Just prior to launch, the crew makes one final check of the connection between the crane and Little Herc. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011. Download image (jpg, 44 KB).
Just prior to launch, the crew makes one final check of the connection between the crane and Little Herc. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011. Download image (jpg, 44 KB).
Today we hope to get a glimpse at how vent communities change over time. Back in 2002, scientists hoping to find a lush long-studied community named Rose Garden instead found a 'flattened' site paved with fresh lava. Though Rose Garden was gone, they did find a new community of hydrothermal animals that seemed likely to be the new progenitors of a reborn Rose Garden. The discovery of the site called Rosebud dramatically underscored the dynamic nature of deep sea floor processes, especially in volcanically active areas. We're taking the opportunity today to dive on Rosebud. Will we find a lush biological community that has grown up since the previous visit? Perhaps even Rosebud has now been paved over with fresh lava. We'll find out in a few hours.