Miles manages the Fisher lab and uses his geography expertise as the GIS analyst to create maps and assist with spatial data analyses. On this cruise, Miles makes sure that all the scientific gear needed for the ROV is ready and installed on the vehicle before every dive. He assists wherever needed with sample collection … Continued
Dr. Chuck Fisher is a deep-sea ecologist whose research interests cover the physiology and ecology of animals harboring chemoautotrophic symbionts, such as cold seep tube worms and deep-sea corals. He has worked extensively with submersible and robotic vehicles as he studied these communities in their extreme environments. Dr. Fisher serves as one of the principal … Continued
Catriona is a research assistant in Dr. Timothy Shank’s lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. For the past year she has been involved with the lab’s ongoing efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, helping to genetically identify coral associates, as well as carrying out image analysis. On board, she will be in charge of coordinating … Continued
Enrique is a NOAA Biologist specializing in coral aquaria, and will be collecting live deep sea coral specimens, such as Lophelia pertusa, and transporting them back to Dr. Peter Etnoyer’s lab in Charleston, SC. He will be working in a refrigerated lab equipped with cold seawater tanks, where the corals will reside. Chemical and physical … Continued
Janessy received her B.S. in Biology from the University of Florida in 2010. Since that time, she has been working as a research technician in Dr. Amanda Demopoulos’s Benthic Ecology lab at the U.S. Geological Survey. Her research interests include the biodiversity and community structures of benthic invertebrate communties. While at sea, Janessy will oversee … Continued
Santiago is a Ph.D. candidate at the Massachusetts Institue of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution joint program in biological oceanography. He is interested in the evolution and population ecology of deep-sea invertebrates, the conservation of marine ecosystems, and ocean exploration. In this cruise Santiago will be participating in the sampling of corals and their … Continued
Matt is a Master’s student in Environmental Studies with the College of Charleston, and also a contracted NOAA lab technician in Dr. Peter Etnoyer’s lab. His research has focused on octocoral taxonomy/morphology, but he has also participated in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process, looking at the health and condition of mesophotic coral reefs in … Continued
Leslie is currently completing her Master’s in Marine Biology at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. Her current research focuses on the effects of ocean acidification on deep corals in the naturally acidic waters of the Southern California Bight. While on the Falkor, she will assist with water collection and analysis of carbon chemistry in … Continued
Conall is a currently a biology major in his senior year at Temple University. His ongoing research project at Temple involves ocean acidification and the physiological responses of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. This is Conall’s first scientific research cruise and he is excited to gain a lot of experience at sea. On board the … Continued
Originally from Chile, Mauricio is a second year PhD student in Oceanography at Florida State University in Dr. Ian MacDonald’s lab. His research focuses on deep sea chemosynthetic communities, especially those those located in and around cold seeps. He uses photomosaicing techniques, HD video, high resolution bathymetry and geological software such as ARC GIS and … Continued
