Microbial Stowaways: Exploring Shipwreck Microbiomes in the Deep Gulf of Mexico: Image and Video Gallery: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Site 15470 Stern

Site 15470 stern with draft mark.

Iron Knees

Site 15470 iron knees.

Artifacts

Artifacts found at Site 15470 at ~1,800 meters (~5,905 feet) depth.

Plate

Image of a plate found at Site 15470.

Scientific Party and Crew

Scientific party and crew aboard R/V Point Sur.

Stern of the Shipwreck at Site 15470

The stern of the shipwreck at Site 15470 captured by ROV Odysseus.

Deploying ROV Odysseus

ROV Odysseus being deployed while carrying an acoustic lander with attached microbial recruitment experiments for deployment on the seafloor.

Preparing the Microbial Recruitment Experiments

Students Rachel Mugge, Taylor Lee, and Rachel Pugh preparing the microbial recruitment experiments for deployment.

USBL Directional Receiver and Interrogation Transmitter

USBL directional receiver (top) and interrogation transmitter (bottom), lifted out of the water for inspection and transit between sites.

Inside Control Room

Structure of shipwreck visible on scanning sonar (display at top right) while ROV operator Paul Sanacore prepares to collect a sediment core with the manipulator arm.

Lander Mounted on Odysseus ROV

Lander mounted on Odysseus ROV, showing the tangerine-colored ADCP at left and microbial recruitment experiments with rigging secured under the rear platform of the ROV.

Push Core Tubes

Push core tubes headed down to the deep sea aboard the ROV.

Doug Jones and Dr. Warren Wood

BOEM Archeologist Doug Jones discussing with NRL Geophysicist Dr. Warren Wood various images seen at our shipwreck site of the day.

Taking a Sediment Sample

ROV Odysseus taking a sediment sample with a push core.

CTD

Early morning CTD sampling for DNA and nutrients in the water column.

Set-up for Water Analysis

Set-up for sediment pore water geochemical analysis aboard R/V Point Sur.

Anchor

A first-person view from ROV Odysseus, viewing the unknown shipwreck’s newly found anchor.

OSTC Students Telecommunicating with R/V Point Sur

Ocean Science and Technology Camp (OSTC) students gathered in the Marine Education Center Exhibit Hall, telecommunicating directly with the R/V Point Sur.

Anchor and Ceramic Dishes

An anchor and some ceramic dishes were located amidships of Site 15711’s hull.

The Vessel’s Sternpost

The vessel’s sternpost, where the rudder attached, and one of the few structural elements still visible above the seafloor.

The Ship’s Bell

The ship’s bell.

Inside the ROV Control Van

Inside the ROV control van during a dive, the ROV team and marine archaeologists work together during the investigation of an unexplored, 19th century wooden shipwreck.

Hamdan Lab Teamwork

The Hamdan lab group works together and brainstorms with primary investigator and chief scientist, Leila Hamdan, to make sure that the MREs and bundles of line are arranged in a specific configuration, so that they will deploy correctly at the shipwreck site Anona.

Microbial Recruitment Experiment

Shipboard photo of the MRE that was recovered from Anona. The round disks installed in the holes are the exposure surfaces, which are completely covered in biofilms and corrosion products after incubating on the seafloor for five years.

Imploded Glass Float

This is all that was left of the lander flotation shell after the glass float imploded.

Attaching Landers to the ROV

The team works to attach the landers to the back of the ROV.

Deploying the ROV

The crane lifts the ROV and its experimental cargo into the ocean.

Retrieving a Corrosion Experiment

Retrieving a corrosion experiment placed near Anona stern in 2014.

Students Aboard the R/V Point Sur

Ocean Science and Technology students aboard the R/V Point Sur, next to Pelagic Research Services ROV Odysseus.

Students in the Control Room

Students in the control room learning what it takes to pilot the ROV Odysseus during multimillion-dollar missions.

Student Holding Decorated Styrofoam Cups

OSTC student holding styrofoam cups that were decorated by peers as a classroom activity; these cups will be crushed under the pressure of the ocean, creating a fun souvenir for campers.

Plot of a bathymetric slope in degrees for a fairly large region (1.5 x 1.5 arc degrees) covering our study area.

Bathymetry

Plot of a bathymetric slope in degrees for a fairly large region covering our study area.

ROV <em>Odysseus</em> being transferred from the Marine Research Center to the ship.

ROV Odysseus

ROV Odysseus being transferred from the Marine Research Center to the ship.

All hands on the lander – the final steps of putting together the lander, which will recover our experiments after four months, takes a team effort.

Lander Assembly

The final steps of putting together the lander takes a team effort.

Teamwork

The whole team pitches in to set up microbial recruitment experiments.

Stern of the Alcoa Puritan

Close-up view of the stern of the Alcoa Puritan shipwreck, located at ~2,000 meters (~6,500 feet) depth in the Gulf of Mexico.

R/V Point Sur

R/V Point Sur at its homeport of Port of Gulfport.

Location of Known Historic Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico

The location of known historic shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico.

Collecting Sediment Samples

Sediment samples collected near the bow of the Anona shipwreck.

Colony on the Bow of the Anona

Marine organisms colonize the bow of the steel-hulled former luxury yacht Anona which sank in the northern Gulf of Mexico in 1944 in more than 4,000 feet of water.

Diverse Fauna on Ewing Bank Wreck

The 19th-century wooden-hulled Ewing Bank wreck demonstrates that shipwrecks attract diverse fauna even in 2,000 feet of water.

Dr. Leila Hamdan and Melanie Damour

Principal investors Dr. Leila Hamdan and Melanie Damour preparing push cores for sediment collection.

Experiment Deployment

Experiment deployment aboard R/V Point Sur.

Recovering Acoustic Landers

Recovering acoustic landers from the seafloor aboard R/V Point Sur.

Biofilm Recruitment Experiment

Biofilm recruitment experiments, like the one pictured here, will include wood samples to study how microorganisms are ‘island hopping’ across built wood structures on the seafloor.

Acoustic Landers

Acoustic landers used to recover biofilm recruitment experiments on the R/V Point Sur after spending four months on the Gulf of Mexico seafloor.

Microbial Stowaways: Exploring Shipwreck Microbiomes in the Deep Gulf of Mexico

Image Gallery

Mission Logs

Image Gallery

For Educators

Background Information

Meet the Explorers

Microbial Stowaways: Exploring Shipwreck Microbiomes in the Deep Gulf of Mexico

Image Gallery

Mission Logs

Image Gallery

For Educators

Background Information

Meet the Explorers

Related Links