QUESTION:

Shawn, what do you think is the most interesting object in the deep sea?

Student Name:Sophia
State:DE Country: USA

ANSWER:

 As a biologist I'm very partial to all the forms of life that manage to thrive in the very extreme conditions at the bottom of the sea. The variety of life is overwhelming, and they manage to survive without receiving significant energy from the sun which forms the base of the food web for the majority of life on Earth.

QUESTION:

Bekki, Can the effects of global warming and or pollution be seen even in the very deep parts of the ocean?

Student Name:Ray C.
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Ray, thanks for the question. Global warming and pollution are serious problems worldwide. Out here, we are 450 miles from any land and still see pollution. I have already seen floating plastic bottles and some trash in the water, which is truly sad. After speaking with some of the sailors out here, they say that even the negative effects of overfishing can also be seen as the amount of fish and other sea animals have drastically dropped in the last 15 years. As far as global warming goes, there are some indications such as longer and more delayed onset of the stormy seasons. In any event, human activities seem to have far reaching affects, not just at home on land.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what does it feel like to be in the submarine that deep? Does it feel like being on a plane when you're lifting off or touching down? Do your ears pop?

Student Name:John Pogorzelski
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi John! Being in ALVIN at 2511m (1.56 miles) deep really didn't feel too much different from being in a plane, you're very right to compare the two. The decent and surfacing really didn't feel like we were moving at all either, even though we were spinning around and moving very fast. While on the bottom, when we moved it felt like we were flying over things, rather than being on a boat. My ears never popped, the interior of ALVIN is pressurized for our comfort. When we reached the surface and were put on the ship, our pilot warned us we might have our ears pop when the hatch opened, but mine never did.

QUESTION:

Shawn, with all the chemicals in the water near the hydrothermal vents, how is it possible for organisms to exist there?

Student Name:Carly Hofmann
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 In nature one organism's poison is often another organism's food. This is exactly the case at the deep sea vents. Most organisms living in non-extreme environments would not be able to survive surrounded by toxic substances like hydrogen sulfide. The organisms living near the vents have evolved tolerance to these chemicals. Additionally, many of these organisms have developed symbiotic relationships with bacteria that live within them and can break these compounds down into energy, providing the organism with an internal source of food.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how did Alvin get its name?

Student Name:Daniel
State:NC Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Daniel, The origin of Alvin's name was as a contraction of ALlyn VINe's name. This was in honor of his efforts to bring the concept of the underwater submersible to reality.

QUESTION:

Bekki, about how much do the fastest growing vents increase each year?

Student Name:Katherine
State:NC Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kathrine, that is a very good question which is actually difficult to answer. Each vent is unique, some grow rapidly, some die rapidly. The organisms around them, such as the Riftia tube worms can grow as much as 1/2 meter per year and increase body size by 5x within that time. But this all depends on how the vent is working, how the ridge is moving and if an eruption is eminent. So, unfortunately the answer to your question is that we do not currently know, but I'm sure someone out there is exploring that very question.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what happens if Atlantis or Alvin break down?

Student Name:Egor
State:NC Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Egor, On board Atlantis is an extensive inventory of parts and a team of very talented engineers that can repair almost any problem that would be encountered at sea. If Alvin has problems while at depth there are several different methods that can be used to return to the surface. These options range from dropping the basket of scientific samples if it gets caught on something, to releasing a long rescue buoy that Atlantis can use to haul Alvin back to the surface. In the most extreme circumstance, the titanium sphere that the pilot and scientists are in can be detached from the rest of the submersible and will float to the surface.

QUESTION:

Bekki, since it is so hot in the sub, is it hard for them to breath down there?

Student Name:D'ONTE MARSHALL
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi D'onte, thank you for your question. Actually it is quite the opposite, the sub is rather cold when we dive to the bottom of the ocean. The outside temperature of the water is about 2C (35.6F) which makes the interior of the sub quite cold as well. On my dive, by the time we reached bottom at 2511m (1.56 miles) I was wearing sweatpants over my shorts, socks, a t-shirt, a long sleeve t-shirt, a sweat shirt, a wool knit cap and was wrapped in a blanket. I actually wished I had another blanket. So, no its not hard to breath at all, its actually quite comfortable breathing, as long as you've got some warm clothes on too.

QUESTION:

Shawn, do you use flashlights to see in the hydrothermal vents?

Student Name:william barrs
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi William, It is very dark in the deep ocean. Alvin is equipped with several lights that allow us to see objects on the seafloor. We do carry flashlights on board Alvin, but they are not strong enough to let you see very far outside the submersible.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what kind of tools do you use on the mission? Where do you get the tools and how do they help you do your work?

Student Name:Nicholas Ryan Albert
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Nicholas, we get to use some amazing tools out here. Since there are many different types of science to study, each of us have different tools to use. Obviously we all use the capabilities of ALVIN to collect, place or move our tools into position. For my work, we use the LVWS, large volume water sampler. This is a large sampling device made of 3 large plastic boxes that contain special bags which collect diffuse flow vent water. The LVWS also has special pressurized pumps to help collect the water, and a submersible battery which runs the pumps. The LVWS was designed by the PI (principle investigator) Eric Wommack, for whom I work for right now. There is a great description of the LVWS on the Extreme 08 website, check it out.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what kinds of things are recorded when Alvin does a dive? Some day I want to become a scientist just like you!!! Thank you.

