September 6, 2024
Last night we arrived at Dymond, the most unique vent site we’ve encountered on Leg three, and probably my favorite location we visited. The entire landscape here looks as though colorful bath bombs had burst across it, transforming the environment into something entirely different from anything we’ve seen on the cruise so far; Mike even mentioned that he knows of no other site resembling it. The colors here are vivid and diverse; mellow greens, icy blues, soft purples, bright oranges, chartreuse, mustard yellows, and salmon pinks paint the vent in thick microbial layers. The vibrant palette resembles a coral reef, a collage of bright colors and textures, except it is composed entirely of bacteria. I was previously unaware that there are so many colors at the bottom of the ocean, and it’s unclear if different hues represent distinct microbial species. It may be a single colony of the same species experiencing localized chemical variations, where microbes in different areas, influenced by the surrounding flow, express different genes and metabolisms to produce this array of colors.
Rocky shelves, massive basalt slabs, steep drop-offs, and jagged cliffs— everything in this underwater world was covered completely in chalky, dense microbial mats of beautiful colors. The scene was striking, like a moss-covered forest, but submerged in the deep ocean. Plush bacteria in cool-toned greens resembled the lush sights of a rainy Seattle hike, while large clumps of orange stood out like terrestrial fungi. Patches of turquoise-blue bacteria wove through the scene, resembling waterfalls flowing across the landscape. In other stretches, the rocky terrain took on the appearance of Mars, with deep red and burnt orange microbial dust covering the surface.
Dymond had some very weird features as well. Some sections of this site looked similar to other locations we have visited, with lots of tube worms and familiar color pallets. However, it’s weird that these more typical looking spots are right next to the odd, rainbow ones. There was lots of shimmering diffuse flow in the water, which made us think these vents were hot, but the temperature probe here revealed that vent fluid temperatures were unusually low. This means the shimmering was not caused by heat but by brine, which was unexpected. Within all the vibrancy, black clouds of sulfur would occasionally wisp by like shadows. It appears that this site’s chemistry is characterized by brine and sulfur, but this is unconfirmed and oversimplified.
This morning, we completed a second dive at Dymond to collect water samples with an IGT. This dive was also spectacular, and we observed even more marine life than the previous day. Across the two dives, we spotted squat lobsters tucked into rocky crevices, cusk eels gliding aimlessly, numerous sea spiders whose organs are stored in their legs, and elegant glass sponges. We also came across a spider crab who was anything but camera shy and an ethereal pink-purple sea cucumber. Most importantly, we saw an octopus, ahhh! I had been waiting to see to see one all cruise.
This was the final dive of leg three, and I can’t believe it’s come to an end. It was a great site to finish off with and I am so grateful for all the incredible places I got to see. As we wrap up, Deb gifted us deep-sea rocks—basalt and anhydrite—as souvenirs from different dives we did. I’ll cherish these for a long time, and hopefully, one day, they’ll sit beautifully on a shelf in my office when I become a scientist myself.
September 4, 2024
Where to even start!? This morning’s 0000-0400 dive was an incredible display of nature; the deep sea is a true wonder of the world, and I struggle to fully capture the essence of these sites in words that do them justice. Even Dr. Kelley and members of the control van team, who have seen countless underwater landscapes, were stunned, remarking that it was unlike anything they had encountered before; the biology of the site had become much more abundant compared to the last time Jason was there. Usually during my midnight shift, the van is empty of observers because it’s late and the dives are pretty routine, but this time the room was brimming with excited scientists and engineers alike.
The dive began at a site known as Castle. Here, a huge hydrothermal vents splattered with a variety of microbial hues— vibrant purple, royal blue, burnt yellow, and mint green—tower over stretches of expansive pillow basalt fields. It’s surreal watching the camera start at the base of a vent and slowly pan upward, only to realize the structure keeps rising, growing into this enormous formation right in front of you.
