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Expedition Log

04.24.19

Seafloor Ecology Expedition 2019 – Log 4

Postdoctoral Fellow Amanda Kahn Studying the connection deep-sea sponges create between microbes in the water column and seafloor communities. Deep-sea animals have so many different adaptations to find food because food is scarce in deep water.  Deep-sea sponges are common at Sur Ridge and grow to over a meter (3.3 feet) tall!  Sponges are filter …

Expedition Log

04.22.19

Seafloor Ecology Expedition 2019 – Log 3

Octopus Garden When MBARI and MBNMS researchers were onboard the E/V Nautilus last year they had the opportunity to check out a spot near Davidson Seamount.  They found something so surprising and intriguing that we revisited the same site on this expedition. On the seafloor, in cracks and crevices on the edge of this underwater …

Expedition Log

04.21.19

Seafloor Ecology Expedition 2019 – Log 2

Deep-sea coral observatory Along with the sanctuary and other collaborators, studies of deep-sea coral and sponge communities at Sur Ridge are becoming a focal area for collaborative deep-sea research around Monterey Bay.  As one element of this partnership, MBARI is initiating a “Deep-Sea Coral Observatory” to help understand various processes that influence the biodiversity, productivity, …

Expedition Log

04.20.19

Seafloor Ecology Expedition 2019 – Log 1

Deep-sea coral discovery Unlike shallow water coral reefs that are accessible in most tropical reef areas, deep-sea corals are typically remote and inaccessible due to their great depth, often hundreds to thousands of meters beneath the surface, as well as far from shore. So, even though deep-sea coral ecosystems occur in deep rocky habitats across …

News

03.20.19

The return of JellyWatch

MBARI biologist Steve Haddock recently rolled out a new and improved web site that allows citizen scientists around the world to report jellyfish blooms.

Expedition Log

03.13.19

Midwater Ecology Expedition Spring 2019 – Log 3

We are fortunate to have two aquarists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, MacKenzie Bubel and Wyatt Patry, working with us on this expedition. They are busy collecting an array of new deep-sea animals and have been able to keep several animals alive longer than we ever have before. They are hoping to successfully culture several key species. The cold room …

Expedition Log

03.12.19

Midwater Ecology Expedition Spring 2019 – Log 2

The Midwater Ecology Group is out here studying a layer in the water column called the oxygen minimum zone, or OMZ. The OMZ is a layer where the oxygen levels are lower than the waters above. In the Monterey Bay area the OMZ is typically 600 to 900 meters below the surface. OMZs form where large amounts of organic …

Expedition Log

03.11.19

Midwater Ecology Expedition Spring 2019 – Log 1

We steamed for just over four hours until we reached our first dive site at approximately 3,000 meters (almost two miles). The first few hours of the dive were spent filling the Midwater Respirometry System (MRS) sample buckets with mysid shrimp for a deep deployment. According to Research Specialist Kim Reisenbichler the shrimp are “good …