Student Name:Brooke Stewart
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Brooke! I'm glad that you are interested in being a scientist someday! I really enjoy what I do and think that we need many more enthusiastic researchers to help us learn about the world around us. When Alvin dives physical variables like depth, temperature, and pressure are recorded. Video is a primary way that we record what is going on around the submersible. There are several cameras that point forward, backward, down, and even at parts of the Alvin itself. Inside the Alvin crew also carry two digital still cameras and a video camera. These give a visual record of the dive. Despite all this technology the hand-written notes taken by scientists in Alvin are perhaps the most important record in reconstructing what went on during a dive.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how many vent crabs live in a vent at one time and do they get along or do they sometimes fight?

Student Name:danielle B
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hey there Danielle. Hydrothermal vents are teeming with life forms, including the vent crabs. The number of crabs depends on the size of the vent. It could be between hundreds to thousands of crabs at one site alone. Crabs, as you've seen on beaches in MD, are the same in the deep. They do fight over food every once in a while, but tend to live together enough in harmony as to not disrupt the ecosystem.

QUESTION:

Shawn, are the animals in the vent in danger of becoming extinct?

Student Name:Janaya ward
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Janaya, At this point we haven't seen any evidence of animals that are endangered at the deep sea vents. These animals are actually quite hearty and manage to rapidly recolonize the areas after lava flows. With that said, scientists have found evidence that chemical pollutants that man has released into the environment have found their way throughout the Earth's oceans. Thus it is not impossible that we may be having some impact on these ecosystems. Extinction is also a natural process and organisms sometimes go extinct without any help at all from us. At this point we really don't understand these vent environments well enough to understand if extinctions are occurring, this is one of the reasons that it is important that we learn all we can about them.

QUESTION:

Shawn, are the fish at the bottom of the ocean attracted to light like the Angler and Dragon fish? If so, why do they live at the bottom of the ocean?

Student Name:David White
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi David, Some organisms of the deep use bioluminescence (chemically producing light) as a form of communication. Often this is a way to attract a mate. Predators, such as some angler fish, will use bioluminescence to attract unsuspecting victims into a trap.

QUESTION:

Bekki, why does the tubeworm's form expand when being cut open? :-)

Student Name:Rachel Labo
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Rachel, Thanks for the question. The tube worm changes form during the process of dissection because the muscles have been cut. Think of it as strong ropes holding together an object, when those ropes are cut, the object isn't as secure and changes its shape.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how many sea creatures have you found?

Student Name:Trenton Callery
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Trenton, I am a microbiologist so I primarily study bacteria and viruses. During my career I have participated in the discovery of one named bacteria: Aurantimonas coralicida, a pathogen of stony corals. Naming a new microorganisms is a very long drawn out process. The truth is very often we discover bacteria and viruses that have never been seen before, but we only look at their DNA and never go through the process of naming them. In this way I have probably discovered thousands of new marine bacteria and viruses.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how are vent crabs different from the crabs we have in the Cheseapeake Bay?

Student Name:Jocelyn Davis
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Jocelyn, good question. The crabs at the hydrothermal vents are very different from those in the Chesapeake Bay. For one, they lack all colour and are bright white. There is no need for colour to hide from predators since there is no light at the bottom of the ocean. Another is that they are blind, although they have "eyes," they do not function in the same way as those in the bay. I asked around to find out if anyone has eaten them, and no one has, apparently with all of the sulphides at the vent they are pretty sure they would taste nasty, like rotten eggs!

QUESTION:

Shawn, what would happen if you put a plastic dummy down deep in the water? Will it snap?

Student Name:Bryan Smith
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Bryan, This answer depends on how the plastic dummy is made. If there are empty spaces within the plastic that contain air or are made out of a low density material (like styrofoam), then these will become compressed at depth and will either cause the material to shrink, or may end up destroying the object. For fun, we often send styrofoam cups down with Alvin and when they come back up they will have shrunk to much smaller versions.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what is the purpose of these missions? Also, in time do you think we will be able to build settlements on the ocean floor and harness the power of the vents?

Student Name:Zander
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Zander, thanks for the question. The purpose of these science missions is to explore the amazing differences and scientific curiosity of the hydrothermal vents. There are many groups of scientists who come to the vents each year, probably more than 40 groups a year! We each study something different, Riftia, chemistry, crabs or like me, the viruses. These studies can help advance the specific fields of research that we all engage in. As for settlements, I don't think that is a reality. The pressure at the bottom of the ocean is quite intense, and building structures able to withstand the pressure, the volcanic activity and moving tectonic plates would be astronomically expensive.

QUESTION:

Shawn, my question for you guys is how do you use hi-tech tools underwater? I mean couldn't you like get shocked/electrocuted because it looks very very dangerous?

Student Name:Rondrea Cottman
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Rondrea, The salty ocean water is an excellent conductor of electricity. A major issue when we construct new sampling devices is enclosing the electrical parts so that it will not come in contact with seawater. This is mainly to make sure they work underwater. If any electricity does come in contact with the seawater the machinery will stop working, because the electrical current quickly becomes "grounded out" by and disperses into the sea water. In order for a human to be electrocuted they have to be in between the ground and the source of electricity. Luckily in seawater the ground is all around us, so we are in no danger of being "in between" the ground and electricity.

QUESTION:

Bekki, if houses were under water would they collapse under the pressure?

Student Name:Levan crippen
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Levan, That is a very good question. If you were to take the home you have now, and send it far under the ocean at the depths of the hydrothermal vents, it would implode within the first 10 feet below the surface of the ocean. If you would want to build a home at the bottom, it would require the shape to be a sphere and made out of very expensive metal like titanium. This wouldn't be very practical or economical though.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what does the new drug from the hydrothermal vents do to help our bodies?