As we weaved our way through Castle and smoking vents, we eventually came to what lay beyond them: “The Canyon,” a vast field of beautiful geological structures, the result of cooled lava flows. The lava shaped a landscape of stunning grooves in the seafloor, colored beautifully by bacteria. Rapid sheet flows gave way to rugged, lobate formations, with tube worms erupting from every crevice. Further along, the bottom became dotted with pillow basalts—hundreds of rounded, hardened lava globs resembling loaves of sourdough bread. I never thought I’d find the geology more captivating than the biology at a site, yet here we are. As Deb said, the fish here all look the same, but the rocks definitely don’t.
Dramatic rock formations rose before us, with arches and pillars so reminiscent of ancient Roman ruins that, at first glance, you’d think an underwater civilization had once thrived here. But no, it was all the work of the lava, forming the infrastructure of this deep, untouchable world. Large basaltic slabs, marked with rings from draining lava flows, stood aside massive walls of tubeworms, and swirling lava whirlpools etched intricate patterns into the seafloor.
Lonely looking sculpins wandered alone through this terrain, while bright orange spider crabs perched menacingly atop the worms, snapping their claws. Large clusters of clams, reminiscent of those you’d find in a tidepool, decorated the scene; Deb noted she had never seen clams at this site before.
Skylights punctured the seafloor—large potholes left behind by the weight of lava causing a collapse. Dormant ‘snow blowers’ laid in wait for the next eruption, ready to spew white microbes from below. Around every bend, a new geological formation, even more show stopping than the last, waited to be explored. Witnessing these remote locations in real-time was an unbelievably elevated experience compared to watching video clips in a documentary.
And then, the ultimate cherry on top: before we ascended, the control van team allowed me to sit in the “hot seat,” and control Jason’s camera using the joystick. I went to bed very happy after all of this.
September 3, 2024
Yesterday, the night kicked off with me assisting Mitch with PPS (Particle and Phytoplankton sampler) sample collection, and things only got more exciting from there. Although the PPS is typically used for phytoplankton, here we used it to obtain microbial DNA for sequencing. The specially designed multi-port valve on this sampler separates each sample, directing water straight to the filter inside before it moves through a pump. Making our way through 24 samples, we got into a relaxing rhythm of extracting the filters and adding RNAlater, a fixative, to them. These samples were then stored in the freezer for Rika to sequence back at her lab. I learned that working with samples on a ship really keeps you on your toes because, unlike on land, you never know when your lab will suddenly start swinging from side to side as we transit to a new site.
Following this, I joined Paige and Victoria’s shift, which quickly turned into a bustling scene of students and crew packed into the van, all watching the screen in awe. We had arrived at a beautiful vent at the Ashes hydrothermal field called Mushroom. The highlight here was a small chimney nearby, with bright blue “flames” shooting from the top of it! These aren’t flames at all though: this illusion is caused by light refraction which produces a blue glow resembling fire at the vent opening. The water temperatures at the ASHES site are now hotter than ever; this was exciting to see in contrast to a dive from a few days prior where a different vent (Marker 113) looked less active than it had in many years.
The visual of the Cam HD’s shining lights on a towering vent reminded me of the ocean exploration images in National Geographic magazines that I used to read as a kid— It’s crazy to think that I am now actively involved with the capturing of images like these.
As this dive wrapped up, my lack of sleep started to hit just as my 0000-4000 shift began, but I was committed to powering through. Afterward, I stayed up for another survey dive at a stunning site where the UFO was sampling, which was supposed to be followed by an exciting two-hour ROV drive through an underwater canyon. By 6 am, the room was filled with the science team, engineering team, Jason team, and students, all of us fighting to stay awake, driven by the excitement of the science unfolding before us. We were all so tired that our conversations were turning into hilarious, nonsensical banter, and I could barely form a normal sentence.
Unfortunately, at 7 am, a decision was made to postpone the canyon dive to 11 pm tonight due to a ground fall (short circuit issue) in the UFO pump. Watching the control van team troubleshoot and pivot when things go awry has been impressive to witness over the past 9 days.
After catching up on sleep this morning, I jumped straight into my afternoon shift where Jason successfully recovered an OSB (ocean bottom seismometer) that was placed on the seafloor a few years earlier. Kellen then gave us a talk detailing the complexities of the Regional Cabled Array and how it operates. It was great to finally grasp how the system we’ve been conducting maintenance on actually functions. I am excited to tell my brother Max all about it when I get back because, as an aspiring engineer, I think he would find this all very interesting!
