity to shore. Macrofauna on FeMn crust showed the highest δ15N and total niche area, and, although there is some niche overlap, trophic diversity is dependent of substrate type. Megafaunal trophic diversity was lower offshore possibly due to dominance of specific feeding modes. However, both macro- and megafauna showed increasing δ15N with decreasing oxygen and increasing depth, possibly due to remineralization processes within the OMZ and with depth. Our study provides baseline knowledge that may be useful in other regions where these minerals are actively being targeted for extraction and informs potential trophic responses to warming and deoxygenation.

SOI sponsored this presentation, making it possible for a Scripps Institution of Oceanography student to present at a scientific conference.

TH130 Turbulent Seas – Addressing Caregiving Challenges in Ocean Science Careers

Juggling a career and family can be difficult in the best of times, and the global pandemic amplified these challenges and struggles. The field of ocean science intensifies these strains with extended schooling creating a late start to careers, remote and lengthy fieldwork, and atypical hours that can bleed into personal time. These trials have impacted both men and women with dependents, as well as their families and coworkers. The inaugural Turbulent Seas virtual session at OSM 2022 encouraged the community conversation on how this industry-wide issue can be addressed. This town hall will provide an inclusive space for attendees to continue sharing perspectives on ways universities, government offices, the private sector, and non-profit organizations in the ocean sciences can better encourage and retain professionals. We will open with lightning talks that highlight experiences and overcoming challenges while working through the pandemic and back-to-office scenarios; followed by a panel highlighting mixed career participants that address and discuss solutions to issues for career professionals with dependents, their managers, coworkers, and staff; and end with break-out conversations to foster greater community involvement. The session will be family-friendly with activities for children and offer hybrid viewing for those who cannot attend in person.

ED13A-05 Broadening Access and Participation for Deep-Sea Research in Latin America: Successes and Lessons Learned from R/V Falkor (too) Inaugural Expedition Outreach

DO14B – Enabling Open Ocean Data: Advances, Challenges, and Impact

Access to open data benefits the scientific community, private industry, and society. With so many demands on researchers’ time and leadership opportunities often tied to peer-reviewed publications and external funding, data sharing is often neglected and not a priority. With so much data to be shared, opportunities remain for increasing the availability and usability of interdisciplinary oceanographic data and information products. The proposed session explores the advances and challenges in enabling the sharing and use of open ocean data for scientific research, development, and decision-making processes. It will focus on the advancements in data/metadata formats, challenges of long-term data sharing, and the implementation of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. The session will also present tools and ideas that enhance data discoverability, promote interoperability, and facilitate better sharing and reusability for inclusive stakeholder engagement. Additionally, the session will showcase projects that have successfully shared and/or utilized open ocean data, emphasizing its impact on the ocean community.

DS21B – Unveiling Controls on the Establishment and Resilience of Mesophotic and Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems

Mesophotic and deep-sea coral ecosystems are found globally and contain biodiversity that rivals that of shallow-water reefs. These ecosystems are susceptible to environmental changes like warmer temperatures, more acidic waters, pollution, habitat destruction, and disease. A comprehensive understanding of the controls that shape corals’ recruitment, growth, and resilience and their associated organisms in the face of these changes is essential. This knowledge can be achieved by combining field observations across diverse spatiotemporal gradients, controlled laboratory studies, and well-constrained computational models. At the heart of the ability to tolerate or adapt to environmental change lies intricate biological processes that operate at a range of scales, from cellular to the ecosystem.

This session aims to bring together a cross-disciplinary array of research, shedding light on the mechanisms and processes that may play a role in the physiology, ecology, and resilience of the inhabitants of mesophotic and deep-sea coral ecosystems. The session welcomes presentations that delve into a wide range of topics, such as population and habitat connectivity, species interactions, microbial associations, physiological responses, health indicators, and the physical and geochemical factors that constrain species distributions.

