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Five weeks have gone by since R/V Falkor left from Darwin, Australia sailing out to study the sea surface microlayer: thin as a hair, yet absolutely key for chemical and biological processes affecting the entire planet. While transiting to Guam, the crew and scientific party are busy demobilizing and packing – getting everything prepared to travel back to home labs, and … Continued

As the expedition comes to a close, this week’s #AirToSea video update demonstrates how the various autonomous vehicles – flying and floating – collect and analyze samples. Watch to find out how their results will all tie together for a greater understanding of the Sea-Surface Microlayer.

“It took half an hour to drill those three holes” sighs Scott Brown, Physicist and Electronic Engineer, looking at the tiny penetrations on top of the UAV. Fiber optic cables now poke out, ready to measure sunlight and send the information to the payload (scientific package) inside the aircraft to be recorded. It has been … Continued

I have been on a lot of research cruises, and one thing that never stops surprising me is how quick and efficient teams need to be in order to solve problems onboard. You may find yourself in a situation that requires a solution while you are in the middle of the ocean. Nowadays we at least have the internet to ask … Continued

A small crowd congregates around the UAV in the flight deck. The experts quickly retrieve the data and instruments while the Latitude team checks the drone and disarms it. No matter how many times it flies, it always instills the same amount of fascination in attending scientists and crew. As it lands, Ili Hamizah Mustaffa, … Continued

This beautiful and fascinating video wraps up the third week of the #AirToSea expedition, explaining and exploring the four working groups studying the sea-surface microlayer aboard R/V Falkor.

Microbes play many vital roles by physically and chemically changing their surroundings: they consume and produce a diverse range of organic and inorganic materials, provide food for other organisms, and drive biogeochemical cycles on a global scale. Our research in the Cunliffe Group based at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth UK focuses on understanding … Continued

It was 1430 hours when the drone took off, loaded with an array of instruments designed to gather data for a period of three hours. “Now I’m excited!” said Chris Zappa, whose working group is in charge of modelling the factors governing air-water gas transfer in physically complex ocean systems. Falkor arrived today to the … Continued

I am one half of the trace element sampling team – mentioned in an earlier blog post as the ‘Dust People.’ Together with Bill Landing from Florida State University, we are collecting a range of samples (aerosols, a.k.a. dust; rain; sea-surface microlayer; and underlying water from about 30 cm depth) for the determination of trace … Continued

It could be assumed that given the intensity of operations in this expedition, the thought of a five-day transit through calm waters would be warmly welcomed. The scientists would perhaps take advantage of the extra time by answering neglected emails, organizing their paperwork, or cleaning a few of their instruments; but mostly, many would expect them … Continued