Student Name:TylerKeaser
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Tyler, I 'm not sure which new drug you asking about, but the deep sea vents are a very unexplored area of our planet and may hold the secret to new medical treatments.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what is the difference betwen a dragon fish and a sharped tooth fish?

Student Name:David Corbin
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi David! A dragonfish and a sharped tooth fish are both dwellers of the deep ocean but they do differ in a few ways. The dragonfish has a long barbel attached to its chin, which has a light-producing organ known as a photophore attached to it, and uses this as a lure for fish. The sharped tooth fish lacks this lure.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what time of day does the Alvin go down?

Student Name:Juan Zetina
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Juan, Alvin launches each morning. Usually this occurs at 8am, but sometimes will happen as late as 11am. Launches are not made later than this because there would not be enough time for Alvin to get to the sea floor, get work done, and return to the surface before dark.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what happens when the hydrothermal vent get rocks in it?

Student Name:Khadijah Alston
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Khadijah, interesting question. The hydrothermal vents are very hot, up to 452F hot! If a rock fell into that very hot stream of water the vent would simply knock it out of the way or break it up into lots of little pieces, nothing would happen to the vent itself.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how is life in the bottom of the ocean? Is it true that when you go deep in the water without equipment that your bones will break?

Student Name:Caprice Harris
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Caprice, If a human were to go to the bottom of the ocean they would be crushed. The organisms in the deep ocean are specially adapted to withstand the pressures present at these depths. Also since they stay at that depth, they aren't subjected to changing pressure . . . which is actually the most destructive force to humans descending and ascending in the ocean.

QUESTION:

Bekki, do we have hydrothermal vents around here?

Student Name:Thomas Smith
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Thomas, this is a good question. On the East Coast of the USA there are no volcanoes or plate tectonic spreading/activity, so no, there are no hydrothermal vents near you. The closest hydrothermal vent to you in Maryland would be in the mid-Atlantic ridge, far under the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. The second closest may be the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how long is the dragon fish?

Student Name:Mustanser Ali
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 A fully grown deep sea dragonfish (Grammatostomias flagellibarba) will reach a length of 6 inches. These fish can survive to about 4500 ft of depth, so they are not present at the vent sites we are visiting which are 6000-8000 ft deep.

QUESTION:

Bekki, why doesn't the pressure of the water kill the marine animals in the deep ocean?

Student Name:Elizabeth Biles
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Elizabeth, great question! These animals in the deep ocean are able to withstand the pressure of the ocean for a variety of reasons. One is that these animals have adapted to the extreme pressure over millions of years and are quite good at living where they live. Another reason is that they are comprised mostly of water themselves, which is incompressible at those depths. If you were to bring an animal like the Riftia to the surface, they do not survive long without the intense pressure.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how do you make the mechanical arms move under water? Who invented the technology?

Student Name:Cristobal Orozco Trejo
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 The arms on Alvin are hydraulic. This means that the movement is controlled by controlling the pressure of liquid that is sent to the joints of the arm. The use of hydraulics has been around for over 2000 years. Modern understanding of hydraulics are often attributed to Blaise Pascal in the 17th century. The use of hydraulics in robotics has developed thoughout the past several decades.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what tools/equipment and fuel do you use to keep the Alvin from effecting the environment?

Student Name:Andrea Woods
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Andrea, good question. ALVIN is not powered by fuel, it is powered by an electric battery (and the pilots also say enthusiasm!). They are very aware of the environmental impacts they may have on the hydrothermal vents and have always taken steps to make the work more friendly. One such step was replacing plastic ropes with manila fibre ropes when leaving objects at the vents to collect data. These ropes will more easily degrade and are natural so no contamination will occur.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what liquid can kill a pompeii worm? (can't use acid)

Student Name:Brian Sproul
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Brian, As harmless as it sounds, fresh water will kill most marine organisms. Marine organisms are all adapted to live in sea water, so often their bodies are not prepared to handle prolonged exposure to water without the proper level of salt. One major reason for this is that every organisms cells are designed to maintain an osmotic balance with their environment. In the case of saltwater organisms, when they are placed in fresh water (a hypotonic environment) the cells will have much more solute (in this case salts) than the surrounding environment and will try to pump in more water to dilute the solute and restore balance. Eventually the cells may pump in so much water that they lyse (explode).

QUESTION:

Bekki, if somebody lived down there would it be alot of pressure?

Student Name:Ty'Daisha Polk
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Ty'Daisha, thank you for the question. The bottom of the ocean has an intense amount of pressure, about 100x more than that we experience on land. A human could not withstand depths of more than 10 meters, and the pressure at the bottom would quite well squish them into a tiny sized ball.

QUESTION:

Shawn, hey, I was wondering what is one of your many goals to do on this trip?

Student Name:Saranne Aurand
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Saranne, thanks for the question. We do have a large number of goals out here, but by far the biggest is to sample as many hydrothermal vents for viruses as we can. The more vents we can sample, the more data we can obtain to compare and analyze. This will help us better understand the vents and the impacts that viruses may have on the sea animals around them.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what type of motor does the submarine have?

Student Name:Cristain Vieyra
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Cristain, thanks for the question. The submersible, ALVIN, doesn't have a motor in the traditional sense. The sub is run by electricity powered by a battery, so there is no engine or motor to drive it and less pollution produced.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how would they go down in the ocean in a submarine with no oxygen suit on, cause you can't breath under the ocean?

