Log Post: Rollin’ in the Deep

This morning I was handed a small vial of water from the deepest reaches of the Tasman Sea (4800 meters deep, to be exact). So what, you ask?

Person: Steve Romaine

Steve Romaine is the head of the Water Properties Group at the Institute of Ocean Sciences, which provides oceanographic support to research missions in the Pacific and Arctic regions. This includes sampling protocols for dissolved oxygen, nutrients, salinities, and electronic measurements using CTD units. Steve has a M.Sc. in biological oceanography from the University of … Continued

News: Student Cruises 2014

During the inaugural Schmidt Ocean Institute Symposium in November of 2013, Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) Vice President and Co-Founder Wendy Schmidt launched an initiative to inspire a deep passion for ocean sciences among students by bringing them out to conduct research at sea aboard the R/V Falkor.  At the time, SOI was already planning its collaborations … Continued

Log Post: Wee Little Bad Boys in the Deep

With no ROV dive, today was a time for filling in some gaps in the high-resolution seafloor mapping, and some sampling work launching equipment from the surface. In contrast to yesterday’s beautiful scenes at Baker Bank, one of the more interesting finds was something invisible to the naked eye and a good bit less pleasant. … Continued

Log Post: Cruise Summary for Deep Coral Shakedown

This was a shakedown to remember. It was the first time for many things aboard RV Falkor – the first time chased by a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, the first time diving with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the first time mapping in rough weather, and the first time imaging corals in … Continued

Log Post: Falkor Encounters Signs of Warm, Salty Gulf Stream Current

As the R/V Falkor made its way south past the Grand Banks of Newfoundland this sunny, calm morning, Second/Third Officer Paul Shepherd overheard Chief Scientist Dr. Cabell Davis talking to researcher Melissa Patrician about the sea ahead, which had a slightly rusty reddish hue in relation to the blue sky. Throughout the Falkor’s maiden voyage … Continued

Cruise: Trans-Atlantic Shakedown

This cruise is a part of the shakedown phase of the R/V Falkor initial science operations. During shakedown, all of the systems and oceanographic instruments on board the ship will be tested and calibrated. The ship’s layout and functionality will be evaluated against the needs of future scientific expeditions.