September 2, 2024
We are officially halfway through the third leg of VISIONS, and it’s astonishing how quickly the time has passed. This morning I realized that I haven’t spent as much time outside, soaking in the ocean views, as I’d hoped. Going forward, I want to be more intentional about that; time here feels strangely fluid, almost unreal, and it’s easy to get swept up in other tasks.
Looking at the sunlit water today was pure bliss. The gentle lapping of smooth, glassy waves and the scattering of light across crisp blue water created a deeply tranquil ambiance. Another serene experience was gazing up at night to see a blanket of sparkling stars, countless in number, scattered across the midnight sky. This is one of a few times that I have seen stars so clearly, without interference from light pollution, and it was fun trying to identify different constellations with fellow students.
A very exciting thing happened on my 1200-1600 shift today during Jason’s descent: I saw a Blue shark, my favorite shark species (alongside Wobbegong sharks), circling the cable! Blue sharks have such cute, endearing features—their big eyes and long snout—and they remind me of my dog Franky, who in my opinion, shares similar facial expressions to them. Unfortunately, it appeared on a camera that is not connected to the video logging software, so I was unable to get a tif grab, but it was a highlight of my day so far.
There were many other marine species seen on this dive as we reached the bottom, 2,600 meters down. These included a Cusp eel, “tumbleweed” anemones, brittle stars, and sea pigs with their mouth parts out for feeding.
We also had a disco ball party in the control van (yes, there is an actual LED disco ball in the control van) to “Hot to Go” by Chappell Roan while ascending to the surface.
Yesterday, I got to cross something off my ship bucket list—an awesome tour of the bridge. Andrew, Liz, and Captain Derek showed us the ship’s controls, the long- and close-range radars, and explained how they adjust thruster biasing. I even got to try using the controller! The view from the bridge was breathtaking, and listening to entertaining stories from their years out at sea was a fun time. One neat feature they have up there is a spinning window within the larger windows, designed to stay clear during heavy rain which I thought was cool.
Over the past few days, I’ve enjoyed the variety of random tasks I’ve been involved in. One night, Victoria and I helped Alex retrieve rocks that Jason had collected from the seafloor. It was amazing to think that, in my hands, I was holding a rock that had been 1,500 meters below the surface only an hour prior. The shiny black rocks are mafic and mainly composed of glass and a very fine-grained matrix, cooled too quickly for discrete minerals to form. Watching Jason use its titanium claws to pick up the rock samples was fascinating, especially since the rocks turned out to be incredibly fragile when we lifted them out of the crate; I am unsure how my hands could cause them to fracture when Jason’s manipulator didn’t.
During yesterday’s dive, I had the opportunity to adjust the UFO sampler pump power, which regulates its flow rate. I really enjoyed having the chance to directly control an instrument we use in our dive missions.
After this, I spent time helping Andrew to transfer Isobaric Gas-Tight samples into vacuum-sealed bottles for later gas chromatography analysis. I did RAS sampling too— taking the sample bags, adding KCl, transferring the contents into smaller vials, adding hydrogen sulfide, and then setting some fluid aside for pH testing. Julie and I got into a good groove working together to extract the sample from the bag, transfer it, and add H₂S.
I really enjoyed our conversation while doing this; With a fascinating background in hospital work, years of teaching organic chemistry, and experience on research cruises, she had lots of valuable insights. Since I’m interested in chemical oceanography, the perspective of a chemist was particularly meaningful to me.
August 31, 2024
Last night at 2100, we had the most exhilarating dive yet— we finally saw the highly anticipated hydrothermal vents! It was all so exciting: tubeworms with bright red gills basking in the warmth of the vents, hot plumes gushing from structurally interesting smokers, and rich biodiversity in conditions that seem too inhospitable for life. We learned to differentiate between healthy and sick tubeworms and encountered a massive rattail fish with huge eyes equipped for the dark. Using lasers, we got to measure the fish’s size, which was so freaking cool. The spider crabs we encountered quickly became my favorite; it’s fascinating how an organism living 1,700 meters below the surface can resemble arachnids we see on land despite not being closely related.