TH23G – Here We Are! Addressing the Wikipedia Gender Gap

The largest encyclopedia has a problem – a gap – specifically a gender gap. Of the roughly 1.5 million biographical articles on the English version of Wikipedia in 2021, only 19% were about women. Join us for a discussion to learn more about the underlying and systemic issues contributing to the gap. Stay for an opportunity to contribute to the solution and change the face of science on the world’s encyclopedia. Instructions for crafting new and editing current Wikipedia entries will be provided to all attendees with a bit of time to get the entry started. A list of suggested people worthy of Wikipedia entries will be provided, however participants will be encouraged to champion whomever they wish, including themselves! The Wikipedia Edit-a-thon will remain open for two weeks after the conference. All entries will be tracked and shared during a follow-up webinar highlighting participants and successful posts.

DO24C Ocean Data Pipelines: From Ship to Shore to Insight

Increasing data volumes and the proliferation of ocean-based data collection platforms necessitate the development of efficient data pipelines allowing for real-time and long-term data management and access. In addition, many subfields of oceanography and marine science demand extracting insights from datasets of ever-increasing size, complexity, and variety. As data flows from various sources, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and accountability becomes paramount. This requires specially-designed tools and infrastructure to ensure integrity, traceability, and accountability across the data pipeline. This session invites topics on data lineage, governance, pipeline structure, real-time access, edge computing, open-source community collaboration, and cloud infrastructure. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of tools, processes, and software solutions to optimize the management and utilization of oceanic data pipelines. We encourage presenters to highlight trends, challenges, and opportunities for cross-sector open-source collaborations. Submissions are encouraged across academia, government, the private sector, and non-profit organizations to showcase emerging technologies, tools, software, and workflows being used in data-intensive ocean science research.

DO23A – Enabling Open Ocean Data: Advances, Challenges, and Impact

Access to open data benefits the scientific community, private industry, and society. With so many demands on researchers’ time and leadership opportunities often tied to peer-reviewed publications and external funding, data sharing is often neglected and not a priority. With so much data to be shared, opportunities remain for increasing the availability and usability of interdisciplinary oceanographic data and information products. The proposed session explores the advances and challenges in enabling the sharing and use of open ocean data for scientific research, development, and decision-making processes. It will focus on the advancements in data/metadata formats, challenges of long-term data sharing, and the implementation of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. The session will also present tools and ideas that enhance data discoverability, promote interoperability, and facilitate better sharing and reusability for inclusive stakeholder engagement. Additionally, the session will showcase projects that have successfully shared and/or utilized open ocean data, emphasizing its impact on the ocean community.

DS23A – Unveiling Controls on the Establishment and Resilience of Mesophotic and Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems

Mesophotic and deep-sea coral ecosystems are found globally and contain biodiversity that rivals that of shallow-water reefs. These ecosystems are susceptible to environmental changes like warmer temperatures, more acidic waters, pollution, habitat destruction, and disease. A comprehensive understanding of the controls that shape corals’ recruitment, growth, and resilience and their associated organisms in the face of these changes is essential. This knowledge can be achieved by combining field observations across diverse spatiotemporal gradients, controlled laboratory studies, and well-constrained computational models. At the heart of the ability to tolerate or adapt to environmental change lies intricate biological processes that operate at a range of scales, from cellular to the ecosystem.

This session aims to bring together a cross-disciplinary array of research, shedding light on the mechanisms and processes that may play a role in the physiology, ecology, and resilience of the inhabitants of mesophotic and deep-sea coral ecosystems. The session welcomes presentations that delve into a wide range of topics, such as population and habitat connectivity, species interactions, microbial associations, physiological responses, health indicators, and the physical and geochemical factors that constrain species distributions.

DS24A – Unveiling Controls on the Establishment and Resilience of Mesophotic and Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems, poster

Mesophotic and deep-sea coral ecosystems are found globally and contain biodiversity that rivals that of shallow-water reefs. These ecosystems are susceptible to environmental changes like warmer temperatures, more acidic waters, pollution, habitat destruction, and disease. A comprehensive understanding of the controls that shape corals’ recruitment, growth, and resilience and their associated organisms in the face of these changes is essential. This knowledge can be achieved by combining field observations across diverse spatiotemporal gradients, controlled laboratory studies, and well-constrained computational models. At the heart of the ability to tolerate or adapt to environmental change lies intricate biological processes that operate at a range of scales, from cellular to the ecosystem.

