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Dry lab, wet lab, control room, garage, deck space, cold box, storage—I could easily write a story about the planning that went into making the Falkor a science-friendly ship. The scientists love a ship that was designed for, well, science. This however, is a story about the other side of the ship—the life at sea … Continued
How would you survive if you were living in a cold dark place with limited food supply and tonnes of water above you? Well, that is the question that we are trying to answer while exploring the Mariana trench, the deepest place on Earth. In order to answer this question there are two key things … Continued
The challenges inherent to deep-sea biology can drive many a sane reasonable scientist to the verge of insanity. These challenges include extended cruises of 30 days or more, the inability to know exactly what your instruments are doing on the sea floor, long hours that accompany 24-hour continuous operations, and the pressure that increases by … Continued
This expedition employs many pieces of equipment called landers. They can collect samples and provide a glimpse into the Hadal world. Landers are versatile tools for scientists that can range in complexity from simple baited animal traps to sensor equipped, computer controlled, mechanically inserted, precision coring samplers. Much like the scientists themselves, each lander is … Continued
Everyone loves a good sea story. Part One, So You Want to go to Sea, was about the people who make them. Part Two continues. Sergiusz Bachniak – Cadet Sergiusz, at 23, is the youngest member of the crew. He is truly Living the Dream. After high school in Poland, he began a four-year program of marine studies. … Continued
Abby and I have been through a lot in our seven years together. From the frigid cold-water coral reefs of the Arctic Circle to the very deepest part of the Mediterranean. Recently, me and Abby have turned our sites to deep sea trenches and have explored the Kermadec, New Hebrides and now the Mariana trenches. … Continued
Think about the last time you went for a swim in the ocean. If you’re anything like me you undoubtedly got water in your mouth, your nose, and your ears. Taste that? No, not the salt. I’m talking about the 10 million microbes you just got in your mouth. Every milliliter of seawater contains approximately … Continued
The world is full of natural wonders that delight our eyes and inspire our hearts: the mountains of New Zealand, the redwoods of California, and the hadal snailfish. Hear me out on this one. The hadal snailfish may not look imposing or impressive at first glance. Small and translucent, they glide in the ocean’s unseen … Continued
I’ve always been a fish person. Like many, I have long been captivated by the colorful triggerfish and wrasses of the reef, the coiling strangeness of wolf eels and sixgill sharks, the complex camouflage of flatfish and sculpins, just to name a few. I was never much interested in invertebrates beyond octopuses, one of the … Continued
This is science so we can’t be shy – let’s take a closer look at gonads. This is science so we can’t be shy. Gonads are sexual organs; females have ovaries and males have testes, and collectively they are called gonads. My job on this cruise is to collect the gonads from any hadal invertebrates … Continued
