 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
 |
MISSION DISPATCH 5 • 07/11/01 Today's Weather - images courtesy of NOAA & RSMAS Dispatch by Heath Mills - Georgia Institute of Technology July 11, 2001 Following almost 24 hours of surface operations, which included gravity cores and CTD surveys, July 11th was capped off by a satellite fly over at 1900 hours. The 25 feet per pixel photographs taken by the satellite will be used to do surveys of the surface water. Now we are steaming toward Port Fourchon to pick up parts for the ships A-frame. Our estimated time of arrival is 0700 hours on Thursday. The weather remains perfect with calm seas and clear skies. This makes heading into port frustrating but the unexpected is to be expected when doing field work; every scientist knows this. Updates will follow detailing on-going research from a small port city in lower Louisiana. 
Dive mission 4317 uncovered this amazing cave of iceworms, full of dozens of individual worms. Collection of these unique creatures was unfortunately not successful at this point in the cruise but future dives may turn out more fruitful. Caves like this one are beautifully rare sights making photographs like this all the more impressive. SeaSnap 990 Photograph by Ian MacDonald 
Mandy (Samantha) Joye from the University of Georgia and JOHNSON-SEA-LINK pilot Kenny O'Brien prepare for a 3 hour tour of site GC233. This site features a brine pool surrounded by mussels. We had hoped to sample brine water, deploy agar plugs, and recover sediment cores. From this dive, we were only able to recover sediment, but spirits are high for returning and completing the site objectives. SeaSnap 990 Photograph by Ian MacDonald 
These Munidopsis', commonly called "Squat Lobsters" or Galatheid crabs. According to Erik Cordes of Penn State, they have only been found associated with seeps. To date very little is known about these creatures of the deep. Their full diet is unknown, however they have been observed clipping the tops off of tubeworm plumes. SeaSnap 990 Photograph by Ian MacDonald 
According to the resident ecologist, Erik Cordes, this Urophysis, also referred to as a type of Hake, is a generalized predator. There is evidence that it feeds at the seeps, a geologic feature plentiful here in this part of the gulf. SeaSnap 990 Photograph by Ian MacDonald 
Using the JOHNSON-SEA-LINK video camera, Dr. Ian MacDonald and sub pilot
Phil Santos are photographed at a depth of 1779 feet during dive mission
4310. Continuous video recording of each dive mission allows scientists
aboard the ship and after the cruise to examine and study these diverse &
extreme ecosystems. Images like this one can be captured from the video
producing frames suitable for electronic transmission. Photograph by Ira
Leiffer
The Port of Fourchon never sleeps. A combination of boat traffic and
helicopter fly-bys fill the air with a cacophony of sound. During the
evening of the 12th, we had the pleasure of meeting Pete, the Captain of the
Dustin Danos. Pete was a true local, being born here in the
Fourchon area. For several hours, Pete told stories about life in the area
and life on the oil rig supply boats. It was a unique experience to finally
put a face and a personality to the endless string of rigs that form the
"Steel Archipelago." Photograph by Heath Mills
 | |
 | ||