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The second ROV dive of the expedition took place today. Its primary objective was servicing a benthic lander that has been collecting measurements on the seafloor near the Macondo wellhead since April 2012. Dr. Beth Orcutt, a microbiologist, has a collection of sampling equipment onboard the lander and she was in charge of the ROV … Continued
The research team onboard was very excited to begin scientific underwater surveys and sample collections with remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Global Explorer MK3 this morning. The primary objective for this ROV dive is to collect live deep-sea corals of two different species for molecular ecologist Iliana Baums and graduate students Danielle Young and Arielle Anderson. … Continued
Our first night at sea was spent offshore about 140 kilometers (88 nautical miles) south of Pascagoula mapping the seafloor. R/V Falkor has a state-of-the-art multibeam echosounder that is designed to map almost all of the ocean floors excepting the deep trenches (up to 7 kilometers or nearly 4.5 miles). During mapping, the ship transits along … Continued
For the past two days, the science team has been busily unpacking boxes, assembling instruments, and getting oriented on R/VFalkor in preparation for the upcoming cruise. Lists were checked and rechecked to ensure that all the necessary supplies were on hand. Scientists send or pack all their sample bottles, experiment supplies, computers, measurement tools, batteries, and … Continued
Red snapper is recognized as the most important (and controversial) reef fish species in the entire Gulf of Mexico. Its popularity as a recreational sportfish coupled with its economic value as a commercial commodity give this species unparalleled attention from fishermen, scientists, and fishery managers alike. The Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery is split … Continued
The DSSI Global Explorer MK3 ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operated from R/V Falkor captured video of an invasive venomous lionfish on an artificial reef. This is the second lionfish that has been spotted by the Harte Research Institute (HRI) Fisheries Group. Both sightings took place on artificial reefs, but it is believed that once these … Continued
In just a few days after being placed in the ocean, rigs (also known as platforms) have already attracted its first residents. In time, a full ecosystem develops supporting fish populations in the range of an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 fish. The fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico know this and frequently go “rig-hopping” in … Continued
We are studying the oceanography of the Texas coast, focusing specifically on the distribution of phytoplankton and nutrients in the water column. High nutrients often set the stage for growth of phytoplankton. One particular species that we are interested in is the toxic phytoplankton called Karenia brevis. These algae could be identified in samples taken … Continued
Today, the Fisheries group at the Harte Research Institute (TAMU-CC) deployed their micro remote operated vehicle (ROV) at the Liberty Ships reef site MU-802. The Fisheries group normally uses their micro ROV for fish surveys at their artificial reef sites along south Texas. However, given the presence of a working-class ROV on the R/V Falkor, … Continued
The Gulf of Mexico has several “habitats of particular concern” (HAPC) for marine sea life. Essentially, HAPCs are those ecologically bountiful environments that are extremely sensistive to human impacts. Many of these HAPCs are represented by natural hard surfaces, or “reefs”, such as natural coral or algal banks. Fish will stay close to these hard … Continued
