Log Post: The Heart of Falkor

Most of the time when you tour a ship you see the main areas where the science gets done, the aft deck, wet lab, control room, but have you ever thought about what powers all these amazing technologies? I didn’t until recently, when I was graciously offered a tour of the engine room, also known … Continued

Log Post: Loihi Seamount – Ironed Out

Like all good things, the Loihi Seamount excursion has come to an end. Close to two weeks onboard the R/V Falkor, and our science crew is leaving with enough data to keep them busy for the next six months. All in all, we had seven AUV Sentry deployments to the two deep regions of Loihi … Continued

Log Post: Crashing a Microbial and Viral Party in the Deep Sea

The deep sea is a hostile environment to most life. There is little by the way of food or other resources. To make matters worse, no light reaches the depths of the oceans. Amidst this darkness exist hot spots of chemical activity in the ocean bed known as hydrothermal vents, fertilizing the oceans with chemicals … Continued

Log Post: Underway

After a very long and unanticipated delay, we are underway and headed towards the Guaymas Basin, located in middle of the Gulf of California. The Gulf of California, one of the most intriguing places I have worked, is home to deeply interesting and fascinating seafloor habitats. In this actively rifting, young ocean basin, the East … Continued

Cruise: Observing Seafloor Methane Seeps at the Edge of Hydrate Stability

Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but exists at far lower concentrations in the atmosphere. Many think of methane as a free-floating gas so it can be a surprise to learn that nearly one-fifth of the Earth’s methane is stored beneath the ocean’s waters in marine sediments in the form of gas hydrate.

Cruise: Deep Coral Diversity at Emperor Seamount Chain 2019

This expedition will feature exploration of the Emperor Seamount Chain while researching biodiversity and its drivers. Using currents, mapping, and radio isotopes to track water masses – as well as genetic sampling of corals – the team will determine the driving force behind coral distribution in this region.

Cruise: Costa Rican Deep Sea Connections

The deep sea is home to a variety of understudied, otherworldly ecosystems that are in need of human understanding if they are to have any protection from encroaching deep sea fishing and mining activities.

Log Post: Bubbles Found

As we steam towards San Francisco in rough seas, I am reminded how lucky we have been during our time on the Falkor with the weather, never losing any days to poor weather. Falkor really is the luck dragon! I have been at sea now for 27 days, and during this time we have deployed an … Continued

Log Post: Metals – Key Players in the Past, Present, and Future!

The Earth’s flow of energy – from animals, to plants, to microbes – is dictated by electron transfers: that is, moving electrons from one molecule or element to another in order to gain energy. These types of reactions have dictated the evolution of life on Earth. Photosynthesis is perhaps the most familiar such reaction, where … Continued