Author: Mike Vardaro

Branching Bryozoans (likely Bugula sp.) Bryozoans (also known as “moss animals”) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrates, nearly all living in

August 3, 2023

Bubblegum coral (Paragorgia arborea) These soft corals in the family Paragorgiidae are commonly known as “bubblegum coral” because of the shape of

August 2, 2023

20 August 2023 We’ve been on weather hold for a few days now. That means that the wind, and therefore the water,

July 31, 2023

16 August 2023When I loaded up a zoom call with Debbie Kelley of the Regional Cabled Array last October to discuss collaborating

July 31, 2023

19&20 August 2023 Last night, a few of the students and my professor, Dax Soule, all got together in the ship’s media

July 31, 2023

21 August 2023 I woke up this morning to surprisingly calm waves – or at least it seemed that way to me

July 31, 2023

21 August 2023 My time aboard the Thompson did not go exactly as I anticipated, but as everyone around me kept saying,

July 31, 2023

17 August 2023: Processing Samples The Thompson is one of a fleet of four research vessels, which are owned by the US

July 31, 2023

Velella velella (aka By-the-Wind Sailor) These bright blue, free-floating hydrozoans can be found in the open ocean in most warm and temperate

July 18, 2023

Sunflower Sea Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) This sea star, found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, is one of the largest sea stars in

July 18, 2023