Welcome to the ECOMAR project blog. Over the next few weeks you can gain an insight into what life at sea is like for a group of marine scientists studying deep-sea organisms found living in and around the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. On the 26th May 2010 we will board the RRS James Cook in St. John’s, Canada and set sail on Cruise JC048 towards the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Once we arrive above the ridge we will begin to deploy a number of novel scientific devices that will provide us with a clearer insight into what life can be found in and around the ridge. During the cruise we will continually update this blog, providing you with the opportunity to learn more about the technology we use, what exciting new discoveries we have made and also what it is like to spend over 6 weeks at sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to this blog, we will provide updates via twitter of what we are actually doing onboard the RRS James Cook. These updates will be provided around the clock because at sea science never sleeps and research activities will be taking place 24 hours per day.
Our cruise will end on the 3rd of July 2010 when we dock in Vigo, Spain. This will not be the end of our journey. Once back in our home institutes we will continue to study the specimens we have recovered, in addition to processing the large number of photos and the video footage we expect to collect. If you want learn more about life in the deep oceans then the ECOMAR2010 blog will provide you with an excellent introduction. We hope you enjoy the experience of what life at sea for a marine scientist is like and also the wonderful images we will share with you.
We look forward to sharing our experience with you from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
ECOMAR team.
ECOMAR: Ecosystems of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the Sub-Polar Front and Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone 