Log Post: A Day in the Life of a Seafloor Scientist

I wake up disoriented, not remembering where I am. I sit up and bang my head against the bunk above me. Oh, right, I’m on the Research Vessel Falkor in the Mariana Back-Arc (western Pacific). I stumble-walk across my cabin as the whole room is swaying side to side with the motion of the sea, … Continued

Log Post: VPRII Observes Extensive Diatom Bloom

The results from our Video Plankton Recorder (VPRII) continue to please researchers aboard the first Falkor shakedown cruise. “We made our daily stop for a CTD cast and a plankton net tow, and the VPR was redeployed easily in calm seas,” said Dr. Cabell Davis, the mission’s Chief Scientist. “With three successful plankton tows for … Continued

Log Post: Place your bets!

We’re aboard the R/V Falkor on a #HydrothermalHunt in the unexplored parts of the Mariana back-arc. Hydrothermal vents host some of the most unique chemical environments and biological ecosystems on the planet. On this expedition, we are focussing our search on the segments of the Mariana back-arc that are numbered 4-10 on this map. We … Continued

Person: Albert J. Noh

Albert J. Noh is a physical oceanographer who study about turbulent mixing and internal waves in the ocean. He has been researching a mechanism of turbulent mixing in the equatorial Pacific, using CTD, LADCP, and Micro-structure profiler data. He has some experiences at international joint cruise; MIXET cruise, Korea-Russia joint cruise. He likes doing exercise; … Continued

Person: Chang-Su Hong

Chang-Su Hong is a research scientist for the Physical Oceanography Division at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). His primary responsibilities are field observation and basic data processing. He specializes in operating various instruments such as the microstructure profiler, CTD and ADCP. He has participated in many survey cruises in the western … Continued

Person: Sofia Ramalho

Sofia P. Ramalho is a Junior Researcher at the Department of Biology and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) at the University of Aveiro (Portugal). Her research is focused on the study of the benthic diversity and ecosystem functioning in various deep-sea habitats (including cold seeps, submarine canyons and abyssal plains). She is also … Continued

Log Post: The choreography of science at sea

Science at sea is, above all else, a team effort. Scientific activities performed on Falkor require the ship’s crew and science party to work hand-in-glove; from ROV dives to CTD casts to work boat operations, every task is carefully choreographed to ensure objectives are met effectively, efficiently, and safely. And like a good dance routine, … Continued

Log Post: Curtains in the ocean: The “Turbo Team”

There are a number of ways to present or visualize oceanographic data. When an instrument like the CTD is lowered to the bottom, it provides an instantaneous picture of all the water properties at the drop site. Similarly, when we lower the turbulence probe (TurboMAP) it provides a picture of ocean turbulence properties over depth … Continued

Log Post: When a Plan Comes Together ~ Video Update Week 2

The #LostCityVents team made a breathtaking discovery recently, and when a researcher says "We found something beyond what we could ever expect," you know it's worth paying attention. Using a combination of cutting-edge technology - including sonars on R/V Falkor (too) and autonomous underwater vehicles, CTD sampling, and ROV SuBastian - the team located black … Continued

Log Post: Mind, He Doesn’t Get Out Much

Suddenly, the whole ship seems to have its groove on and science is really clicking. By deciding to focus on our shallowest site, we are stepping up the pace to dive every day, starting at 04h00, and staying out as long as we’re allowed. Reminds me of Summer nights when I was about 10 and … Continued