QUESTION:

Kathy, how long does it take for a Dragon fish to grow to 6 inches long and become a fierce predator?

Student Name:Elle F.
State: Country: New Zealand

ANSWER:

 Hi Elle! Wow - What a great question! I don't know if anyone really knows how long it takes for these fish to grow to full length in their natural environment. In general, though, deep sea fish take longer to grow to adult size because of the cold, and it's estimated that some deep sea fish, such as the Orange Roughie, can live to be 100 years old.

QUESTION:

How big do deep-sea dandelions grow?

Student Name:Pip
State:New Zealand Country: New Zealand

ANSWER:

 Hi Pip, Deep sea dandelions are actually composed of a cluster or colony of small organisms called siphonophores. I think they can get to be several inches in diameter. Thanks for your question! Kathy

QUESTION:

Kathy, what is a metric conversion chart?

Student Name:Rachael
State:New Zealand Country: New Zealand

ANSWER:

 Hi Rachael, The metric conversion chart is a chart that shows the relationship between metric and English units of measurement. For example, 1 inch is equal to 2.54 cm. thanks for your question.

QUESTION:

Karla, how do tube worms survive without eyes, a mouth and a stomach?

Student Name:Ellie and Kaitlyn
State:New Zealand Country: New Zealand

ANSWER:

 Hi Ellie and Kaitlyn, Yes, tube worms are wacky organisms when compared to what we are used to. But their habitat is also quite unique. The bottom of the ocean is completely dark, so eyes are not as useful as they are for organisms living in light environments. Why have eyes if there is little to see? Also the tube worms have a special part of their body that cultures colonies of microorganisms. These microorganisms can use some of the chemicals coming out of the vents to create energy and biomass. The bacteria also get nutrients from the worms. The worms also benefit from the microbes in a symbiotic relationship, and the bacteria passes fixed carbon to the worms. All this happens without the need for a mouth or stomach (lots of diffusion and direct uptake). Pretty cool, hugh? Thanks for writing, Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, is there enough oxygen in the Alvin to last for the whole day?

Student Name:Malcolm
State:OH Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Malcolm! Yes, there is enough oxygen on the Alvin to last for 3 days, in case something happens. The oxygen is stored in oxygen tanks and is slowly released into the air. To reduce the risk of fire, the concentration of oxygen is a bit lower than the normal air concentration. Kathy

QUESTION:

Where is the deepest ocean located?

Student Name:Kendal R.
State:New Zealand Country: New Zealand

ANSWER:

 Hi Kendal, The deepest part of the ocean is located in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific ocean. The bottom there is 10,924 meters (35,840 feet) below sea level. If Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, were placed at this location it would be covered by over one mile of water. Thanks for your question. Karla

QUESTION:

Karla, what kind of organisms is your team looking to collect and bring to the lab to study?

Student Name:Dan
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Dan, Our entire team is focusing on the two ends of the microbial spectrum -- viruses and protists. But to study these we collect a lot of types of samples. In addition to being free living in the water column, microbes attach to all surfaces. So when the sub goes down we collect water, sediment, invertebrate and deutrital (dead) samples. We then study the microbes found in all of the different types of habitats. Thanks for your question. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, do the steel weights from Alvin stay on the ocean floor forever? Could they harm the environment?

Student Name:Kyli
State:WV Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kyli! yes, the steel weights from Alvin stay on the ocean floor until they rust away. They are usually dropped from Alvin at a site away from the vents, so that they don't affect the vent environment.

QUESTION:

Kathy, how many times have you been on a deep sea dive?

Student Name:Holly
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Holly, I have been on three dives in Alvin, the last one was just this past Monday. It's an amazing experience and I'm glad that we have been able to share our excitement with you and other students. Kathy

QUESTION:

Kathy, how do you collect the samples when you are underwater in the submersible?

Student Name:Sophia
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Sophia! All of the samples are collected by the Alvin pilot from within the submarine. They use two arms, called manipulators, that have claws on the end. The manipulator on the starboard side is a bit clunky to use, while the port side manipulator has more flexibility. The Alvin pilots spend hours training on the manipulators so that they become a natural extension of their own hands. The samples themselves are collected into various compartments of a large box we call the "biobox". So the pilots must open the box lid, collect the specimen, deposit it into the correct compartment and then close the lid, all using the manipulators. Clams and mussels are collected using a net to scoop them up, sediment cores are collected using long tubes of plexiglass, and water samples are collected with a series of syringes that are pulled using a computerized system developed in our laboratory. While it all looks easy, it can take literally hours to collect a set of samples.

QUESTION:

Kathy, what inspired you to study the marine environment?