Student Name:Deshawn Carr
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 The core of Alvin is a metal sphere (ball) that is made out of titanium. People on Alvin are within this sphere. The environment in the sphere is maintained by pumping oxygen throughout the sphere and removing the carbon dioxide we exhale by using chemical scrubbers.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how do you get enough oxygen for three people in Alvin?

Student Name:Marcus
State:WV Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Marcus. A very good, and necessary question. The submersible ALVIN carries 3 tanks of oxygen for the 3 people. This is enough oxygen for us for 3 days if necessary. The oxygen is pure aviator grade, and each tank is filled each night to ensure adequate supplies. Also, during the dive, for about 9 hours, the 3 people in the sub typically only use about 1/3 of a tank, so we have plenty.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what is the weirdest and most amazing animal you have seen?

Student Name:Scott Tyler
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Scott. Wow, what a good question. Its very difficult to choose just one animal. There are so many unique and amazing creatures living at the hydrothermal vents that I think it would be most unfair to select just one. The crabs have eyes but are blind, the tube worms us bacteria to create their nutrients from the sulphide in the water, the fish swim like eels and the octopi are just really cool looking. I think I will have to say, all of them!

QUESTION:

Bekki, what are some types of creatures that live in the hydrothermal vents ?

Student Name:Layshia Fields
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Layshia. Wow, there are so many creatures it is hard to begin. There are the obvious ones, the Riftia tube worms, the Alvinella tube worms, the crabs, the shrimp, and the fish. However there are many more that are not seen, such as the bacteria and viruses that in many ways help these creatures live and dwell in such an environment. It also depends on what type of vent, the location of the vent and how long the vent has been active.

QUESTION:

Shawn, I read that the Pompeii Worm was the most heat tolerant animal in the world. So I was wondering, since microwave heat is a completely different heat than hydrothermal heat, would a microwave cook a pompeii worm?

Student Name:Morgan Feightner
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Yes, a microwave could cook a Pompeii worm.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how many different groups will go down in the Alvin on this expedition to visit the hydrothermal vents?

Student Name:Devin Logan
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Devin. There are quite a few groups out here. We've got at least 4 different groups and some individuals that will get to use AVLIN for their work. If you take that number over a year, there are over 40 groups a year diving in ALVIN for the sake of science, that's quite a lot!

QUESTION:

Shawn, what is the difference between a black smoker and a white smoker?

Student Name:Nikolas Forbush
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Nikolas, Black smokers are the hottest of all vents. They have a black color due to the presence of iron monosulfide (FeS) in the water they release. White smokers are somewhat cooloer (although still very hot). They release a white plume of water that is rich in elements like barium, calcium, and silicon.

QUESTION:

Bekki, the outside of the spiny spider crab's body looks hard and prickly. Is it?

Student Name:Isaiah Holbrook
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Isaiah, yes! the outside is hard and prickly. The spiny spider crab is a close relative of the king crabs, and if you've ever had crab legs you'll know how hard and prickly those are to the touch.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how do the hydrothermal vents effect the animals behavior and physical activity?

Student Name:Desiree Wallace
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Desiree, Since almost every animal at the hydrothermal vents are only found near these vents it is hard to say in what way their behaviors are affected by the vent. Many animals are limited by the temperatures they can tolerate, so the heat produced by the vent affects the places that these animals can go. In many cases it also controls where the food is, so that will also have effects on the animals behavior.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what is the difference between a wand that you and your crew use and the wand in space? If there are things that they both share what are they?, and finally why do you use this tool called a wand? Hints: I found the picture on cutting edge tools I think one of the last pictures!!!!!

Student Name:Demajia Jones
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Demajia. I believe the wand you are talking about is what we call the "Sipper." This device does look like a wand and is used to take discrete water samples to test for water nutrients and chemistry. This data is used by many of the scientist in determining other aspects that might affect their own work. I'm not sure what the wand is they use in space, it might also take air samples and do similar things, but I really don't know.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how far down does the wand go, how do you know when to use it, and what temperatures can it withstand?

Student Name:Bobbi Cropper
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Bobbi, The wand on the sipper that is currently attached to Alvin can travel all the way to the vents. It is used to detect the range of temperatures present in hydrothermal vent water.

QUESTION:

Bekki, would the creatures that you find at the bottom of the ocean be able to live in an aquarium?

Student Name:Hunter Holland
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Hunter, good question. The creatures that we find at the bottom of the ocean are adapted to extreme pressure, 100x that which we feel on land. Most of the organisms do not live very long when brought to the surface out here, so they would require a specially built tank able to produce that kind of pressure. I don't think any has been built, probably because it would be a very expensive tank.

QUESTION:

Shawn, have the sea creatures in the vents adapted to their environment so they are immune to the harmful waste and chemicals in the vents?

Student Name:Blair Landon
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Blair, Yes, the organisms that survive at the vents have not only learned to survive the chemicals which are present at the vent, but are also often adapted to take advantage of those chemicals.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what if you and your crew found a sea creature that you didn't know about and what if it was dangerous. Would you first test it to check if it has bacteria or something bad or good to cure us before bringing it up to the surface or would you just leave it in the deep ocean depths?

Student Name:Crystal
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Crystal, thanks for the question. We find many sea creatures, and often times they are unknown to us. It would be extremely rare to find one that would be harmful to us due to a microbe. There is no other way to determine what the organism is other than bringing it to the surface and examin it, we do this frequently as scientists. And you have to remember that all bacteria are not bad. The bacteria in the gut of the Riftia tube worm actually help produce necessary nutrients for the tube worm to survive, much like those bacteria living in our digestive tracks that help us break down foods and absorb nutrients we might otherwise not be able to obtain.