This session aims to bring together a cross-disciplinary array of research, shedding light on the mechanisms and processes that may play a role in the physiology, ecology, and resilience of the inhabitants of mesophotic and deep-sea coral ecosystems. The session welcomes presentations that delve into a wide range of topics, such as population and habitat connectivity, species interactions, microbial associations, physiological responses, health indicators, and the physical and geochemical factors that constrain species distributions.

DO24C – Ocean Data Pipelines: From Ship to Shore to Insight, poster

Increasing data volumes and the proliferation of ocean-based data collection platforms necessitate the development of efficient data pipelines allowing for real-time and long-term data management and access. In addition, many subfields of oceanography and marine science demand extracting insights from datasets of ever-increasing size, complexity, and variety. As data flows from various sources, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and accountability becomes paramount. This requires specially-designed tools and infrastructure to ensure integrity, traceability, and accountability across the data pipeline. This session invites topics on data lineage, governance, pipeline structure, real-time access, edge computing, open-source community collaboration, and cloud infrastructure. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of tools, processes, and software solutions to optimize the management and utilization of oceanic data pipelines. We encourage presenters to highlight trends, challenges, and opportunities for cross-sector open-source collaborations. Submissions are encouraged across academia, government, the private sector, and non-profit organizations to showcase emerging technologies, tools, software, and workflows being used in data-intensive ocean science research.

ED41A-05 Illuminating Ocean-going Scientist’s Humanity: Schmidt Ocean Institute’s “Science Stories” Video Series

Schmidt Ocean Institute launched the “Science Stories” video series in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic to bring the public into the stories behind the scientists. Our goal was to create humility and demonstrate the character or people behind the science during a time of distrust towards those in the science field. Over the past three years, the institute has produced over twenty short videos, each exploring the personal stories and motivations of scientists working on oceanographic research vessels. The series explores the winding paths many scientists undertake until ultimately landing in their careers or intriguing personal stories from their day-to-day lives. During expeditions in Latin America, the SOI communications team produces Science Stories on Latin American scientists, often in Spanish. From former professional dancers to guitarists in metal bands to an obsession with mud, the series delightfully reveals the humanity of each participating scientist. Through revealing little personal details of the scientists’ lives, the Ocean tells a story through them, provoking the viewer to examine the tenderness and care of people who explore our planet’s depths.

ED41A, ED42A, ED43A – Exploring Storytelling: Creating Waves of Change in Communication, Outreach, Social Media, and the Arts for Ocean Sciences

Storytelling comes in many forms and is an important component of science communication and outreach. Science is challenging to communicate, particularly ocean sciences, which are inherently mysterious and difficult for many to connect to. A myriad of creative avenues can be used to communicate, convey, and connect ocean research to diverse audiences and promote empathy, trust, and relationships. This session will explore how science stories can evoke emotions, engage new audiences, communicate meaningful science, inspire creativity, and build bridges where there has been historical injustice and environmental harm. Storytelling will be examined through the lens of a diversity of strategies for connecting with audiences, highlighting projects that utilize creative avenues to co-design science and communicate complex concepts to broad audiences.

This session will examine the practice of networking, connecting with potential collaborators, and disseminating science to a breadth of audiences using a range of communications and social platforms. Researchers, science communicators, and artists are invited to share experiences and efforts in ocean science communication. The session aims to create a space to promote achievements, discuss challenges, and learn from others in technical and creative storytelling capacities. We welcome submissions that have supported both successful and unsuccessful storytelling of ocean research.