Student Name:Athan
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Athan! Thanks for your question. I never really had a plan to go into marine science. Sometimes things just happen and opportunities come up unexpectedly that change the course of your life. As a kid I never dreamed I would someday dive in Alvin or do research on board a ship in the middle of the ocean. I grew up in western Pennsylvania - far from the ocean - but when I was a kid we vacationed at the Jersey shore and the rocky coast of Maine. I always loved the ocean. When I was in high school I decided I wanted to become a biologist, and briefly considered marine science. After a few years of college, however, I changed my major to chemistry and never thought about marine science again until I was in my 30's. At that time, I went back to school to get my PhD in biochemistry. Rather than travel to the UD campus in northern Delaware, I did my research at the marine studies campus in southern Delaware since it was closer to my home. The rest was pure serendipity - being in the right place at the right time and just taking advantage of opportunities as they came up. I love what I do and I think my life so far has been alot more exciting than I ever could have planned for. My advice is to do what you love, study hard and watch for those unexpected opportunities.

QUESTION:

Kathy, is it true that only 10% of the oceans have been explored?

Student Name:Emmy
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Emmy! I don't know the exact percentage, but I would guess that's pretty close. Some parts of the ocean are 11,000 meters deep. Compare that to the Alvin dives we have been on, which are 2000-2500 meters. The new Alvin that is in construction will be able to go much deeper and will have the capability to explore up to 95% of the oceans' depths.

QUESTION:

Karla, have you developed strong bonds with the crew on the Atlantis?

Student Name:Miller
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Miller, What a great question! The crew on research vessels see lots of scientists cycle through, and everyone is often so busy that they don't take the time to get to know each other. But when you are on the same boat several times, you get the opportunity to know some on the crew quite well. Seeing a familiar face at the start of the cruise is such a bonus. In general these folks are are highly skilled individuals that work very hard. It's always good to get to know their personality well enough to seamlessly work on the deck together. I always learn a lot from the crew --most have experience that is invaluable when something breaks, you need to design and build a new piece of equipment or you just need advice on a piece of equipment that you are about to put into the ocean. But beyond that, the crew are a lot of fun. Because they spend so much time at sea, they know how to make their own fun. Many play instruments, many will offer on board lessons (knot tying, navigation, etc). And the most important crew member to get to know... the chef!! It's always important to be extra friendly to the chef. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, why do you think the animals in the depths of the ocean can sustain that amount of pressure and humans can't? Please explain your theory or fact. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

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

ANSWER:

 Hi Andrea! That's a great question. I think it's interesting that some of the microbes we bring up to the surface can survive the pressure change without any trouble. The change in temperature is usually more difficult for them to handle and many of them die if we don't keep them cold. The larger animals that live at the vent sites usually can't survive the change to atmospheric pressure, probably for the same reason that we can't survive at high pressures. The biggest problem is that both people and hydrothermal vent animals are composed mostly of water and our organs are made to pump fluids (blood for example) that are under a certain pressure. If the outside pressure changes, our organs simply aren't able to work properly. Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what interested you to do the dive and learning more about the creatures at the bottom of the sea?

Student Name:Morgan
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Morgan, I study the ocean because I am interested applying scientific methods to understand the diversity of microbial organisms and in understanding how communities of microbes function in marine environments. Sometimes scientists with a specific skill set get opportunities to apply their knowledge to new locations. Last year I was fortunate enough to be invited to join a team that frequently works in deep sea habitats. However now that I have had first hand experience studying hydrothermal systems, I will apply to research funding agencies to propose new studies in the deep ocean. When working in extreme environments, the science that we do often leads to new questions to be studied. This is often how science works. Thanks, Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what one word would you use to explain what you see in the deep sea?

Student Name:Alex
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 AWESOME!!

QUESTION:

Karla, do you get bored on the way down and back in the Alvin?

Student Name:Amber
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Amber, I never get bored. The ride down is dark and quiet, but I use the time to review the details of the dive plan, check instrumentation and look out the window. The transits are also great opportunities to see evidence of bioluminescence in the see -- bright flashes of light created by biological organisms. The trip up is usually spent reviewing notes, discussing all the things that we saw and preparing the sub for surfacing. Thanks for your question. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, have you seen any pirates on this trip?

Student Name:Kendra O'Dell
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kendra! No, I haven't seen any pirates. When we were at 9North, we never saw another ship and I think that pirates are probably trolling waters where they are more likely to run into ship traffic. Now that we are in Guaymas, we are in sight of the land, and again, it's probably not likely that we will see any pirates. kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what do you think is the hardest job on the expedition, and why?