The landscape was stunning with purple patches of protist colonies spread across the vents. I can’t help but wonder why something would be so vibrantly purple in a place where color seems irrelevant. The black smokers were mesmerizing, their dark plumes the result of fine grained metal sulfide minerals precipitating from the vent fluids upon contact with cold seawater.
It was surreal to be watching the monitors, realizing that this otherworldly scene was unfolding right beneath our ship.
In high school, I developed a strong fascination with the deep sea after reading a book titled The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales. In her writing she beautifully depicted the geology, biology, and chemistry of this weird biome. Now, years after my deep-sea obsession began, I get to witness these descriptions come to life in front of me. There was so much to take in, I could have watched the screen for hours, lost in the tranquility and slow rhythm of this hidden world. I’m incredibly grateful to VISIONS for giving me the chance to glimpse into this alien realm, located 1,500 meters beneath the surface of our own.
This afternoon, I was on shift for the descent of the RAS/PPS (remote access sampler) and IGT fluid sampler dive. Once the samples from this dive surfaced, I assisted Mitch with the RAS sample collection. Each RAS niskin bottle contains a tedlar bag with diffuse flow fluid from the International District site, and that plastic baggy is surrounded by DI water. This setup is used to determine if there is a bag leak, as the DI water would become contaminated with vent fluid if it broke.
Then on deck, I watched the Jason team attach the UFO sampler to Jason for tonight’s dive. Dr. Rika Anderson’s microbial DNA and fluid virology research is really interesting to me, so I’m looking forward to sitting in on tonight’s dive where she will be collecting these samples.
August 30, 2024
An early start to a great day! I woke up bright and early this morning for my 0000-4000 shift at Axial Base, where Jason deployed a tripod hosting the CTD/OPTAA instruments and retrieved the one installed in 2023.
Walking into my midnight shift to ‘Single Ladies’ by Beyoncé playing in the control van really boosted morale. I found the dive’s robotics to be very compelling, and the complexity of this mission left me admiring the intricate engineering and careful planning required to operate at such depths. One moment that particularly intrigued me was watching a cable being plugged into a junction box outlet underwater. These outlets, located on extension cables on the ocean floor, contain oil to prevent water from entering when a cable is connected— a clever approach that stood out to me.
During this dive, I also spotted my first sea pigs and a rattail fish. Unfortunately, I also witnessed one of the sea pigs get caught in the thruster. To stay awake, Kyle and I kept each other entertained with lighthearted questions like ‘What’s your favorite food?’ (turns out we both love sushi) until the dive concluded.
Following my shift and feeling fatigued, I treated myself to a 4 a.m. bagel which, in the moment, felt like the best bagel I had ever eaten.
Today at 1000, I helped Rika and Will prepare for their upcoming dives and used a peristaltic pump to sterilize carboys for future sample collection. Following this, I had my afternoon shift where I was told upon arrival to the control van, that the current Jason mission was being aborted. This was because as Jason descended, a cable from the CDT Jason was bringing down became detached from the junction box, wrapping around Jason.
The talented control van team working to navigate this challenge hit a roadblock when the cable damaged Jason’s back camera, which they were using to maneuver the cable. This was the only camera able to view the problem, so they had to resurface in order to resolve it.
After Jason was repaired and back in action, I was back in the control van, this time doing sea logging rather than video logging for the first time.
Now, I am ecstatic as our upcoming dives at hydrothermal vent sites! The strange landscapes and unique organisms that comprise these ecosystems really tug at my curiosity. I can’t wait to explore, through Jason’s lens, the vibrant communities that thrive in such harsh conditions.
August 29, 2024
Our second day on the R/V Atlantis has been less eventful than yesterday because we spent the day in transit to Axial Base, meaning we did not have shifts. The ship also rocked more wildly today compared to before, so I spent most of the day napping in an attempt to mitigate seasickness.
Between naps, I spent a good hour outside on the port side of the ship watching the waves. It was sunny and so lovely out, and then several porpoises started flinging themselves out of the water; it looked like they were having a blast, and I had a great time watching them. I then spent time in the library and Main Lab hanging out with fellow students and making friendship bracelets. We also decorated Styrofoam cups that will go down with the CTD tonight. The pressure compresses the air out of the pores in the cups which makes them resurface as tiny versions of their original selves. Additionally, Paige and I spent some time in the Main Lab helping Andrew and Jenna test irradiance and absorbance on a CTD that jason will deploy by running DI water through it.