QUESTION:

Shawn, is an octopus a reptile, mammal, or an amphibian?

Student Name:Tyshawn
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Tyshawn, An octopus is actually none of those. It is a cephalopod. Cephalopods are a group of invertebrates which also include squid and chambered nautili. Octopi and their relatives are considered the most highly developed invertebrates and are actually quite intelligent.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what information will you get from the deep sea dives and how can it help your research?

Student Name:Carlye McConnell
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi there Carlye. I study the bacteria and viruses living in the vent diffuse flow water. We collect a lot of water, 210 liters (55.6 gallons) of this water and do several stages of filtering. We will be able to not only find out how many viruses are there, but potential what kind through genetic testing and microscopy analysis. It will help us better understand the vent ecosystem and how these very different environments may help us explain things in our own environments.

QUESTION:

Bekki, if you could, what would you name the Alvin?

Student Name:Kiersten Burnett
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kiersten, hmmm, interesting question. ALVIN was named after both the design originator, Allyn Vine of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the cartoon character from Alvin and the Chipmunks. I'm not so sure I would want to rename it, ALVIN seems to be a very appropriate name and I like it. So, I'm thinking I wouldn't change a thing. :D

QUESTION:

Shawn, can a tubeworm survive in shallow water on the surface?

Student Name:Rose Adelizzi
State:MD Country: USA

ANSWER:

 There are relatives of the tubeworms we find at the deep sea vents in shallower water, but the two species of tubeworms at the vents are not found in shallower water themselves.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what is the longest time you have been down under the water and what did you do during that time?

Student Name:Chris Hearn
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Chris. The longest time, and only time I've been under the ocean surface in ALVIN was about 9 hours. This includes the 1.5 hours to drop and another 1.5 hours to rise to the surface. I spent most of my time recording data, using the sipper toggle switches to help take data, and look out the portholes at the amazing life that exists at that depth. We also scout out new locations for the next dive's experiments to be placed and take a general survey of how the vents are behaving.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what temperature is it inside the sub? What type of clothes do you wear?

Student Name:Austin Pulver
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Austin. The temperature inside the sub at the surface is whatever the temperature is outside. However, once the sub dives into the cold ocean, the inside temperature begins to drop as well. By the time we reach bottom the outside temperature around ALVIN is 2C (36F) so it is quite cold. Inside the sub, we make sure we have on long pants, shirts, sweaters or sweatshirts, knit caps and are wrapped in blankets. It can be rather chilly down there, so the joy of having a nice warm blanket around you while recording data helps a lot.

QUESTION:

Bekki, why can't you dive in the Alvin when it is windy?

Student Name:Catherine Pence
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Catherine. Good question, it isn't that we "can't" dive when we have high winds, its that it isn't safe. The ALVIN group has a set wind limit, anything over 25 knots is considered too dangerous. These high winds cause dangerous waves as well as problems with retrieval and drop of the sub into the water. It is more a matter of safety for the crew and sub occupants than anything else, and as always, safety comes first.

QUESTION:

Shawn, has there been any evidence that the viruses and the bacteria have formed any symbiotic relationships? If so, is it possible that the viral DNA could allow another organism to survive at extreme conditions like those existing at the hydrothermal vents?

Student Name:Maegan T.
State:OH Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Maegan, That is a very insightful question! In fact this is one of the possibilities that we will be investigating as we study the viral assemblages present at the vents. In other environments it has been shown that viruses can give their hosts genes that will allow them to do things they would not normally be able to do, so what you suggest is a very real possibility.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what is the most common animal you see by the vents?

Student Name:Shane B.
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Shane. The most common animal at the vents depends on what vent location you are near. Each vent is different and has a different ecosystem inhabiting its area. I would say the most common and most abundant organisms at each vent are bacteria and viruses. Even though you can't see them, they outnumber all other creatures there. If you consider the organisms you can see, it would probably be the worms, crabs and clams. But again, this is all dependent on the vent type and location.

QUESTION:

Bekki, if a styrofoam cup gets smashed when it's that far down in the ocean, then what would happen to something made of glass?

Student Name:Danique Green
State:VA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Danique. That is a good question. Nothing would happen to a glass object if you placed it at the bottom of the ocean, unless it had an air bubble in the glass. If there is no air, there is no place to for pressure to push on and cause the shrinking. In fact, the large yellow flotation buoys we use for our LVWS sampler have glass inside for this very reason. They will not compress and the buoys are able to float the device back to the surface.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what role do the various viruses in the hydrothermal vent communities play on the organisms living there?

Student Name:Matthew Giuliari
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Matthew, This is actually one of the questions we are trying to answer. In most systems viruses regulate the population of other organisms, such as bacteria. They also may transfer genes to these organisms giving them abilities they would not otherwise have.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how long can a Giant Squid grow?

Student Name:Elana O.
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Elana, the Giant Squid is a an amazing organism. It can grow up to 13 meters, that's about 43 feet!

QUESTION:

Bekki, when you were studying to be a scientist did you do experiments in college?

Student Name:Matt
State:WI Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Matt, thanks for the question. Actually, I've been doing experiments since I was a kid. I've always been fascinated by biology. When I was in 6th grade I discovered that Dragonflys are rather aggressive, if you put 6 in a capped jar, come back later, there will only be 1 Dragonfly left. As for college, I got to be in wonderful labs and participate in some awesome experiments. My undergraduate time was spent at Michigan State University, where they have a real emphasis on undergrad education and development. In my labs I learned how to use a variety of high tech tools, and use established experiments to show how microbiology affects all aspects of life. During graduate school, I spent most of my time designing and carrying out my own experiments, which resulted in some very good data that helped advance the field of viral ecology.

