Dave
Caress (top
of page)
MBARI Senior Research
Specialist
http://www.mbari.org/staff/caress
What is your role on this cruise?
I will participate in Leg 3, led by Dr. Charlie Paull
and
Dr. Gary Greene. I will be particularly interested in ROV
dives in submarine
canyons on the north sides of Hawaii, Molokai, and Oahu.
What are your primary goals?
We are interested in the formation of large basins or
holes within
submarine canyon systems. Multibeam sonar bathymetric mapping
of submarine canyons has revealed that basins occur within
submarine
canyon channels around the world. In some cases, these
intra-canyon
basins may be 2-5 km across and up to 400 m deep. There are
several
plausible processes that might create these basins, including
expulsion
of fluids or gases from sediments, dissolution of carbonate
rocks,
slumping, and active scouring by turbidity currents within the
canyon.
The submarine canyons formed on the flanks of the Hawaiian
Islands
include several clear basins, some of which seem very likely
to have
resulted from active scouring. We will use the ROV to inspect
and
sample some of these canyons and basins. We hope to begin to
learn
how to recognize basins formed by scouring or by other
processes, so
that we can ultimately use ROV inspection to determine how
intra-canyon
basins form in more ambiguous settings.
What do you expect to find?
I don't know. Submarine canyons are a new subject for me,
and the
use of ROVs for this sort of field work is also new to me.
This cruise
will be exciting!
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
Most favorite - finding something really new or
unexpected.
Least favorite - being seasick.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
I wanted to always be working on new problems.
I always wanted to be a scientist, even before I knew
what it meant. My undergraduate degree was in Physics, which is basic to
many fields of science. As an undergraduate, I tried reading scientific
journals in the library. I found the Geophysics journals both
understandable and interesting. As a junior, I applied for summer
internships at several institutions. I wound up spending the summer at the
Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University working on
bathymetry and heat flow in small ocean basins. Liking the subject, I
wound up applying to graduate schools to study Marine Geophysics. I went
to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography rather than to Lamont, but five
years later I went back to Lamont for my first real job.
Dave Clague
(top
of page)
MBARI Geologist (Volcanology)
http://www.mbari.org/staff/clague
What is your role on this cruise?
Expedition Coordinator/ Chief Scientist on Legs 2 and 4
What are your primary goals?
Understanding submarine volcanism around Hawaii, subsidence history of the islands, landslide structure.
What do you expect to find?
What types of lavas form what types of volcanic landforms, corals from drowned coral reefs to determine
subsidence rates of islands, evidence for explosive submarine
eruptions.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
Favorite part is being able to test ideas and modify the research
plan to test new ideas developed from the early results. Least
favorite part is being away from my wife and daughter.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
Science is being able to keep asking "why?, how?, when? questions like we asked
when we were young-we just ask more sophisticated questions now. I
have always wanted to know how the natural world work. I
started as an physics major in college, then switched to
geology quite late (because of one class and one great professor),
went to graduate school in oceanography/earth science. Most
important thing to becoming a good ocean scientist is to have broad
scientific background and interests. I took nearly a full major in
physics and math, lots of chemistry, and some biology as an
undergraduate. In graduate school, I was fortunate to work with
professors who let me pursue a variety of interests while providing
encouragement and guidance.
Judith Connor
(top
of page)
MBARI Director -
Information Technology and Dissemination Division
http://www.mbari.org/staff/conn
What is your role on this cruise?
As a biologist on a geology leg of the Hawaii cruise, I will identify deep sea animals we see on video from the
ROV and provide support to the other scientists.
What are your primary goals?
I expect I'll help sort and store mud, rocks and invertebrates that might be collected from the
depths.
What do you expect to find?
