13 Days at Sea!
If you've been following my Instagram stories for the past 2 weeks (as you all should) you will have noticed a number of things happening on my first ever ocean expedition!
For the past 13 days I've been on board the E/V Nautilus - an exploratory research vessel funded by OET (Ocean Exploration Trust). In partnership with ONC (Ocean Networks Canada) we are on a month-long expedition to perform an array of scientific projects. Throughout a stretch of the deep ocean off the shores of British Columbia, we are deploying and retrieving scientific instruments that include seismic devices like FETCH which detects movements on the seafloor from tectonic plates. These devices are assisting in early detection systems to help build an infrastructure that can give communities pre-Earthquake warnings.
We are also conducting sediment and water samples on each dive with our ROVs Hercules and Argus. From sediment samples, we can gain a better understanding of the makeup of deep sea soil, build up of microplastics, and how the chemistry of the soil has changed over time. Water samples in various locations of the water column and at different locations, gives us data about how climate change is effecting water temperature and the organisms that inhabit these areas. Our team has even been able to collect DNA samples from organisms to better understand species variations and how changes in the environment may be effecting them biologically.
So many hands-on opportunities during my first ever time on board this amazing vessel, and the best part of it all is that I get to broadcast everything to all of you! Through live interactions on board the ship that you can sign up for directly here, or through entertaining videos on social media - I get to give our amazing audience a first-hand look at what it takes to protect and learn more about our most precious natural wonder - The Ocean!
With 2 more weeks to go, I'm so excited to continue to take you along this journey and can't wait for all the other incredible things and places still left to explore. Stay tuned!