QUESTION:

Dear Bekki and Shawn...Have you ever thought about setting up a kids camp in water areas? Kids (10 & up) would love to be able to go to a camp and learn about sea life. I know a lot of kids who would love it. Can you set one up?

Student Name:Alex Green
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Alex. Actually a kids camp sounds like a great idea. I know as a kid myself I used to love to camp and learn about marine life. Shawn and I would love to try to set one up, perhaps someday. Unfortunately, like many things, this would require a great deal of funding to start such a camp. Most times this is done in conjunction with a larger corporation or major benefactor, which we have none at this time. If that should change in the future, we may consider such a camp. In the meantime, I would recommend you speak to a parent, teacher or other adult as to where such a camp might be found today. Good luck!

QUESTION:

Shawn, how deep can the Alvin go safely.

Student Name:Jonathan
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Jonathan, Alvin's operating depth is 14,764 feet, which is slightly less than 3 miles below the ocean surface.

QUESTION:

Bekki, have there been any surprising discoveries so far on the trip?

Student Name:Christian Cervantes
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Christian, Not so many surprises on this trip so far. We've been collecting some wonderful samples that may yield surprises for us later once we process and analyze the data back at the lab. That's the adventure of science!

QUESTION:

Shawn, why does the crew study microbes?

Student Name:Moises
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Moises, Even though we can't see them, microbes are the most common forms of life on Earth. Viruses are even more numerous than bacteria. These organisms have a dramatic impact on our lives helping us do everything from digesting our food to cleaning our rivers of harmful substances. It is very important that we study them, so we can understand how microbes impact the world around us.

QUESTION:

Bekki, can you give me some helpful tips to become a marine biologist? I think you have a great job!

Student Name:Angel
State:CO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi there Angel. Sure I can! Being a marine biologist can mean knowing many different things but focusing on one specific area of science. While in middle and high school I spent a lot of my time taking science courses such as Biology and Chemistry and Physics but also English and Theater. These two gave me the creativity that I now use to form my ideas and experiments. I majored in Microbiology for my undergraduate degree, where I took more Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Quantitative Analysis, Physics, Calculus and Ecology courses (as well as more theater and English). It sounds like a lot, but it really all builds on one another and isn't nearly as difficult as you think. If you really want to do it, all it takes is the perseverance and determination to obtain your goal, and you will succeed. I wish you all the luck in the world and look forward to having you as a colleague someday!

QUESTION:

Shawn, when and why did you decide to become a scientist?

Student Name:Gerardo
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Gerardo, I have loved science since I was a kid, and have always been especially drawn to biology and to the ocean. I have always liked to understand how things work, and I guess that is one of the most important things that led me to become a scientist.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what are hydrothermal vents?

Student Name:Jazmin Cruz Coronado
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Jazmin! Hydrothermal vents are cracks in the land or ocean floors where geothermal, intensely hot water spouts out. These vents are most often located at or near volcanic sites and where the tectonic plates are spreading. Most people think of the vents as only being under the ocean, but a more famous one exists on land, the Yellowstone National Park.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how can animals live in the deep ocean without light?

Student Name:Armando Rodriguez
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Armando, As you probably know the life that is all around us on the Earth's surface is based on sunlight driving photosynthesis in plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria. This is the base of our food chain. At the deep sea vents no light makes it to the ocean's bottom. Microorganisms that have the ability to breakdown some of the compounds that are present in hydrothermal vent water, such as hydrogen sulfide, form the base of the food chain. In many cases these microbes will live within other organisms and provide them with the energy they need to live. An example of this is the Giant Tube Worm.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how does the crew adapt to the huge increase of pressure when they're diving in the Alvin?

Student Name:Samantha
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Samantha. A very good question. They don't. ALVIN is pressurized so that humans do not feel any difference at the bottom of the ocean. It is much like when you ride in an airplane and the cabin is pressurized for comfort and safety. There is no effect because the titanium sphere of ALVIN is the barrier between the humans and the deep ocean. Hence there is no need for adaptation by the crew.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how do you discover where the hydrothermal vents are located at the bottom of the ocean?

Student Name:Dan Ciszek
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 The first key in finding hydrothermal vents is knowing what type of location they are likely to be in. These vents tend to occur along tectonic boundaries and faults. These are areas that are prone to tectonic activity, like earthquakes and volcanoes. There are some clues that are present in the water column that give us an idea that a vent may be nearby. In addition to their elevated temperature, the water released from hydrothermal vents are rich in certian elements, which can be detected. In the end the only way topinpoint the location of a vent is by actually traveling to it either with a manned submersible like Alvin or with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) like Jason.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how long will it take to complete the metagenomics process once you are back in the laboratory?

Student Name:Brooke Postlethwait
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Brooke. The completion of the metagenomic survey that we are doing on the samples we are collecting will take more time than we would like in most cases. :D Unfortunately sequencing a metagenome takes time and may actually take up a better part of a year that includes the analysis and final results. There are no instant data results when doing such a large project as this one.

QUESTION:

Shawn, can the pompeii worm survive in cooler water?

Student Name:gini
State:PA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 The pompeii worm is the most heat tolerant animal to yet be studied. While this animal will stick its head into water that is very near the boiling point of water, the remainder of its body tends to stay in cooler waters that are likely very similar to the temperature of the room you are sitting in right now. Despite the fact that Pompeii worms can survive in cooler temperatures, they are only found near deep-sea vents as it is adapted to this life.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what would happen to the submersible if it was at the bottom of the ocean when an underwater volcano was erupting beneath it?

