Skip to content

Deep-Sea Eukaryotic Life 2017 Expedition – Log 3

During the ROV Doc Ricketts dive, we saw these corals and sponges at Davidson Seamount.

Deep-Sea Eukaryotic Life 2017 Expedition – Log 3

David Needham

Today Co-Chief Scientists Sebastian Sudek and Charmaine Yung directed the ROV Doc Ricketts to observe and collect deep-sea benthic invertebrates, such as sponges and corals, at the Davidson Seamount so we can study their microbiomes.

Co-Chief Scientist Charmaine Yung and ROV Pilot Ben Erwin in the control room during today’s dive.
During the ROV Doc Ricketts dive, we saw these corals and sponges at Davidson Seamount.

Today we also accomplished the deepest deployment ever of the in situ ultraviolet spectrophotometer (ISUS), a sensor developed at MBARI. The sensor measures nitrate, an important link in the nitrogen cycle of the ocean. It returned data from a record-breaking 3,500 meters depth; we are still waiting to parse the data. We thank developers Ken Johnson and Luke Coletti for loaning us the sensor and helping us set it up.