Student Name:Gabby
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Gabby, I think the hardest thing is that 'sea time' is so valuable, so there is a lot of pressure to have everything go well. When you work at sea there are long hours and lots of things are challenging. Careful planning goes into packing for research cruises. One forgotten item can take down the entire experiment. Then once at sea, things can break or not work properly - and it becomes a challenge to fix them quickly or find another way to get the job done. Even when all of your supplies are in good shape and the equipment is working beautifully, a storm at sea can change everything. Imagine trying to do a science lab at school with your lab pitching back and forth. Things roll off counters and people get seasick, but because the ship time is so valuable, you still have to get the data and make it all work out. But some of this is what makes the job so rewarding. Coming to the end of a cruise knowing that we accomplished our goals and possibly made some new discoveries is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. I also really like watching the graduate students grow and learn during the course of the cruise. They all seem to come back fundamentally changed as scientists. There is something indescribable about working at sea - and the challenges are a part of the reward. Thanks for your question. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, how would you say this mission is going so far?

Student Name:Nicholas Williams
State:LA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Nicholas! The mission has been very successful so far. We have collected alot of great samples that we will take home with us to analyze. We also have an electron microscope on board this time (you can read about it in Karla Heidelberg's blog) that has allowed us to finally see what these protists look like. thanks for your question, Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what is the coldest temperature at the bottom of the ocean?

Student Name:Cody Wheeler
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Cody, The ocean water can get down to 2o Celsius (35.6 o Fahrenheit) at the bottom. It's really cold, and animals living in standard deep sea environments move very slowly. Conversely, the hydrothermal vent water shooting out of the chimneys may be as high as 400°C (750°F). Yet this water does not boil because it is under so much pressure from the tremendous weight of the ocean above. Watching the animals (especially the crabs) at the vents inhabit areas of such rapidly changing water temperatures has been amazing to me. How they negotiate the changes over very small spacial distances in incredible (a slip into a vent would mean crab soup for all!). Thanks for following our research expedition. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, how long does it take to get from the surface to the ocean bottom?

Student Name:Cade S.
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Cade! depending on where we are diving, it takes about 1 to 1 and a half hour to get to the bottom. The 9North site was a bit deeper (2500 meters) and took a bit longer than the site we are at now in the Sea of Cortez (2000 meters). kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, do you ever get tired of exploring in the ocean?

Student Name:Brook :)
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Brook, I never get tired of studying the ocean, nor reading about others who study the ocean. There are so many things that we just don't understand, so every trip out to sea brings excitement and wonder. We tend to think of the Earth in terms of land, but it is over 70% ocean. Of course the occasional whale spotting with the backdrop of a beautiful sunset doesn't hurt either. The one challenge of course, is balancing sea time with family time. Luckily my kids share my same passion for the ocean and understand why I like it so much. Thanks, Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what's on the menu for Thanksgiving dinner?

Student Name:Karina M.
State:CA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Karina! For lunch tomorrow, we are having the mahi mahi that our Bosun, Patrick caught last night. Then we will have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and stuffing in the evening after the sub comes up. I'm also hoping there will be pumpkin pie. Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, do you see any kelp in the deep ocean?

Student Name:Cameron
State:MO Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Cameron, We do not see any kelp in the deep ocean. Kelp has to have sunlight so it can photosynthesize. Kelp and other green plants use the sun as an energy source to make food. Wihtout sunlight they would starve. All animals need to have energy. We get it from eating. Plants on the surface get it from light. So in the deep ocean, where there is no sunlight, the food chain is based on two things: 1. dead stuff that rains down from surface waters and can be eaten and 2. bacteria that can use some of the minerals that shoot of the earth's crust at the vents for energy. Then they either share things with other animals or get eaten! Thanks for your question. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, how many days out of the year are Atlantis and Alvin working at sea?

Student Name:Grace R.
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Grace! I asked the first mate, PJ, about this and his answer is that they average about 10 months each year at sea. Every 5 years, though, the Atlantis needs to go through a more thorough checkup and only spends about 8 months at sea. Thanks for you question. Kathy

QUESTION:

Kathy, what do you like best about your job?

Student Name:Tim
State:NY Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Tim! I think what I like the best about my job is the expectation of discovering something new. So many times I'll run an experiment and find that things are a bit different from what I would expect. It really makes me stop and think more deeply about how things work and I love it when I can come up with a new hypothesis that may help explain the how animals function in their environment. thanks for your question. kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what is the most interesting bacteria that you are finding on this trip?

Student Name:Spencer W.
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Spenser, Bacteria at hydrothermal vents inhabit almost everything: rocks, the sea floor, even the inside of animals like mussels. All are living under extreme pressure and temperature changes, so there are a lot of really interesting forms. But most are quite small. My favorite is a an unusually large form called Beggiatoa (a Google image search will provide some great pictures for you). Its filamentous form is easily visible to the naked eye because it occurs in massive aggregations at the deep-sea hydrothermal vents of the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Beggiatoa can move around by gliding across surfaces. It also has internal globules of elemental sulfur, which it uses for energy to live. All in all not your ordinary everyday run-of-the-mill bacteria. We find it in bright orange, white or yellow mats near the vents. Thanks for your question. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, how long will the scientists be studying the specimens collected on this trip?

Student Name:Joseph
State:AL Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Joseph, that's a good question! We have specimens that we collected several years ago in our freezer in the lab back home that will keep indefinitely. We have a certain plan for the samples collected during this trip, but we may someday decide to do different kinds of analyses on these same samples for other projects. Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what are your expectations for this expedition?

Student Name:Alex
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Alex, Apologies for the late reply! We were really overwhelmed with samples and work over the past couple days, and I got behind in answering questions. Now that the cruise is almost over let me address your question in a slightly different way. This was a fantastic cruise. We not only met all of our objectives coming in, but we had the good fortune to pursue some interesting and unexpected research questions. Our team's goal coming into the expedition was to evaluate single cell eukaryotic (Protist) diversity and colonization around vent systems using molecular and microscopic technologies. Last year team constructed and deployed a large number of colonization traps to see what kinds of organisms we could collect. We were able to find and collect almost all of of these traps over two hydrothermal vent systems (no easy tasks!!) and recover the DNA and study organisms from these samples. But we were also able to study some of the ciliates on the ship and put them through feeding experiments to see what they eat. I also brought along an environmental scanning electron microscope to sea to use in our studies. We think that we were able to visualize many undescribed organisms from hydrothermal vent samples using this instrument. Thanks for the question and the interest in our expedition. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what kind of challenges have you come across on this mission?

Student Name:Lauren
State:CT Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Lauren! This is the second voyage for this project. We worked out alot of the kinks during the first voyage, so we haven't had too many challenges this time. One challenge is knowing what to pack for a trip like this. We have to bring most of our scientific equipment and reagents with us and if we run short, we are out of luck. This time, for example, I didn't pack enough pipet tips. And one of the other labs decided to do an unplanned experiment and found they didn't have enough screw-cap tubes. It all worked out in the end, though, because I had plenty of tubes and they had plenty of tips, so we just traded. thanks for your question. kathy

QUESTION:

Kathy, how is it decided who goes down in the Alvin each day?

Student Name:Phylisha W.
State:TX Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Phylisha! The chief scientist, Craig Cary, decides who will go down in Alvin each day, based on the objectives for the dive. If someone is doing an experiment with Riftia, for example, he would probably send them down so that they are sure to get the samples they need for their experiment. There are also a lot of scientists on board who have never been down in Alvin and we always like to give them an opportunity to dive. kathy

QUESTION:

Kathy, what do you hypothesize will be different about the inhabitants of the waters in Mexico than the waters you have yet to explore?

Student Name:Stephanie S.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Stephanie, Good question! The hydrothermal vent environment at Guaymas is not only characterized by high pressures and temperatures, but is also hydrocarbon- and sulfide-rich. Many of the samples we bring up smell strongly of petroleum or are radioactive. The inhabitants must be able to deal with life in this environment and most likely have evolved mechanisms to maintain their cell membranes under high temperatures and pressures and also to detoxify their environment. In other ecosystems, some species have been shown to thrive under adverse conditions only because other, faster-growing species can't survive. In other words, species who specialize in handling these conditions often have less competition. I think that the community at Guaymas will likely include members that are similar to species in other hydrothermal vent systems, but also organisms that can only exist here.

QUESTION:

Karla, when the protist experiment is finished, please post the results.

Student Name:Kyle
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kyle, Thanks for writing. We have several protists experiments going on, so of which will take several months of work to finish. However I can tell you now that using a variety of different kinds of microscopes, we have been able to document many new types of protists. We are evaluating clues for their ecology as samples come back with the Alvin sub each day. We will follow up with molecular tests back at the University of Southern California to better characterize the unknown protists. Thanks, Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, in the future what types of technology do you see being used on trips like this? How did you come about being able to go on this trip?

Student Name:Sarah W.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Sarah! Thanks for your interest in our research! I was fortunate enough to be invited on some of the first Extreme cruises, as a post-doctoral researcher in Craig Cary's lab at the University of Delaware. Although my main research is on coastal microbial communities, there is almost always a need for "extra hands" on board, and my first cruise was actually spent just processing samples for other scientists. When Craig, Dave Caron, and Pete Countway were funded to study protists, they asked me to take part in the project because of my past experience on cruises and also because of my experience working with protists in other systems. As for your first question, I can imagine that technology will provide us with tools that are simpler and easier to use in hydrothermal vent systems. I dove in Alvin yesterday and it's incredible how much work it takes to do tasks that are so easy to do on dry land or shallow water. The pilots make it all look easy, but just the time it takes to collect a few clams, for example, shows how much patience and training goes into conducting these tasks. I think the technology of the future will provide us with the tools that can allow us to just reach out, grab a clam out of the mud, and place it into a bucket, just as easily as if we are at the beach.