Student Name:Laura Fernandez
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Laura, thanks for the question. Most of the time, volcanic eruptions are signaled by seismic activity, which can be monitored by computers. If there was a great enough disturbance detected by these computers, ALVIN would not be permitted to dive during such and eruption. If by chance it happened as ALVIN was on the bottom, there are safety measures in place to quickly surface the sub. Most likely, no damage or injuries would occur.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how has this experience impacted you?

Student Name:Jean Choi
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 While I have been at sea before, this is my first opportunity to be aboard the Atlantis and to have access to Alvin. I am very honored to have this chance to access samples from such a remote part of our planet.

QUESTION:

Shawn, when the passengers on the Alvin go down to the seafloor, do they weigh more, less, or the same because of the pressure change?

Student Name:Kelle Antinoro
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kelle, This is a very good question and it has two quite opposite answers. When Alvin is in the water is more dense than air, thus when Alvin is in the water it actually weighs less than it does when it is on the surface. A person's weight is dependent on the force of gravity, which is influenced by the distance that the object is from the center of the Earth. When an object is above sea-level (further from the center of the Earth) it will weigh less. The people inside of Alvin are in a normal air atmosphere and are below sea level. This means that if they were to weigh themselves in the submersible with a very accurate scale, they would actually weigh more than they would at the surface. Fortunately for the passengers of Alvin, they are only a little bit closer to the center of the Earth, so they will only weigh a very small fraction of a pound more.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what are some of the cool fish the Alvin crew has seen down there?

Student Name:Brandon Bongart
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Fish that are seen in the deep ocean include types of anglerfish, hatchetfish, dragonfish, lanternfish, and many others. At the deep sea vents invertebrates like tube worms, crab, mussels, and shrimp are often much more numerous than fish.

QUESTION:

Bekki, aren't you afraid of any rogue waves? How would you handle that if you knew one was coming?

Student Name:Lizzie Deamer
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Lizzie, Interesting question. Actually, no, I'm not afraid of rogue waves. Rogue waves are not very common, and in fact are often referred to as "hundred year waves" if that give you some clue of their occurrence. With that said, if we knew one was coming, I'm confident the RV Atlantis captain and crew would do everything in their power to keep us safe and sound. That is their job and they are quite professional, so I have no fears in this case.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what is it like to be in a submersible?

Student Name:A.H.
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi A.H. Being in the submersible was amazing, exciting and one of the most spectacular experiences of my life. I was able to see things with my own eyes that few people will ever see. It is one thing to see a photo or movie about the hydrothermal vents, but a totally different thing to actually see it in "person," although you can't touch it. It felt fine ridding in it too, no sickness and when we did move from vent to vent it felt more like flying in an airplane. A pretty wonderful experience on the whole. :D

QUESTION:

Bekki, is your job fun?

Student Name:Smiley
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Smiley, a simple answer is YES! My job is very fun. It does have its down moments too, like having to be up at 4:00 am to gather sampling equipment, but the fact that I get to do what I love and that I don't feel like I "have" to do this is the best feeling in the world. I've gotten to do many things in this job, this is my 3rd time at sea on the RV Atlantis, I've been to the Galapagos Islands for 3 weeks and traveled to conferences in many different countries and learn about things no one has discovered before. I really do love my job.

QUESTION:

Shawn, have you ever been hurt or bitten seriously by any of these creatures? If so, what medical treatment did you need?

Student Name:Kaeley
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 I have never been injured by a deep sea creature. I also research corals which grow in much shallower waters. In doing this research I have been stung by fire corals, sponges, hydroids, and have been thrown against the rocky reefs by the waves. All of the injuries were minor, so I didn't need medical treatment.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what is a deep sea dandelion? Thank you!

Student Name:Vanessa
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Vanessa, the deep-sea dandelions are actually colonial organisms. Each "flower" is a cluster of organisms composed of many organisms living in close association with one another.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how are the fish able to survive in such extreme habitats?

Student Name:Eliza
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Eliza, Fish and other organisms that live in the deep sea are very well adapted to the pressures, chemicals, and temperatures that they encounter. Since this is the only environment they live in, they have evolved systems that help them to live in these environemnts, very much like we have evolved the ability to survive on the Earth's surface, a place where deep-sea vent creatures could not survive.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what kind of projects have been done in the past on Alvin?

Student Name:Jason Porter
State:WI Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Jason. There have been many exploratory projects that have used ALVIN. Many of them have been for science, the discovery of the hydrothermal vents, the study of the deep-sea organisms and collecting samples of everything from the vent chimneys to the tube worms to the viruses that inhabit the waters. ALVIN has also been used to locate sunken ships and in fact was the submersible that found the Titanic. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) has a great web page that has the history and unique things that ALVIN has done, you may want to check it out.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what's your favorite part about being underwater in the Alvin?

Student Name:Nick P.
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Nick, great question!! Aside from the pure excitement of being in ALVIN and at the bottom of the ocean, there were two times where I was in awe of what I was doing. The first was during the descent when I saw the sparkling blue biolumenscence lights fly by the porthole, like a starry sky with a meteor shower. The second was seeing the vents as close to being "in person" from the sub as any human could be. The sights were spectacular and I feel honored to be part of an lucky group of people who have been able to do this dive.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what's your favorite deep sea animal?

