Science takes many forms. You can spend hours in the lab running experiments, sit in front of your computer building models, or gather your thoughts quietly in front of a blank piece of paper. But sometimes, science means going out into the world to test your ideas. That’s exactly what Expedition SO307 is all about.
Right now, 25 scientists are busy aboard the research vessel SONNE, deploying instruments in the southwest Indian Ocean. Of course, we take moments to appreciate the stunning deep blue of the water— a hue that its unique to this ocean. The sea is calm now, but when we set sail from Durban on September 12th, the waves tossed us around a little bit, a blunt reminder that no matter our plans, the ocean always has the final say in our journey.
Now that we’ve got a moment to catch our breath, let us tell you why we’re here. You may have heard people say, “We know more about the Moon than we do about the depths of our oceans.” While that’s an exaggeration, there’s some truth to it. The deep ocean remains a mystery, partly because we can’t physically explore its depths ourselves. But if we could, we’d find an incredible world—not only teeming with undiscovered life, but also filled with clues about Earth’s tectonic history and mantle processes, and the controls for elemental cycling that fit just right into our puzzles of how different elements are distributed throughout the Earth.
Expedition SO307 MADAGASCAR/MADAGASCAR-BIO/INDICOM joined scientists from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Together, marine geologists, biogeochemists, and biologists are seeking answers to several key questions about the deep ocean.
Our geology team is investigating the formation of the Madagascar Ridge, an elevated oceanic plateau south of Madagascar. Three main hypotheses are on the table: was it formed by enhanced magmatism from a hotspot, is it a remnant of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, or did it result from mantle upwelling caused by previous melting events? The bathymetry and rocks we recover through dredging will help us determine which of these ideas is correct.
Meanwhile, the Marine Biogeochemistry Research Division at GEOMAR, as part of the INDICOM project, is studying the cycling of organic matter in the deep ocean—particularly carbohydrates and proteins. These compounds may play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. By collecting water samples from various depths, the team aims to understand how these compounds influence carbon fluxes in the ocean and, ultimately, improve climate models.
The biology team from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin is leading the MADAGASCAR-BIO project. They’re investigating the unknown biodiversity of the deep Indian Ocean, studying how underwater landscapes like the Madagascar Ridge affect the distribution of species. By connecting geology and life, this work will deepen our understanding of how ecosystems in the deep sea are structured.
In the upcoming weeks, we’ll be sharing exciting discoveries straight from the scientists on board. Stay tuned for updates and pictures as we continue making waves in our understanding of the deep ocean.
