Skip to content

Three ships are better than one

Home Expedition 17 Daily Updates Day 11: Three ships are better than one Day 11: Three ships are better than one By Marley Parker Imagine you’re planning an oceanographic expedition. You need to pinpoint the right place in the ocean at the ideal time of year and secure funding for an appropriate vessel. Then you…

Read More

Mail Buoy: May 14

Home Expedition 17 Mail Buoy May 14 Mail Buoy: May 14 Question: How much of the carbon (brought in by phytoplankton) do the fish eat? How do you (researchers) keep track of the poop? How do you sample/ know how much there is? -Yusef B.H.M., Clarke Middle School Answer: Great questions! Relatively speaking, there isn’t…

Read More

Back to Work! Meet researcher John San Soucie

Home Expedition 17 Daily Updates Day 10: Back to work! Meet researcher John San Soucie Day 10: Back to work! By Marley Parker After a few days of weathering rough seas, science operations aboard the Sarmiento de Gamboa are back in full swing. Technicians aboard the Sarmiento de Gamboa deploy the first CTD rosette after…

Read More

Mail Buoy: May 13

Home Expedition 17 Mail Buoy May 13 Mail Buoy: May 13 Question: We are students of Ms. Sheild’s 7th grade class. In class we watched the “Minion” video, and we had a few questions. What are the weights made of that are released, and what happens to them? -Josh Answer: Hi Josh! The weights are…

Read More

Hitting the wall

Home Expedition 17 Daily Updates Day 9: Hitting the wall Day 9: Hitting the wall By Marley Parker “Does anyone have an extra ratchet strap?” Erin Frates calls out to the room at large. “I do!” Michelle Cusolito says. With bad weather approaching, we are suspending science operations and hunkering down. Co-lead scientist Heidi Sosik…

Read More

Mail Buoy: May 12

Home Expedition 17 Mail Buoy May 10 Mail Buoy: May 12 Question: What is your favorite Ocean Twilight Zone animal? -Brody P., Tremont Middle School Answer: There are so many amazing creatures in the Twilight Zone! Here are a few favorites from our science team members: John and Julia are both fans of phronima, a…

Read More

Weird & wonderful creatures of the MOCNESS

Home Expedition 17 Daily Updates Day 8: Weird & wonderful creatures of the MOCNESS Day 8: Weird & wonderful creatures of the MOCNESS By Michelle Cusolito Members of the science team and the ship’s crew huddle around buckets and trays in the wet lab. They’ve gathered to admire the animals brought back from the deep…

Read More

Mail Buoy: May 11

Home Expedition 17 Mail Buoy May 11 Mail Buoy: May 11 Question: Does the twilight zone have any dolphins? Brody P., Tremont Middle School Answer: That’s a trick question, Brody! While most common dolphins tend to keep to shallow depths, some dolphin species do spend time in the twilight zone! Specifically offshore ecotype bottlenose dolphins.…

Read More

Turning science into stories

Home Expedition 17 Daily Updates Day 7: Turning science into stories Day 7: Turning science into stories By Marley Parker Michelle Cusolito is an author and educator with a passion for sharing the wonders of the natural world with young people. This is her first oceanographic research expedition.  Michelle Cusolito on the aft deck of…

Read More

In full bloom

Home Expedition 17 Daily Updates Day 6: In full bloom Day 6: In full bloom By Michelle Cusolito It’s obvious we’ve traveled north because the sun rises earlier now than it did in Spain. By 7am, the main lab is already filled with bright light that reflects off the waves outside. Co-chief scientist Heidi Sosik…

Read More