QUESTION:

Karla, do animals living in the deep have mitochondria? If not what do they have instead?

Student Name:Martin
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Martin, This is a great question and one that has been debated for a while. However advances in molecular biology now allow us to look at this question in far more detail than previously possible. What scientists have found is that all animals have mitochondria, even ones in the deep ocean at hydrothermal vents. However there are a few protists (single celled eukaryotes like the ones I study) that do not have mitochondria. Instead they have mitosomes or hydrogenosomes. But these structures serve the same function as mitochondria. I am sure that we will learn a lot more about these differences in the next couple of years. When you get ready to go to college, look up my lab - I may be looking for new, bright students!! Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, I was wondering how the underwater color spectrum differs from the above water color spectrum?

Student Name:Josh I.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Josh! What a great question! The visible spectrum of light includes all of the colors that we can see. Photons of blue light have shorter wavelengths and higher energy than red light and can travel further through water. Photons with longer wavelengths get absorbed by the water and are dissipated as heat. As you travel deeper and deeper into the ocean, eventually all light coming from the surface is absorbed. Thanks for your question. Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what's the newest species that's been discovered in the deep ocean?

Student Name:Brooke B.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Brooke, That is a really tough question. There are a lot of simultaneous research expeditions going on all the time sponsored by many different countries, so it is hard to know what the newest discovery is. However I can talk about lots of new discoveries in microbial populations. It used to be that we could only study about 1% of the microbial organisms in the ocean because only a few could be cultured in the laboratory. Over the past decade or so, the ability to directly study organisms in the oceans (without culturing them in the lab) using new molecular techniques has provided once unimaginable insight into new species. Even now we are only beginning to understand how much diversity there is in microbial populations. Microbial communities are more than just a scientific curiosity. Microbes carry out biochemical processes that are crucial for sustaining and defining life on Earth. They represent the single largest source of evolutionary and biochemical diversity on the planet and are the major agents for the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and other elements through the Earth’s ecosystem. Every time a major sampling expedition is undertaken researchers find many new (unbdescribed) types of microbes -- including our team! So... most people like to think about discoveries of larger things (new fish, dolphons, corals, etc), however microbes are pretty important too, and I really enjoy studying them. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what is the largest creature that has been seen while diving with Alvin and where was it?

Student Name:Chelsie
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Chelsie, I think the larges creatures that have been seen while diving with Alvin are the whales that sometimes accompany the ship on our cruises. At deep sea hydrothermal vents, however, the largest animals seen while diving are probably the giant tube worms, that can reach 8 feet in length.

QUESTION:

Karla, what is the water pressure of the coastal shelf; the coastal slope; and the deep sea basin? Thank you.

Student Name:Adrien
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Adrian, As you know, the pressure of water is caused by the weight of the water above the point where you are at. So the deeper you go under water the more the water pressure increases. In common applications, the pressure is normally expressed in psi (pounds per square inch in English Units) and there is a formula for calculating exact values. Like many scientists, I tend to think of things in metric measurements, so I use a quick mental shortcut to remember that 1 meter of water = 15 psi. So... taking some average depths: Average depth of the ocean = 4000m (13,000 ft) = 60,000 psi The Pacific is the is the deepest ocean basin, with the deepest point being about 11,000m which is equivalent to about 7 miles deep (psi of 16,500)! The continental shelf is the shallower stretch of the seabed adjacent to the shores of a particular country. The average depth of the US east coast Continental shelf is 200m (=3,000 psi). Using this formula, you can figure out the PSI for other depths. The Alvin submarine is only rated to a depth of 4,500m. That leaves a lot of ocean bottom that we can’t access with this submarine. To go deeper, we generally use unmanned remotely operated or autonomously operated vehicles (ROV/AOVs). But there are a few scientific submarines that can go deeper. Hopefully someday the US will have one too. On this cruise we are sending down bags each night of styrofoam cups decorated by school kids to show the effects of pressure. A normal cup comes back up from a dive to about 2500m about a quarter of its original size. Thanks for your question! Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what is your favorite/least favorite part about going deep down with Alvin?

Student Name:Henri B.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Henri! That's a hard question - there are so many great things about diving in Alvin that it's hard to pick just one! I guess I'd have to say that seeing the animals from the sub is probably my favorite part. There is an amazing diversity of life at the deep sea hydrothermal vents that is difficult to appreciate unless you see it first hand. We all hear about the tube worms, fish and crabs, but I saw so many different kinds of jelly fish on my dive yesterday that were just so beautiful. My least favorite part is having to sit in one place for so long. The sub is very small and with three people on board can get a bit cramped. It's difficult to stretch out and there is no room to stand up. But I think the experience of diving in Alvin is worth the small amount of discomfort!

QUESTION:

Karla, has anything ever happened to cause the Alvin to stay underwater longer than was planned?

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

ANSWER:

 Hi Danny, Thanks for your question and your interest in Oceanography. I have only two years experience with Alvin, so there is a lot I do not know. However my observations are that the Alvin is run by an impressively competent team of engineers, technicians and pilots. This group follows very strict guidelines that ensure that Alvin is operated safely and 'by the book'. I have never heard of any real problems with Alvin. But your question made me research this a bit more. As it turns out, the Alvin has had some interesting mishaps along the way. If you want a really good read about the day that Alvin was attached by a swordfish, or the mishap that caused it to sink to the bottom of the ocean, see: http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=10737. The main Woods Hole Oceanographich Institute webpage also has other great links to Alvin-rleated stories (www.whoi.edu). Thanks, Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what is the most interesting discovery you have ever made?

Student Name:Hawkin S. & Michael L.
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Hawkin and Michael! That's a tough question! When I was a student, I worked on marine mussels that tie themselves to docks using byssal threads. I found that the threads are made up of a single protein that is a mixture of two similar proteins we have in our own bodies. One part of the protein gives it strength, while the other part allows it to stretch - very important when you live in a place that is always pounded by waves. This is just one discovery I've made that I think is exciting because it shows how different animals evolve so that they can live in their environment. Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what happens to a specimen after it's collected?

Student Name:Michelle
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Michelle, Great question. Samples are collected on the sea floor and put into 'bioboxes' or sealed containers at depth in a large basket in the front of Alvin. The scientists in Alvin also takes lots of video footage to document organism and vent behavior. The samples are then brought up to the surface in an hour and a half transit. Once the sub is back on the deck of the ship, most samples are quickly transfered to a walk in cold room to keep animals alive as long as possible. Once in the cold room, scientists either study them immediately or preserve them for later analysis. Some scientists even bring high pressure chambers to get the animals back under pressure. When samples come up there is always a lot of excitement. Scientists want to be sure not to waste samples as they are so hard (and expensive) to obtain. It hard to work in such extreme environments but definitely worth the effort. Thanks, Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what tests do you use to find sub-samples for DNA?

Student Name:Alyssa R.
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Alyssa! When we extract DNA from samples, we have to test it to find out how good it is. DNA is kind of like a long strand of spaghetti - it is slippery and can break easily. So we have to make sure first of all that our extraction worked and that we haven't broken the DNA strands into little pieces. Since we are looking for very small amounts of DNA, we need to run tests that will tell us the quality and quantity. In one test, we run our DNA through a gel, kind of jello. If the DNA is not broken up into little pieces, it will go through the gel more slowly and we will know that it's good to use. To see how much DNA we have, we use a stain that sticks to DNA and turns it fluorescent orange. We then measure how bright the orange color is and that tells us how much DNA we have. At that point, we can take sub-samples of the DNA for analysis. thanks for your question, kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, does it look like it's hard to pilot the Alvin to the deep ocean?

Student Name:Robert P.
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Robert, Flying the Alvin looks really complex. I have it easy. When I go down in Alvin, my job is to direct the pilot where to collect samples. Imagine flying through a canyon 20 meters deep that is all black volcanic glass sometimes with just a couple meters of clearance on either side. As a passenger, I generally have my face glued to my tiny viewport calling out all the cool stuff that I can't believe that I am seeing and requesting samples. Meanwhile, the pilot is simultaneously driving, watching through his port hole, keeping an eye on multiple video monitors showing different positional views, gauges monitoring life support and sub operational outputs. Mark Spears was my pilot on my last dive. I watched him inch up to our research sites, bring up extra lights, watch for venting water that could melt scientific equipment or exterior components of the sub(!), operate cameras, recorders and a dozen more systems. Once he approached a giant towering vent that is belching jet black smoke, ballest the sub perfectly to make everything perfectly neutral and ever so gently drive ahead until the science basket just touched the structure spewing out 390C water. He then fired up the hydraulics to use the titanium manipulators that seem to be seamless extensions of his own arms. The next hour or so becomes a blur of probing, measuring, collecting, photographing, and sampling. Then while we relax and discuss what we just saw for the 1.5 hr ascent to the surface, the pilot has to be 100% to make sure everything goes safely on the way up. It takes a lot of skill, patience and calm under pressure to be an Alvin pilot. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what is the hardest part of researching the specimens that make it back to the laboratory?

Student Name:Siani
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Siani! I think the hardest part is trying to decide what to do first. We bring back a lot of samples that need to be analyzed and finding the time to do everything can be difficult. thanks for your question! kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what inspired you to study the marine environment?

Student Name:Ryan
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 As I started the process of becoming a scientist at Maryville College in Tennessee, I had no idea I would eventually end up focusing on the marine environment. After college I moved to Maryland and loved living and working near the Chesapeake Bay. Watching the ever changing waters of the Bay, I began to want to really understand how the ocean functions and what chemical and physical factors caused observable patterns of change. This and many other observations eventually led me to pursue a Ph.D. focusing in biological oceanography at the University of Maryland. While at Maryland, I studied jellyfish, corals, and anemones and the ecology of their zooplankton prey. I worked in many parts of the Caribbean Sea and participated in several saturation missions in the underwater habitat Aquarius as part of my research. I have now moved to study microbial populations and live and work at the University of Southern California Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catlaina Island. The ocean is part of every aspect of my life, and I never get tired of studying it.

QUESTION:

Kathy, have you ever been on a research mission that found a species of fish that was completely new to everyone even you?

Student Name:Andy D.
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Andy! No, I haven't been on a research mission that found a new species of fish, but on my first cruise, we did find a new species of flat worm. thanks for your question, kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, do you ever get nervous that something might go wrong when you go on these expeditions?

Student Name:Kara
State:NJ Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Kara, I do think about safety a lot when I am at sea. A research vessel is very remote, and there is little to no access to immediate medical facilities. But the crew and scientists all think about safety and follow strict safety procedures to prevent accidents. We also have lots of safety drills. Rocking vessels make it hard to deploy heavy equipment of the side, work in laboratory (often with dangerous chemicals) or even moving from deck to deck. The crew will not hesitate to call out someone doing something unwise, so you learn very fast on boats. As for the Alvin -- descending more than a mile below the surface does make me a little nervous. But the Alvin's safety record speaks for itself. Pilots and crew are extremely cautious and highly trained professionals. They run a very safe program. No matter how nervous I may feel when going down... when the floodlights come on and the hydrothermal vents come into view everything except amazement goes out of my mind. It is an amazing opportunity. Thanks for being a part of our educational program. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, do the specimens collected from the deep sea have a bad smell?

Student Name:Dennis B.
State:PA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Dennis! Yes! some of them do smell pretty bad. We collected some worms last year that smelled terrible. Now we are working with mud from the Guaymas vent site and it also has a bad smell - kind of like kerosene and rotten eggs. thanks for your question. Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, have you ever seen a duck-billed platypus while on a research cruise?

Student Name:Glenn
State:PA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Glenn, While I have seen soe very odd sea creatures, I have never seen a duck-billed platypus while on an oceanographic cruise. They are a freshwater species. However I have been fortunate enough to see one while working at one of my research sites in Australia. I had to camp out at a remote stream and get up very early to catch one - they are very shy. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what adaptations do the protists that live near the hydrothermal vents have that help them survive in the heat?

Student Name:Saona
State:NC Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Saona! that's a great question and one that I'm really interested in finding the answer to. There has been very little research on protists at hydrothermal vents so we really don't know much about them yet. thanks for your question, kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, how do you get internet connection when you are on the bottom of the ocean?

Student Name:Justin B.
State:DE Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Justin, We do not yet have internet capabilities in Alvin. The only communication between the people on Alvin and the ship is through a special water radio. When the ship calls the sub, the voice is modulated into a higher frequency (8 kHz) and broadcasted through the water from a speaker mounted to the bottom of the hull of the ship. (higher frequencies travel farther and faster through water). The sub picks up this frequency, remodulates it back into the standard human speaking wavelength and transmits it to the speaker inside the sub. The same system works when the sub hails the vessel. Interestingly, the higher frequency receives also pick up whale and dolphin sounds. So, when these marine mammals come in to check out sub operations, we can hear them well in the sub. Maybe the next generation Alvin (being built now) will figure out a way to provide internet access! Thanks for your question, Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what is the top predator or at the top of the food chain in the deep sea vent ecosystem?

Student Name:Allison D.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Allison! the top predator at deep sea hydrothermal vents is the crab. They devour the tube worms when they can and would eat Alvinella if they could get to them. Luckily for the Alvinella worms, they live on the sides of smoking chimneys, where it is too warm for the crabs. thanks for your question, Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what is the hardest part of your job? Thank you so much for your time!

Student Name:Sarah
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Sarah, My job has a lot of different components, and gracefully balancing all these components is my toughest challenge. I run an active research program that includes sampling sites all over the globe. I spend quite a bit of time in the field and writing grant proposals to keep these program funded. I also teach courses in the Biology Department at the University of Southern California. Balancing these activities with family life is always challenging - but somehow it all works. Any job worth having is challenging! Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, how can a fleshy deep sea fish survive at a depth where a submersible has to have 6 inch titanium walls to withstand the same pressure?

Student Name:Yon A.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Yon! Good question! The deep sea fish have adapted to life at this pressure and, like animals at sea level, their internal organs are made to operate at the pressure where they live. Just like us, deep sea fish are mostly water, and their organs must maintain a certain pressure in order to survive. thanks for your question. Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what is the measure of pressure at the deepest recorded level compared to the measure of pressure at sea level?

Student Name:Jon C.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Jon, As you know, the pressure at the surface of the ocean is equal to 1 atmosphere. As you go down into the water, the pressure of water is caused by the weight of the water above the point where you are at. So the deeper you go under water the more the water pressure increases. In common applications, the pressure is normally expressed in psi (pounds per square inch in English Units) and there is a formula for calculating exact values. Like many scientists, I tend to think of things in metric measurements, so I use a quick mental shortcut to remember that 1 meter of water = 15 psi. So... taking some average depths: Average depth of the ocean = 4000m (13,000 ft) = 60,000 psi The Pacific is the is the deepest ocean basin, with the deepest point being about 11,000m which is equivalent to about 7 miles deep (psi of 16,500)! Using this formula, you can figure out the PSI for other depths. The Alvin submarine is only rated to a depth of 4,500m. That leaves a lot of ocean bottom that we can not access with this submarine. To go deeper, we generally use unmanned remotely operated or autonomously operated vehicles (ROV/AOVs). But there are a few scientific submarines that can go deeper. Hopefully someday the US will have one too. On this cruise we are sending down bags each night of styrofoam cups decorated by school kids to show the effects of pressure. A normal cup comes back up from a dive to about 2500m about a quarter of its original size. Thanks for your question! Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, what is the deepest you have ever dived? Do you know what the pressure was at that point?

Student Name:Connor
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Connor! The deepest I have ever dived is 2500 meters. The pressure at that point is about 200 times greater than it is at sea level. thanks for your question. kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, if you could go down to any part of the deep blue where would you go?

Student Name:Jacob
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Jacob, Wow! What a hard question. I have to admit that I am feeling pretty fortunate to have had opportunities to work at a couple Pacific hydrothermal vents. I have to admit that I have pondered a slightly shallower, but no less extreme, environment -- under the Antarctic ice. I have worked in Antarctica but have never had the chance to dive there. Maybe someday. Thanks for writing in. Karla

QUESTION:

Kathy, how does an organism such as the deep sea shrimp live under extreme pressure and then survive being brought up to the surface for study in the lab?

Student Name:Tika T.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

QUESTION:

Karla, what do you have to do to bring deep sea vent crabs to the surface so the difference in water pressure doesn't harm them?

Student Name:Dan W.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Dan, We collect crabs all the time as part of our samples. Samples are put into sealed 'bioboxes' at depth and brought to the surface in the collection basket of the Alvin. This helps a little as it keeps them at the same salinity as found on the ocean bottom. As soon as the sub hits the deck, samples are quickly transfered to a walk in cold room (remember that they are used to living in mostly 4oC bottom seawater). We have had crabs last several days in the cold room, but eventually they do not do well and die. The environments are just too different to try to keep them in captivity. Our goal is to learn as much as we can while they are alive, sample what we can after they die (gut contents etc) and to accumulate lots of video observations of behavior at depth.

QUESTION:

Kathy, what do you do on the R/V Atlantis? What do you do when down in the Alvin, especially in such a little space?

Student Name:Hadynn A.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Hadynn! The Atlantis has labs where we can do our research. I'm now working with mud that the Alvin brings back up from the vent sites. The mud, or sediments, are covered with a fuzzy layer of bacteria called Beggiotoa. We are looking for other organisms that may live in the mud along with the Beggiotoa. On the Atlantis, there is also a library and a video room with hundreds of DVDs for us to watch when we have time. In the Alvin, the scientist's job is to take notes and make sure that the pilot is getting the samples that we need for our research. There are several video cameras on board and all of them have a time overlay on the picture. When we take samples or see something that we want to investigate further, we write down the time so that we can go to that point in the video late on. Thanks for your question! Kathy

QUESTION:

Karla, what sea creatures do you see throughout your day?

Student Name:Haillee N.
State:WA Country: USA

ANSWER:

 Hi Hailee, Thanks for your question. I see a wide range of ocean animals out here. We commonly see fish and jellyfish (mostly ctenophores and salps) from the side of the boat. At night sometimes the flying fish which are attracted to light jump all the way into the boat. We occasionally see a couple marine mammals, as well, that come around to check out our vessel. When I get lucky enough to be a sub diver I see all kinds of wonderfully strange animals on the way down and around at the vent systems animals - fish, jellyfish, crabs, octopuses, anemones, deep water corals, tube worms, sponges, etc. Every dive is absolutely amazing. Thanks for your question. Karla