FerrOCious Gulf Blog

The last day has arrived.  At the beginning of this cruise, we were looking at the calendar thinking what a long spans of time this would amount to.  We were open to such an array of possibilities, so many new people to learn from and work with, the experience as a whole seemed overwhelming.  Now, […]

We have received many questions regarding :”What is it like being out on a research vessel for 21 days?!”  Well, we have made a little photo montage of all the extras that go on around the science  on board.  We hope you like it! ***Gallery coming soon***

It’s beginning to set in that the end of our expedition is near. Today the last deployal of the two Landers as well as final GO-Flo’s and In-Situ Pumps were performed. The team is starting to take apart their equipment and pack up their gear and samples for the trips home. Scientists are on board […]

So we’ve talked a lot in previous blogs about the various ways Iron is being tested for, and used to test for other metals.  However, we really haven’t discussed Germanium’s role as a proxy, or what a proxy is for that matter.  Proxies are used in the case of research as an indicator of the […]

  I’m sure for some of you that phrase conjures an image of Robert Downey Jr. in a shiny red suit armed with weapons and a snarky remark.  For others a riff from Black Sabbath may begin playing in your mind.  Yet, this is a nickname given to an individual whose theories are still causing […]

As you’ve probably gathered by now, out here in the Gulf of Mexico we are on a hunt. Not for food or large mammals to shoot pictures of; we are on the hunt for chemicals. Elements ranging on the periodic table from those as commonly known as oxygen and iron, to others rarely ever mentioned, […]

  A new dimension of perspective has been brought to our attention during this experience: the world of trace-metal sampling and studies.  We have been fortunate enough to be asked to help out with some of the sampling processes throughout the trip, and each method is as different as the investigator requesting the sample.  As […]

After our deployment of the CTD this morning, followed by GO-Flo and In-Situ Pump number 13, George Maltby, Endeavor’s Assistant Engineer, was kind enough to give me a tour of the water treatment facilities on board the Endeavor. A couple of things surprised and impressed me about the systems on board the Endeavor. If you’ve […]

This morning started out as another early one, with Dr. Jim McManus, Dr. Will Berelson, Chris Moser, and Bill Fanning using the ship’s depth finder to determine a suitable spot for deploying the Lander at its 7th site.  They found favorable conditions at around 154 meters’ depth.  Once the spot was chosen, and breakfast was […]

Plankton live in the ocean, moving freely, Although most are too small for you and I to see. They drift back and forth and up and down, Migrating to and fro, looking for chow. Meroplankton will grow up eventually, While holoplankton stay drifters of the sea. Doctors will study them and find their benefit, We […]