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“OK, let’s fly.” That was Keith Shepherd, general manager for the ROPOS ROV. It was time to quickly back the vehicle away from the large instrument package 1,250 meters below us. The pilot had just pulled a cord that released buoys intended to take the package up for recovery.  Nothing happened for what seemed too … Continued

It was hard to tell with all the fog, but as we made our way out of Saanich Inlet through Active Pass, we were threading a precariously narrow needle. Though sailboats avoid it, powerful ferries take this pass, coming close to the steep rock sides that we could only see in places. Our first stop … Continued

Before the sun rose this morning, the ROPOS team was prepping the remotely operated vehicle for our first research dive. The main target was a place nearly devoid of oxygen where, surprisingly enough, some animals are still able to thrive. What they are able to do, a species of sole in particular, inspired a strange … Continued

We left the dock at beautiful Victoria this morning to cut our way through very thick fog to another scenic spot, Saanich Inlet, about 4 hours away. Every two minutes the foghorn blew—and woe to those outside who forgot to plug their ears. En route to Saanich, the first call went around the ship that … Continued

After nearly two weeks criss-crossing  the shelf and beyond off Vancouver Island, the team is now safely back to Victoria, where the ship’s crew is quickly preparing for the expedition’s second leg with the ROPOS remotely operated vehicle. “This was a most amazing and highly productive cruise,” says Richard Dewey, Leg One’s chief scientist, “It was … Continued

It’s the penultimate science day aboard Falkor for this cruise, and the team is working hard to tick off the boxes next to jobs that still need to be accomplished. Yesterday they ran the coastal front next to Vancouver Island, then they zig zagged yet again along the continental shelf break. After that it was … Continued

Today the edits to the plan were minor, and we have started our final push. The weather is grey, with low clouds, irregular seas, and cool temperatures. The forecast calls for an increase in the SE wind. The MVP remains in the water nearly all day, with periodic checks on the fish to inspect for … Continued

The bumpy sea abated through the night, and by morning, the winds were light and the sea a confused wash of old and dying waves. We steam along at our preferred MVP speed of eight knots, and sample with particular purpose. We’ve used the MVP to find exact locations across the continental shelf front for our … Continued

The sea is constantly changing, and today, it was a shift toward the rough side, as the forecast for gale force winds proved accurate. Work continues, but with a few further shifts to plans. Until today, seas had been calm, making it easy to climb the four decks up to the observation platform to watch … Continued

The science team continues to pore over the fire hose of data they’ve collected from CTD casts and the Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP). As they’ve begun to delineate places where upwelled deeper water seems to make it onto the continental shelf, they’ve had to constantly readjust plans in hopes of mapping out the most critical areas. In … Continued