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Schmidt Ocean Institute is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit operating foundation established to advance oceanographic research, discovery, and knowledge, and catalyze sharing of information about the oceans.  Schmidt Ocean Institue Acquires New Research Vessel To Expand Ability To Explore, Research The Ocean March 23, 2021 Schmidt Ocean Institute announced today it has acquired a new research … Continued

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Our Vision The world’s oceans understood through technological advancement, intelligent observation, and open sharing of information. Our Mission: We combine advanced science with state-of-the-art technology to achieve lasting results in ocean research, to catalyze sharing of the information, and to communicate this knowledge to audiences around the world.  We foster a deeper understanding of our environment. … Continued

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INNOVATE EXPLORE SHARE Schmidt Ocean Institute works to advance the frontiers of global marine research by providing state of the art operational, technological, and informational support to the pioneering ocean science and technology development projects at sea. Cruises Latest Cruise Blog Technology Apply Learn how to apply for ship time on Research Vessel Falkor News … Continued

Log Post: Sacrificial Zincs

For as long as ships have been sailing the oceans, there have been observations that helped builders choose the best materials. The Falkor is built with massive amounts of metal, which then sits in a sea of salty water that wants to eat it alive. All metals tend toward corrosion, but if two different metals are … Continued

Log Post: Everything you wanted to know about El Niño!

The El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a phenomenon within the coupled ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean. ENSO is comprised of interannual climate oscillations, a warming period known as El Niño and a cooling period known as La Niña. Occurring every 3-5 years and lasting 9-12 months, El Niño has a … Continued

Log Post: When the ocean has a different plan for your science

How even ideal conditions at sea can be a challenge for a research vessel. The R/V Falkor is currently stationed at 1° North and 170° West, heading North, conducting a 10-day time-series, looking at small scale mixing throughout the Equatorial Pacific. Jennifer and I have been onboard for long enough to realize that conducting science … Continued

Log Post: Making Time for the Time Series

The Mixing Up the Tropical Pacific cruise is focused on obtaining data that reveals small-scale mixing in the central equatorial Pacific. To do this, the team is creating a time series using relatively shallow (500m) CTD and LADCP casts. These instruments are deployed every three hours to capture temporal changes in temperature, salinity, and current magnitude/direction. … Continued

Log Post: Blurred Lines and Shear Brilliance

Dr. Kelvin Richards, the Principal Investigator on the Mixing Up The Tropical Pacific Cruise beams with excitement at the prospect of collecting new data. For him, this cruise is a significant step forward, or east, to obtain long awaited information. After working in the western equatorial Pacific for many years, Dr. Richards is curious to see … Continued

Log Post: Instruments of the Ocean Part Two: ADCP

Similar in shape to a fire hydrant, the Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (LADCP) is fastened to the CTD (Conductivity, Temperature and Depth) Rosette, a white, jungle gym-like structure. Therefore, each ADCP drop also requires a CTD deployment. The ADCP itself is light and requires no special lifting equipment, but the CTD is quite heavy, … Continued