Log Post: Unidentified Strange Object

Dr. Lam Nguyen-Ngoc leans over his microscope. He is soon joined by fellow marine planktonist Hai Doan-Nhu, and they both smile. The news spreads fast and soon most of the scientific team pays a visit to their workstation in R/V Falkor’s dry lab. No matter how many times they have to load the images again, they … Continued

Log Post: The Presence of Microplastics

At last, the day we’ve been waiting for is here! After what felt like forever of planning this cruise, today we finally departed from Balboa, Panama. The excitement is real, and I cannot wait to see what this journey has in store for us. I am part of the team from Aalborg University, and we … Continued

Log Post: Riding the Wave

My name is Carson Witte, and I have been on this ship since before Halloween. Wait – this cruise did not start until late November! Why have I been onboard longer than most of the crew, and what have I been doing? Well, here’s the story… Combining Datasets The headline feature of this research cruise … Continued

Log Post: Living at the edge – An acidifying ocean

The world’s oceans are 30% more acidic today than only 200 years ago. And by the end of this century, ocean acidity is expected to have increased by an incredible 100–150%. Clearly, this does not bode well and you may be wondering what all of this means for the many plants and animals living in … 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: The Ocean Skin

My name is Una Miller and, as a PhD student at Columbia University, I study how the ocean and atmosphere interact. On this research cruise, I am acquiring infrared (IR) imagery of the sea surface that will allow us to study the precise boundary over which this interaction occurs… the cool-skin layer! Visualizing The Invisible … Continued

Log Post: No Man’s Sea

As the third largest port on California’s coast, San Diego Bay showcases the grip of humanity’s hands on the ocean. From our location, we can see the domineering San Diego-Coronado bridge, flanked by multiple aircraft carriers. We watch as commercial shipping vessels loaded down with cargo make their way into port. But for all of … Continued