ED42A-04 Adding Colors to a Blue Palette: Art Science Collaborations through At-Sea Residencies

At-sea science often occurs in secluded areas and in the past has resulted in minimal opportunities for public involvement. In 2015, Schmidt Ocean Institute began an Artist-at-Sea residency aboard its research vessel Falkor, providing a diversity of perspective, creativity, and artistic approaches to help demystify the intricacies of ocean research. Since then, more than 48 artists have participated in this program, transforming how expedition science is communicated and how at-sea research is presented to public audiences. This session will explore the innovative design and assessment of the Artist-at-Sea program, as well as strategies for its expansion and replication in various research settings and geographical locations.

ED44A Exploring Storytelling: Creating Waves of Change in Communication, Outreach, Social Media, and the Arts for Ocean Sciences, Poster

Storytelling comes in many forms and is an important component of science communication and outreach. Science is challenging to communicate, particularly ocean sciences, which are inherently mysterious and difficult for many to connect to. A myriad of creative avenues can be used to communicate, convey, and connect ocean research to diverse audiences and promote empathy, trust, and relationships. This session will explore how science stories can evoke emotions, engage new audiences, communicate meaningful science, inspire creativity, and build bridges where there has been historical injustice and environmental harm. Storytelling will be examined through the lens of a diversity of strategies for connecting with audiences, highlighting projects that utilize creative avenues to co-design science and communicate complex concepts to broad audiences.

This session will examine the practice of networking, connecting with potential collaborators, and disseminating science to a breadth of audiences using a range of communications and social platforms. Researchers, science communicators, and artists are invited to share experiences and efforts in ocean science communication. The session aims to create a space to promote achievements, discuss challenges, and learn from others in technical and creative storytelling capacities. We welcome submissions that have supported both successful and unsuccessful storytelling of ocean research.

HD44B – Toward a Sustainable Ocean: Holistic Tools, Transdisciplinary Approaches, and the Next Generation of Ocean Solutionists, Poster

The ocean’s potential positions it as key for world development. Human impacts on ocean and coastal regions have grown considerably, with ecosystems, resources, and the climate system being close to past the point of recovery due to catastrophic anthropogenic influences. To address this crisis, we must think beyond traditional paradigms and embrace solutions rooted in holistic, transdisciplinary thinking. A goal underpinning the UN Ocean Decade is generation of knowledge, approaches, infrastructure, and partnerships needed for sustainable development. Innovative approaches and tools, as well as alternative career paths, must focus on solutions-based work that spans across science, technology, industry, entrepreneurship, and policy. We must transition from simple impact assessments to comprehensive life cycle analyses, studies, and multi-impact assessments that identify synergies and trade-offs while also assessing entire value chains worldwide. This will lead to breakthroughs and innovations with ample potential for promoting sustainability and provide unparalleled opportunities for the next generation of professionals to play a more active role. Join us as we explore case studies and discussions of how individuals and institutions are creating ocean sustainability solutions and careers, tackling the greatest threats to our ocean by leveraging collaborations, technological and social innovations, transdisciplinary holistic approaches, and creative business models.

HD52A – Toward a Sustainable Ocean: Holistic Tools, Transdisciplinary Approaches, and the Next Generation of Ocean Solutionists

The ocean’s potential positions it as key for world development. Human impacts on ocean and coastal regions have grown considerably, with ecosystems, resources, and the climate system being close to past the point of recovery due to catastrophic anthropogenic influences. To address this crisis, we must think beyond traditional paradigms and embrace solutions rooted in holistic, transdisciplinary thinking. A goal underpinning the UN Ocean Decade is generation of knowledge, approaches, infrastructure, and partnerships needed for sustainable development. Innovative approaches and tools, as well as alternative career paths, must focus on solutions-based work that spans across science, technology, industry, entrepreneurship, and policy. We must transition from simple impact assessments to comprehensive life cycle analyses, studies, and multi-impact assessments that identify synergies and trade-offs while also assessing entire value chains worldwide. This will lead to breakthroughs and innovations with ample potential for promoting sustainability and provide unparalleled opportunities for the next generation of professionals to play a more active role. Join us as we explore case studies and discussions of how individuals and institutions are creating ocean sustainability solutions and careers, tackling the greatest threats to our ocean by leveraging collaborations, technological and social innovations, transdisciplinary holistic approaches, and creative business models.