Coral Pulse

Photo journal of our cruise to Puerto Rico with Schmidt Ocean Institute.

The main objectives of this cruise were to measure reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by mesophotic and deep-sea corals and to determine physiological and ecological mechanisms driving ROS production. This expedition was in collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, and took place on R/V Falkor (too). Further information regarding the research can be found here.

R/V Falkor Too's side doors open to a stunning sunset over Desecheo as we get ready to collect our first samples of the cruise

Desecheo Island

The first CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) cast of the cruise to Desecho Ridge

Luke discusses eDNA sampling plans

Lena Taenzer and Scott Wankel testing SOLARIS on ROV SuBastian

ROV team prepares to launch the ROV SuBastian

SuBastian is lowered into the water

View of the many displays within the ROV control room. This is where we stream and watch the dives while taking in situ measurements and logging samples.

Biajani narrates the dive in spanish/spanglish during "Spanish Hour"

Jeremy Horowitz processes some charismatic coral vouchers from mesophotic depths to be curated at the National Museum of Natural History

More coral voucher specimens to be identified by Smithsonian scientists

Purple Muricea AKA beet juice or merlot coral

Brine shrimp hatchery - food for corals held in aquaria

Ophiuriod on a coral sample

The pace of the cruise quickly picked up. There wasn't much time to take action shots. Pictured is a subsample of an Asteroschema associate found on Paramuricea sp.

We were fortunate to have calm seas, and many glassy days like this

Luke McCartin collects eDNA water samples from SuBastian's niskin bottles

Luke gives a tour of the Oceanics-WHOI eDNA sampler. This sampler was developed by Adams, Govindarajan, and Yoeger (manuscript in prep) with support from OTZ and NOAA OECI.

Pumping the eDNA water sample across a filter to capture the eDNA from the water

Watching the sunrise after a diverse coral haul from 1700-1500m

Duct tape glamour shot

Front of ROV SuBastian, featuring the coral quivers and bio boxes where specimens are held while working on the seafloor.

The sun rises over Vieques

SuBastian prepares to dive again to 1600m

R/V Falkor (too), Schmidt Ocean Institute's newly refitted research vessel that we had the pleasure to sail on.

Thank you, Schmidt Ocean Institute, and all of R/V Falkor (too)'s crew for supporting our research!

Videos that were produced by Schmidt Ocean Institute during this cruise: