Follow along as participants in the cruise provide updates and reflections on their experiences, the science, the technology, and other elements of the expedition.
July 5, 2019 | Melanie Damour
As the Microbial Stowaways project fieldwork comes to a close, we reflect on what we discovered over the past week. Two copper-sheathed, wooden-hulled shipwrecks—Site 15711 and Site 15470—give us glimpses into life aboard 19th century sailing ships and will tell us how their presence influences microbial biodiversity in the marine environment.
Read moreJuly 3, 2019 | Dr. Leila Hamdan
During the lead up to, and execution of an at-sea expedition, it is often easy for me to get caught up in the details, such that I miss the larger view of what we have done. I have been affectionately calling a major element of this research trip my “Gigantic, Terrifying Experiment.”
Read moreJuly 2, 2019 | Rachel Pugh
Our expedition may be coming to a close, but this is only the beginning of our research. Over the past eight days we have collected sediment cores, pore water from sediment cores, and water from the column above the shipwrecks. These samples all must be analyzed once they are brought to the laboratory in order to discover the story they can tell us.
Read moreJuly 1, 2019 | Max Woolsey
I am an unmanned maritime systems engineer at the University of Southern Mississippi. During my ten years of working with seafloor landers and marine vehicles, one challenge I’ve faced involves localization of undersea systems.
Read moreJuly 1, 2019 | Taylor Lee
The first time we all gathered around the television to watch one of the two never-before-investigated shipwrecks we are exploring, I began to mentally ask a million questions.
Read moreJune 30, 2019 | Dr. Justyna Hampel
This is my first research cruise and my first time sampling marine sediments. Coming from shallow freshwater lake research, I know I had A LOT to learn.
Read moreJune 28, 2019 | Jessi James
With summer camp coming to a close, Ocean Science and Technology Camp (OSTC) students gathered around the Marine Education Center’s video wall display hoping to catch their first glimpse of a shipwreck. After spending a full week learning about science, technology, engineering, and technology (STEM) careers, elaborate experiments, and high-tech equipment, this virtual communication was the pinnacle of their week.
Read moreJune 28, 2019 | Doug Jones
When you’re working 1,800 feet underwater, some days are a reminder that patience isn’t just a virtue, it’s also a job requirement. For over eight hours yesterday we conducted the first detailed archaeological investigation of the shipwreck known as Site 15711—at least when we could see it in between the clouds of suspended silt that seemed to be perpetually up current from the remotely operated vehicle’s (ROV) camera lens. The seafloor was soft but our wills (and the current) were strong and we persevered through the haze, collecting enough video data to confirm that Site 15711 is a wooden-hulled sailing vessel, likely dating to the mid to late 19th century.
Read moreJune 28, 2019 | Rachel Mugge
Any operation on a research vessel requires communication and cooperation between the ship’s crew and the science party. We science better when we work together!
Read moreJune 27, 2019 | Betsy Petrick
Today I saw what scientific exploration is really like. As someone said, “Two means one, and one means none,” meaning that when you are out at sea, you have to have a second or even a third of every critical piece of equipment because something is inevitably going to break and you will not be able to run to the store for a new one. Failures and setbacks are part of the game.
Read moreJune 26, 2019 | Melanie Damour
From her graceful clipper bow and ornate floral metalwork to her interior woodwork using the finest mahogany and teak, the steam yacht Anona was a sight to behold in the early 20th century. Originally owned by a wealthy industrialist who purchased her in 1904, the luxury yacht was likely the scene of many social events throughout her first few decades. In 1944, the former grand dame of the seas was reduced to hauling a cargo of potatoes to the West Indies when her steel hull plates suddenly buckled, causing her to sink.
Read moreJune 25, 2019 | Jessi James
Earlier in the year, I was approached by Dr. Leila Hamdan and her team to take on a correspondent role to assist with the education and outreach component of the Microbial Stowaways project. With this latest responsibility, a new educational program was to be created to center around the dedication and experimentation of exploration research.
Read moreJune 24, 2019 | Warren Wood
Machine learning refers to a recently developed type of computer algorithm (program or “App”) that has grown out of, and is similar to, other kinds of artificial intelligence. During this expedition, the team will be using machine learning to determine how well various seafloor quantities, like seafloor slope, distance from the wreck, and bottom water current speed correlate with the various microbial communities around shipwrecks.
Read moreJune 24, 2019 | Leila Hamdan
“Mobilization days are overwhelming, fatiguing and non-stop. Pace yourselves and try to learn as much as possible.” These were the words Chief Scientist Leila Hamdan shared with her team of scientists and engineers as they prepared for a somewhat complicated mobilization on one of the hottest days of the year.
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