We also had our first 2 pm meeting of Leg 3 today, which we spent discussing the formatting of our blogs and starting to brainstorm about our individual projects. I do not yet have a fully solidified project idea, but am excited by all the directions I could take it in.
Overall, it was nice to have a day to catch up on sleep and take it easy. Tonight, we finally arrived at Axial and at 2200 I helped Alex with sectioning off coils from the Mosquito instrument, looking at the tubing length and salinity.
The Mosquito is a device that helps scientists determine fluid flow rates through sediment. It’s called a Mosquito because it inserts titanium needles into the sediment, which vaguely resembles a mosquito biting a human. This instrument uses osmotic pumps that allow researchers to pull and sample without requiring electricity.
I am thrilled for my upcoming shifts at Axial, which is the cruise location that I have been most intrigued by. I have a feeling the next few days here are going to be awesome!
August 27, 2024
Good evening from the R/V Atlantis! After settling in yesterday on the ship, we departed to sea this morning at 0800 to begin Leg three of this adventure and head to our first stop, the Oregon Offshore Site. I felt excited as we all crowded on deck to watch the ship move further and further from shore, passing many sea lions hanging out on buoys along the way. It was also great having time to get to know the other students last night, as they all tried to teach me how to play a game called Dungeons and Dragons that I was not familiar with (I’m now a forest gnome with a compulsive lying problem).
With the ship in transit, we began the day with safety training which included putting on immersion suits— crazy looking bright orange head-to-toe jumpsuits that are designed to keep us warm and safe in case of emergency; we all looked ridiculous. While lying on the floor to slip into our suits, I was suddenly overcome by seasickness. This became a personal challenge for me throughout most of the day.
Safety training was followed by a tour of both Jason and the control van, and our student roles in the control van were explained. About 20 minutes after all this concluded, Kyle, Will, and I had the first control van shift of Leg three (the 1200 to 1600 watch) as we arrived at the Oregon Offshore site! While on our shift, we watched as Jason used a specialized device to clean the cable that the Deep Profiler instrument moves up and down upon. Watching a robotic maniputator holding a scrub brush remove a large piece of debris from the cable at approximately 600 meters below the surface was very cool.
I spent the first hour and a half of our shift battling seasickness, with Jolee and Will teaching me how to use the video logging software between spells of nausea. It was nice that our shift had three students present because there are only two roles that need attending per shift, so it allowed me to step out when not feeling well. Going outside and staring at the horizon really helped. Andrew also gave me a “bucket of shame” to carry around for the day in case I needed to throw up— thankfully I didn’t.
About halfway through our shift, I finally started to feel improved, so switched places with Will as video logger and got a feel for how to change cameras on the monitor, check to see if everything was running smoothly, and make sure that regular and 4k video were recording at the correct times. It was fun to take screen grabs of Jason and any marine life that piqued my interest on the cameras.
Three quarters into our shift, Andrew came in and told us there was a Mola mola by the stern of the ship! We all took a brief intermission to go observe it. The Mola mola was easy to spot not just because of its large size, but because it was encircled by sea birds that were attempting to pick parasites off it as it laid on its side. This symbiotic relationship is one I didn’t know existed, so it was interesting to witness firsthand. We also saw whales spouting water from their blowholes in the distance earlier in the day.
Within the control van we saw some very cool marine life on our shift as well, the highlight animal for me being a beautiful orange-pink squid that swam right up to the camera. It was very exciting. We also saw several ctenophores and comb jellies, and I found myself mesmerized by the rainbow shimmer of diffracted light produced from their cilia beating. When jellies kept rushing past the camera screen from all sides, it almost felt like we were there in the water ourselves swimming right through them.
I am looking forward to my 0000-0400 shift with Kyle tonight now that I am feeling better and am hoping to see a shark. While we were in the van for our shift earlier today, Kellen said that there is a good chance of us seeing one!