As part of our cruise MSM126 focus on the “jellyweb”, we are also interested in siphonophores. Even in the vast and mysterious world of marine life teeming with peculiar inhabitants, these distinctive creatures stand out. While they share similarities with jellyfish, particularly in having stinging cells known as cnidocysts, they do not look much like […]
Yay! Yo-Yo!
It’s ten o’clock in the evening, the research vessel MARIA S. MERIAN is moored off the coast of Madeira. The bridge gives the announcement: “On station in about ten minutes”. And off we go for another night of yo-yo CTD cruising. As we mentioned in a previous blog post, today we’re diving deep into why […]
A physical oceanographer alone among biologists
Anton and I have just brought CTD cast number 45 to light. While we are once again shaking freshly tapped bottles with great enthusiasm, I think I can make out question marks in Jamileh’s expression as she smiles good morning to us. That’s what everyone here seems to be thinking: 45 CTD casts already? And […]
Forensics in the sea
We explore the entire tree of life on the research vessel MARIA S. MERIAN: animals, algae, bacteria, and viruses. The cruise focuses on the food web and ocean biodiversity. However, some animals, especially hunters such as squid and whales, are too big, fast or camera-shy for our instruments. To detect these top predators, we search […]
Micro-creatures
Exciting plankton creatures have been making their way into the laboratories on board RV Merian since we left Funchal almost two weeks ago. Several scientists and engineers from German, Portuguese and US institutions set up shop in the chemistry, dry and deck labs on the main deck to prepare for plankton sampling and analysis. Since […]
BLOG Beitrag 2: SO297
+++english version below+++ Nachdem das erste 2D-Profil nun abgefahren und die Ozeanbodenseismometer (OBS) und Hydrophone (OBH) wieder an Deck eingeholt waren, fuhren wir in das Gebiet für das zweite Experiment. Bei einem Profil werden Geräte in einer geraden Linie auf dem Meeresboden ausgesetzt. Anschließend wird das Profil mit Luftpulsern einmal abgefahren und die Signale werden […]
PART 2 The Boys are back in Town
+++english version below+++ Der nächste Reiseabschnitt begann mit einem überraschenden Twist – Im Zoll verschollen geglaubte Seismometer, standen nun doch zur Abholung im Hafen von Vancouver bereit – den wir aber bereits verlassen hatten. Es wurde beschlossen, dass wir außerplanmäßig eine zweitägige Detour nach Vancouver antreten würden. Wie ich im bereits gesagt habe – sei […]
QA Marine Mammal Protection and mitigation measures for SO294
Deutsche Fassung siehe unten 1. What steps are you taking to make sure this research doesn’t pose a risk to marine mammals in the area? The project is taking stringent measures to ensure the safety of marine mammals during the operation of our instruments and research activities. Airguns are acoustic devices that emit sound waves […]
Part 1: Setting Sails in Vancouver
The CLOCK is set for SO294 +++english version below+++ Nachdem ein erster Voraustrupp am 09&10. September unter Hochdruck den Großteil des Geräteaufbaus auf dem FS SONNE gestemmt hat, erreicht auch der Haupttrupp Vancouver am 12. September. Um 2 Uhr morgens legt die RV SONNE am Dienstag, 13, September, ab mit dem Team von SO294 an […]
A slow start & sunny days in Husö, Finland.
We are Carmen (DE) and Sofia (FI), and together, we make up Team Finland 2022. Team Finland is working on the Åland islands at the Husö Biological Station, which belongs to Finland’s only Swedish-speaking University, Åbo Akademi University. The GAME topic of 2022 is the effect of artificial light at night (ALAN) on mussels, and […]