One hundred miles off Brazil's northeast coast, two remote atolls rise abruptly from the Atlantic depths. Shallow havens in the otherwise deep sea, the waters of Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas teem with color and life.

The promise of an adventurous three-week expedition in these waters compelled me to accept a position as an online correspondent with @Sea. My job transmitting daily dispatches from onboard the Research Vessel SEWARD JOHNSON satisfied both my lust for hi-tech toys and my passions for photography and diving. Figuring a change in the tides had opened this rare window of opportunity, I dived in without pause. As it turns out, there was a catch.

The islands' warm equatorial waters are home to a caucus of brightly colored tropical fishes, flourishing reefs -- and a formidable predator: the long-finned, sleek-skinned lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris).

See the catch, yet?

On March 12, a multinational team of researchers, led by Chief Scientist Samuel Gruber, plan to meet these enigmatic animals face-to-face -- on their terms and in their environment -- in order to attack a series of fundamental questions about the sharks' lives.

"In general," says Gruber, "we are looking at the evolution and breeding biology of the lemon shark by analyzing its genetic structure. Nothing at all is known about the breeding strategy of requiem sharks like the lemon shark."

Hoping to provide a true comprehensive view of this coastal predator, the expedition team will focus their research on genetic differences among the lemon sharks.

Working day and night from onboard the R/V SEWARD JOHNSON and an armada of small boats, the team will dig into some gritty field science, foregoing sleep in order to snip genetic samples, track tagged animals, and collect stomach contents from the stout-bodied sharks. Yum!

In relative terms, I'm the smart one. I'll just be documenting the expedition, not poking my fingers into gapping mouths or borrowing small pieces of fin. Just give me pictures and a few good stories, thank you.

Of course, covering shark research calls for the "jump-in-the-water-and-tempt-fate" approach to journalism. So, as the expedition nears, I have begun to question my sanity. My dreams have become increasingly aquatic with nightly visits from the lemon shark.

I've read that lemon sharks are reasonable animals. Don't bother them; they won't bother you. But, then again, rub these fish the wrong way, and you've got a scar worthy of a tall tale after a few beers.

I find comfort and inspiration in Gruber's words: "My favorite thing to do is discover something new about how sharks work - and to transmit that information to the public. No myths - only facts and quantitative models of the lifestyle of this great fish!"

Gruber is no shark rookie. Having dedicated his life to studying the animals, he is considered one of the foremost shark authorities in the world. Data collected from his previous research in the Bahamas will provide a proper contrast to the information to be collected in Brazil.

From the results, relationships among various sharks will be established, breeding and migration patterns will emerge, and important clues into the dynamics of the shark population as a whole will reveal themselves.

As with all science, the Brazil study is only part of a larger whole. Providing a complete model of how the lemon shark breeds, travels - in short, how it lives - will ultimately lead to better conservation measures for the protected predator, as well as a deeper understanding of all coastal sharks.

The lure of satellite transmitters and digital cameras and laptop computers pulled me into this job. Now, like the scientists onboard, I'll use those same tools to look the lemon shark in the eye, to capture images as rich in truth as a genetic sample.

Is the predator a misunderstood creature, shrouded in unfounded myth as Gruber suggests? Or will the shark only perpetuate its own savage image? It's hard to see the ocean from my office window in Tennessee, so there is really only one way to find out...