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Expedition dates: Jan. 8 - Feb. 11, 2024 Underwater mountains, or seamounts, are remarkable features on the seafloor, playing an integral role in oceanic processes and connectivity. Rising up from the depths, seamounts create complex current patterns that influence what lives on and above them. They are an oasis for deep-sea communities, providing food, shelter, … Continued
Expedition dates: December 2nd- December 15th, 2023 In June of 2023, Co-chief Scientists Dr. Beth Orcutt of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (USA) and Dr. Jorge Cortés of the Universidad de Costa Rica and an international team traveled to the Dorado Outcrop– Earth’s first-ever-discovered octopus nursery. One of their goals was to determine if … Continued
Expedition dates: October 25 - November 23, 2023 Seafloor mapping is integral to oceanographic research. Bathymetric data illustrate the seafloor’s depth, contours, and physical features, and it is often the first essential step in planning a successful submersible operation. The typical tool for seafloor mapping, multibeam sonar, creates three-dimensional topographical outlines—rather than visual images. Physical … Continued
Expedition dates: September 18 - October 19, 2023 The Galápagos Islands are home to a dazzling array of cold-water corals. While they are understudied compared to the shallow-water corals, a subset of these deep-dwelling animals is even more shrouded in mystery—cold-water corals living on cliffs. The depth and inaccessibility of vertical corals to ship-based sensors … Continued
Expedition dates: August 2 - August 7, 2023 Plastic pollution is pervasive in our Ocean. The most prevalent component of plastic pollution isn’t large pieces of trash floating on the surface, but tiny bits of waste called “microplastics” that are found throughout the water column. Ranging from 5 mm in diameter (a pencil eraser) down … Continued
Expedition dates: August 13 - September 10, 2023 In 1977, scientists at the Eastern Galápagos Spreading Center uncovered an ecosystem that changed our conception of life—hydrothermal vents. In the crushing darkness of the deep sea, life thrives on these vents as bacteria facilitate a whole food web by converting chemicals, rather than sunlight, into energy. … Continued
Expedition dates: June 29 - July 28, 2023 An important mechanism in ocean ecology is dispersal—– tides, currents, winds, and waves move larvae from one place to another with the potential to create new communities. While dispersal is well studied and understood in shallow ecosystems, how dispersal works for many hydrothermal vent species is yet … Continued
Expedition dates: June 2 - June 21, 2023 The west coast of Costa Rica is home to numerous seamounts— underwater mountains that facilitate stunning biodiversity in the deep sea. While some of these seamounts have been explored, and a few of these are protected by the Costa Rican government, others remain minimally studied, especially along … Continued
Expedition dates: April 17 – May 6, 2023 Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are chemical compounds all living organisms, spanning bacteria to humans, create throughout the day. Organisms, including animals, produce ROS through chemical reactions within and outside cells in the body. These chemicals are essential for the function and health of animals as they are … Continued
Expedition dates: March 3 – April 11, 2023 On its inaugural expedition, Falkor (too) will head to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with Chief Scientist Dr. David Butterfield from the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory - University of Washington, and his team to search for hydrothermal lost cities. In 2000, scientists found a hydrothermal vent system on … Continued
