DAY 4: DOWN TO 24OO METERS!
02.07.2008 The highlight of today was the first test of the ROV. It was sent down to 2400 meters (about a mile and a half). Attached is a long suction tube, which, along with a scoop on the front of the drawer placed at the bottom of the ROV and robotic arms for picking up larger samples, allow for a range of ways to bring up specimens from the deep ocean.
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Text and photos by Courtney Flanagan
Being a part of the ROV dive gave the teachers writing these daily comments a window onto the rhythm of scientific deep-sea research. It is, in brief, a combination of "hurry up" and "wait!" First of all, time had to be spent preparing the added equipment put on the ROV. Then, just as we seemed to be ready, there was some sort of equipment glitch and we had to wait another 45-60 minutes. Once the ROV went over the side, there was once again a wait, about an hour for it to finally descend to the bottom of the ocean floor. Once the exploration finished, there was another wait while the ROV ascended, and then the scientists had to go to work very quickly to photograph samples of sponges and other organisms while they were still alive, and to put others quickly in carefully labeled individual containers of ethanol so that the DNA would be preserved for later experiments back on shore.
Last night, after the core was raised from the ocean floor with its 15-foot sample of sediment, other scientists had to work into the early hours of the morning to investigate the core water and sediment samples before the open air had changed too much their composition. Scientific research, in short, is not a career for a person who needs regular nine to five hours!
When the ROV landed on the sediment, we had our first look at life at this depth.
Feather!
Of particular interest to this teacher were the Crinoid, the Feather sponge, and the feather! The Crinoid, related to the starfish, was described as appearing, when it moves, like a flower walking on its petals! The Feather sponge is carnivorous and looks quite like a feather. It has little hooks on its "arms" which allow it to hook its prey. In addition, the Feather sponge contains symbiotic methane-reducing bacteria which allows it to survive when there is no prey available. Finally, a most curious find was the seagull feather in perfect shape. How did it get down a mile and a half onto the ocean floor? And how did it remain in perfect shape? And why should we only find one!!!!
LAST NIGHT we pulled up the Gravity Corer. Read more on the process of examining its samples.
