Under The Sea Nerds

Published on by Author Melissa Crismon
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer berthed at the NOAA Ford Island facility located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer berthed at the NOAA Ford Island facility located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

Only ‘til Saturday is NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer going to be in the northeast Atlantic exploring habitats and marine life in the canyons. Today, the ROV is about 1,600 feet deep. Crab, lobster, eel, hermit crabs and worms are seen and mentioned. At one point, scientists and technicians zoom in on a soft sediment (rock) that has a little ecosystem covered with plant life. They try to get a better angle of a worm. Occasionally, the geologist jokes with the biologist about how geologists get a bit more dirty, as they decide to return for a sample of a rock. They also look at vibrant peach sea anemone. To listen to nerds talk sexy about biogenic activity check out Okeanos Explorer 2013 live stream. If you miss this week’s live stream there is a playlist.