Science at Sea

Follow along as our scientists conduct research at sea

Why does dissolved organic matter matter?

Posted onAugust 15, 2019August 15, 2019Leave a comment

Maddy Lahm, Michael Gonsior and Leanne Powers work together to extract organic compounds from their samples.

Deep sea dissolved organic matter (DOM) holds almost as much carbon as the atmosphere holds in the form of carbon dioxide.

The difference between …

Bacteria and deep sea viruses, oh my!

Posted onAugust 13, 2019August 15, 2019Leave a comment

The main lab on the ship is home to microbial ecologists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) and the University of Delaware. The team’s processes rely heavily on each other …

How scientists retrieve water samples from 4,500 meters

Posted onAugust 9, 2019August 15, 2019Leave a comment

Ship technicians, suited up in safety gear, prepare to bring up the CTD.

Ever wonder how scientists are able to collect water from the deep sea and ensure that their samples only have water from that exact depth?

The study …

CTD deployment and water collection

Posted onAugust 9, 2019September 17, 2019Leave a comment

The CTD emerges from the deep blue water, suspended by a thick wire cord that is reeled in from the wheelhouse. Technicians onboard the vessel use hooks on broomsticks to control the CTD as it exits the water to guide

…

First day of sampling

Posted onAugust 9, 2019October 4, 2019Leave a comment

The CTD being carefully deployed off the starboard side of the boat. Two ropes held by technicians make sure the structure enters the water straight — The CTD being carefully deployed off the starboard side of the boat. Two ropes held by technicians make sure the structure enters the water straight.

After about 5 hours of traveling on the relatively calm waters of the Atlantic Ocean …