Log Post: The Heart of Falkor

Most of the time when you tour a ship you see the main areas where the science gets done, the aft deck, wet lab, control room, but have you ever thought about what powers all these amazing technologies? I didn’t until recently, when I was graciously offered a tour of the engine room, also known … Continued

Log Post: Loihi Seamount – Ironed Out

Like all good things, the Loihi Seamount excursion has come to an end. Close to two weeks onboard the R/V Falkor, and our science crew is leaving with enough data to keep them busy for the next six months. All in all, we had seven AUV Sentry deployments to the two deep regions of Loihi … Continued

Log Post: Crashing a Microbial and Viral Party in the Deep Sea

The deep sea is a hostile environment to most life. There is little by the way of food or other resources. To make matters worse, no light reaches the depths of the oceans. Amidst this darkness exist hot spots of chemical activity in the ocean bed known as hydrothermal vents, fertilizing the oceans with chemicals … Continued

Log Post: Underway

After a very long and unanticipated delay, we are underway and headed towards the Guaymas Basin, located in middle of the Gulf of California. The Gulf of California, one of the most intriguing places I have worked, is home to deeply interesting and fascinating seafloor habitats. In this actively rifting, young ocean basin, the East … Continued

Log Post: Bubbles Found

As we steam towards San Francisco in rough seas, I am reminded how lucky we have been during our time on the Falkor with the weather, never losing any days to poor weather. Falkor really is the luck dragon! I have been at sea now for 27 days, and during this time we have deployed an … Continued

Log Post: Metals – Key Players in the Past, Present, and Future!

The Earth’s flow of energy – from animals, to plants, to microbes – is dictated by electron transfers: that is, moving electrons from one molecule or element to another in order to gain energy. These types of reactions have dictated the evolution of life on Earth. Photosynthesis is perhaps the most familiar such reaction, where … Continued

Log Post: Details…

In the hustle that often characterizes the two in-port days before a cruise, it is easy to get lost in the details. Together with my co-chief scientist on this cruise, Dr. Anna Michel, our focus on these details has spanned more than two years of planning, scheming, designing, building, redesigning, rebuilding, testing, ordering, and packing. … Continued

Log Post: A Whirlwind

On our last night at sea, I spread my artwork across the two long tables in the library. In a few minutes, members of the science party and crew will file into the room to browse through my work and ask questions about my creative process. I am excited for the opportunity to explain why … Continued

Log Post: In The Flow

Life on the Falkor requires a balance of being in the flow and keeping on your toes. I sketch in many breezy corners of the upper decks, observing science operations from all sorts of interesting angles. In the library, I have read an account of Jacques Cousteau, as well as former artist-at-sea Lucy Bellwood’s “Tall … Continued