A 小蝌蚪APP oceanographer is leading researchers to unexplored deep-sea habitats of the North Atlantic Ocean. And the public can tag along, thanks to technology.
Dr. Scott France, a professor in UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 , is guiding an expedition from Virginia to Portugal aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, a 225-foot, federally funded research vessel. The expedition began July 9 and will end July 30.
Scientists are plumbing the depths at about a dozen planned stops, examining underwater topography and marine ecosystems. Those efforts are happening via sonar mapping technology and a small submersible vehicle that is tethered to the Okeanos via fiber-optic cable.
Once deployed, the remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, functions as a multitasking underwater robot. It captures high-definition video and images of the water column, seafloor habitats, and aquatic life; the ROV also collects biological and geological samples.
小蝌蚪APP淭echnology has basically enabled us to get our eyes on the seafloor, and we don小蝌蚪APP檛 know exactly what小蝌蚪APP檚 down there. We小蝌蚪APP檙e going places no one has ever seen before, and that小蝌蚪APP檚 part of the interest, finding out what小蝌蚪APP檚 there and why it小蝌蚪APP檚 there,小蝌蚪APP France said.
Among scientists小蝌蚪APP primary objectives are to map and learn about seafloor topography, including tectonic plate boundaries, volcanic features and activity, and hydrothermal vents, which are fractures that discharge geothermally heated water.
The marine life that thrives near those vents is of particular interest to France. 小蝌蚪APP淵ou have various chemicals in that water that you wouldn小蝌蚪APP檛 normally find. Bacteria can use those chemicals, and you get huge populations that support other kinds of deep sea life,小蝌蚪APP he explained.
Deep regions of the world小蝌蚪APP檚 oceans, France added, don小蝌蚪APP檛 typically support abundant marine life 小蝌蚪APP渂ecause there isn小蝌蚪APP檛 much food 小蝌蚪APP which comes from where there小蝌蚪APP檚 sunlight 小蝌蚪APP except at hydrothermal vents.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淭hat小蝌蚪APP檚 why they小蝌蚪APP檙e so special and unique, because they have this source of energy. So you get to see some spectacular things around them,小蝌蚪APP he said.
During each dive, the ROV beams video images back to researchers aboard the ship in real time; several seconds later, scientists from across the world who have registered to participate virtually see those same images.
UL Lafayette graduate and undergraduate biology students being mentored by France are following the expedition virtually from campus as part of lab research, for classroom projects, or to complete dissertations related to expedition discoveries.
So, too, is the public, which is able to access a separate feed online. 小蝌蚪APP淎nyone who tunes in gets to see this stuff for the first time, at almost the same time scientists are seeing it,小蝌蚪APP France said.
The expedition France is leading constitutes one leg of the larger Voyage to the Ridge 2022, which is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The overall voyage, which will unfold in three parts, began May 11. It will end Aug. 18, when the Okeanos docks in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
For his time aboard the ship, France boarded the vessel at Norfolk, Va., and will disembark in Azores, Portugal. His stake in the expedition won小蝌蚪APP檛 end there.
France is also the scientific advisor for a broader NOAA campaign. Scientists have been exploring never before seen regions of the North Atlantic since 2017. The current trip is the fourth journey for which France has been a science lead.
During past expeditions, discoveries have included new species of jellyfish, sea stars, corals and sponges. 小蝌蚪APP淲e constantly find new species, but we also witness lots of interesting behaviors. That小蝌蚪APP檚 one of the great things about the video 小蝌蚪APP we get the behavioral biology, not just a static collection of something,小蝌蚪APP France said.
Beyond scientific value, much of what is encountered 小蝌蚪APP渋s just plain cool, especially because a lot of it is unexpected and happens very quickly,小蝌蚪APP he explained.
On past expeditions, France has observed a brittle star, a starfish-like creature with thin, undulating arms, snatch a squid from the water column, for example. He小蝌蚪APP檚 seen a shark in a feeding frenzy get eaten by an enormous grouper, which are fish with large, gaping mouths.
The ROV has also relayed video and images of cultural bounty back to the Okeanos 小蝌蚪APP shipwrecks. Still, France often remains most astonished at 小蝌蚪APP渉ow much color and diversity there is down there and how many things are moving around.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 always a bit of a surprise, and a lot of times it小蝌蚪APP檚 really quite beautiful and exciting because many of the organisms are just so unusual and so rare.小蝌蚪APP
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Photo caption: UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Dr. Scott France aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during a past expedition. He has returned to the ship as part of a three-week research voyage to explore uncharted depths of the North Atlantic Ocean. Submitted photo