Student Name:Codi
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Codi. Wow, there are so many to choose from. Well, I would have to say that my favourite deep-sea organism has to be the virus. That's what I study and what I enjoy learning about. It isn't an animal, but it does have a vital role to play in the hydrothermal vent ecosystem as well as many other aspects of life.

QUESTION:

Shawn, have you seen any squid? Also what is the biggest fish you have seen?

Student Name:Michael
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Michael, I have seen squid. They are very fast in the water and interesting to watch. The largest fish I have ever seen is a whale shark (the largest fish in the world), but this was in captivity at the Georgia Aquarium. In the water the largest fish I have encountered are probably Goliath Grouper (maximum weight: 800 pounds), Nurse Shark (maximum length: 14 feet), or a manta ray (maxumum "wing" span: 22 ft). While they are not fish, I have also seen some very large mammals including humpback whales which can grow to over 50 feet in length.

QUESTION:

Bekki, how do you seperate and classify the different types of viruses that you gather? How many different types of viruses do you expect to encounter?

Student Name:Max Kaiser
State:WI Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Max. There are many ways we classify and identify the viruses we find. We use different tools such as transmission electron microscopy to examine what they look like as well as genetic means to identify what type of genes they carry. As far as the number of different types of viruses we expect to find, it is far to large of a number to imagine. When you think of the fact that the earth has about 10 x 10^31 viruses (that is a 1 with 31 zeros after it) there just may be so many that our imagination couldn't comprehend the reality at this time.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how long do you sleep an average day and do you take shifts to sleep?

Student Name:Kiersten B.
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kiersten, That is an excellent question. Life on a research vessel like the Atlantis revolves around the research we are doing. For people in the viral research group that I am a part of a typical day involves waking up between 3:45 and 4:30. One person has to be up earlier than the rest, so we do take turns with who has to be up first. We have two tasks that we have to perform each morning. First we send a signal to the sea floor that tells our water sampler (LVWS) to return to the surface. Once this starts we have about an hour and a half before it reaches the surface. We then must recover it out of the water and prepare a second water sampler to launch. All of this work has to be completed before Alvin goes into the water at 8am, so this is why we must get up so early. We then spend most of the day preparing samples that came up with the LVWS we recovered that morning. On an average night I may get to sleep around 10 or 10:30 pm. This means I am usually getting about 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night.

QUESTION:

Bekki, if you could change something about the Alvin what would it be, and why?

Student Name:Jamie Wilson
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi there Jamie. I really can't think of much that I would like to change ALVIN. It is a very good, high tech quality vehicle, piloted by some of the best crew ever. I think they are doing a fantastic job and that ALVIN is doing a great job.

QUESTION:

Shawn, what is it like at the bottom of the ocean?

Student Name:Cody W.
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Cody, The bottom of the ocean is a very cold and dark place. The temperature in the ocean depths is almost always at or below 37F. Near deep-sea vents water temperatures vary from 37F to almost 750F. The superheated water rapidly mixes with cooler ocean water, making pockets of various temperatures. Deep sea vents occur in areas with vovlcanic and tectonic (earthquake) activity, so the landscape is very often rugged with canyons and ridges.

QUESTION:

Bekki, what happen if someone on the Alvin got sick on a dive?

Student Name:Carleigh C.
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi there Carleigh. That's a good question. Sometimes when the sub is on the surface, it can bob around quite a bit and cause people to become sea sick. It doesn't happen too often, but for those rare occasions the sub is equipped with sea sickness bags for containing any such sickness. If it is a serious illness, the dive is aborted and the sub surfaces as quickly as possible. The pilots are trained to treat people as well as drive ALVIN, so we're very safe in the hands of the ALVIN crew.

QUESTION:

Shawn, how can we students get the data and make charts for our school to see what you have been doing?

Student Name:B. E.
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello B.E., The Extreme 2008 website is an excellent place to follow what we have been doing. The blogs, pictures, and other features are regularly updated to let you know what we have been up to. The scientific data we are collecting will take us a while to analyze. Eventually we will publish this information in scientific journals and books.

QUESTION:

Bekki, does the pressure under the water affect your eating habits?

Student Name:Monica
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hello Monica. Nope the submersible is pressurized for our comfort and it has no effects on our eating. While I was on my dive, I enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple and a candy bar. It still tasted good!

QUESTION:

Shawn, do you need to do anything special to prepare the water for laboratory analysis? Does human activity affect the viruses that you find or do the viruses have an impact on humans in any way?

Student Name:Saxton S.
State:WI Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Bekki, I was wondering if you fall asleep on the Alvin when its on a dive, does it have an auto-pilot?

Student Name:Zack M.
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Shawn, what exactly are you guys doing on the ship and on Alvin? Please let me know. Thank you!

Student Name:Sara
State:WI Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Bekki, how do you know what virus a sea creature might have?

Student Name:Taryn B.
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Shawn, what material is used to keep the Alvin from being crushed?

Student Name:Clowey
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Bekki, how many times does the Alvin dive each day?

Student Name:Paige E.
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Shawn, what has to be done to prepare for a dive?

Student Name:Matt M,
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Bekki, how does the pressurizing system work inside Alvin?

Student Name:Natanyel
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Shawn, how many more times do you think "Alvin" can go under the sea and explore?

Student Name:Olivia H.
State:PA Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Bekki, have you seen any Nudibranch?

Student Name:Nicole
State:Choose a State Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Shawn, do you need to use special pens and paper to write when you're on a dive in the deep ocean?

Student Name:Sophie
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Bekki, how big is the research ship you are on?

Student Name:Roni S.
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Shawn, how long is a typical day of work on the ship?

Student Name:Tommy M.
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER: