Join me and my colleagues as we embark on the Benthic Assemblages in the Twilight Zone (BATZ) expedition to characterize benthic assemblages in the mesophotic or “twilight zone” (50-200 m) using a deep-diving Phantom II remotely operated vehicle in the Gulf of Mexico August 25 – September 2nd, 2008.
View More Twilight Zone… the ExpeditionAuthor: Peter Etnoyer
PhD candidate at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi and doctoral fellow Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies.
TGIF: Deep-sea exploration's new flagship
All good things must come to and end, so they may have a new beginning.
And so begins the next chapter in the history of deep ocean exploration…
Sizzle's got swizzle
“Sizzle” is a global warming comedy, a film directed by Randy Olson of the Shifting Baselines blog. Sizzle has been making the rounds between our…
View More Sizzle's got swizzleMore sea-turtles nesting on Texas beaches
The future looks promising for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. A record 195 Kemp’s ridley nests were found on the Texas coast this nesting season, which runs from April to mid-July. It’s the fifth consecutive record-breaking year.
View More More sea-turtles nesting on Texas beachesWho's faster: Phelps or flounder?
Michael Phelps is faster than a flounder. He swims about 6 mph. But what if he was fighting currents, swimming upstream, and jumping dams?
View More Who's faster: Phelps or flounder?One question squid quiz
Can you name the genus of this deep-sea squid?
View More One question squid quizWhy would a leatherback turtle dive 1000m deep?
There are a few theories about why sea turtles make occasional excursions into very deep (> 1000 m) water. These involve escape from predation, thermoregulation, and prey availability. In the first two, sharks are fewer, so turtles can evade predation and “cool off” at the same time. Like ladies tanning on a balcony.
View More Why would a leatherback turtle dive 1000m deep?TGIF Video: Pelagic Magic
Rick MacPherson hosts this week’s TGIF video at Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice, and Sunsets. He is advertising the Pelagic Magic Black Water Dive, a special…
View More TGIF Video: Pelagic MagicFriday Deep-sea Picture: the seamount flank
Welker Seamount peaks around 700m depth in the Northeast Pacific. Pillow lava is pictured here at 2700m depth, indicating an eruption on the seamount flank.…
View More Friday Deep-sea Picture: the seamount flankPerils of shooting IMAX underwater
ScienCentral is offering exclusive footage and interviews from the upcoming IMAX 3D production “Under the Sea 3D” featuring cinematography’s sweethearts Michelle and Howard Hall talking about what it’s like to work with a 1200 lb. camera that shoots 3 minutes of film.
View More Perils of shooting IMAX underwater