We will be extending our "knowledge base" (the
encyclopedia of species and geologic features seen on video from
the ROV). Hawaii will undoubted add many new species of deep water
animals unfamiliar to us from our years of work in Monterey Bay. I look
forward to learning more geology while working with Charlie
Paull, Bill Ussler and Gary Greene.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
My favorite part is the discovery of new animals, as well as just going to
sea, the feel of the ship beneath your feet and being out of sight of
land. My least favorite part is being away from my family and not
getting as much exercise as I would at home.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
I saw the excitement in researchers I worked with at the Smithsonian Institution,
then I caught the "bug" myself. The combination of mental and physical
activity made me feel truly alive and excited to get to work every day.
After college, I worked as a research technician on a Smithsonian research cruise that took me to the Caribbean for three
years. At the end of the cruise, I wanted to plan and carry out my own
research ideas and interests. Going to graduate school was exhilarating:
all one's time devoted to the goal and being surrounded by smart
colleagues who challenge and question to make the ideas stronger and the
research more elegant.
Gary Greene
(top
of page)
MBARI Geologist
http://www.mbari.org/staff/greene
What is your role on this cruise?
I will be the Chief Scientist and geologist on the cruise
What are your primary goals?
To investigate submarine canyons. We will attempt to
determine the origin of the canyons and processes at work
today that are shaping the canyons. The information we collect
during this cruise will be used to compare and contrast with
other submarine canyons around the world.
What do you expect to find?
We think we may find that freshwater outflow or spring
sapping is responsible for the origin of the canyons. Hawaii
is an ideal place to look for this type of fluid process as it
has tropical rainfall, very porous rocks that can act as
conduits for groundwater, and has high mountains that support
artesian flow.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
My favorite part of a research cruise is the
exploration. Discovering new things and proving (or
disproving) hypotheses is very exciting. My least favorite
part is ending the cruise.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
Being a marine scientist is very much like being a
detective. It requires astute observations and the ability to
put pieces of a puzzle together. To me, this is fun and I
became a marine geologist because the work is fun. I started
along this career path when I took a class in geology at a
community college and discovered that I really liked the
subject. My suggestion for those that would like to follow in
my footsteps is to develop a good general basic understanding
of the sciences, all sciences, and to develop skills in
physics, math, and writing.
Norm Maher
(top
of page)
MBARI Research
Technician
What is your role on this cruise?
My main role on this cruise will be to operate navigation
software
during dive
operations. We use ArcView GIS software with a specially
designed
extension
called ArcNav to track the ship and ROV while traversing
across the
seafloor.
This setup allows us to view the vehicles position in relation
to all of
our
previously collected base map data for the area. We also use
this setup
to plan
dive tracks, measure range and bearing to objects of interest,
and to
plot
post-dive maps.
Besides operating the navigation software, I will help out
wherever
needed in
the lab, processing rock samples when they come aboard, and
working on
deck
with the gravity core or Hydrocast.
What are your primary goals?
My primary goals are to keep the software running
smoothly, fix any
problems
that arise, and to help with dive track planning if weather
forces us to
come up
with alternate plans.
What do you expect to find?
Since I've never worked in this area I don't have too many
expectations
other
than to see things that I've never seen before. We will be
diving mostly
in
canyon heads on the windward sides of several of the islands,
so we
may see
fresh water discharge in some of the canyon heads, which we
believe is
partly
responsible for the formation of the canyons. I do expect to
see some
spectacular vertical rock walls on the steeper canyon sides.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
The first several days of a cruise are usually the most
exciting and full of
anticipation, and I enjoy that very much. My least favorite
part is
the lack
of a good nights sleep.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
I guess I've always had a tendency to be interested in the
natural world
around me.
My father was probably a strong influence, taking us kids camping and hiking
at every opportunity. I hadn't planned on a science career, though, until
I took a geology class as a general education requirement (I was going to be
an engineer). I realized right away that this is
what I loved and decided to pursue
it further.
How did you become
one?
Don't worry about how long the road ahead is, just go for
it.
Billy Moore
(top
of page)
University of
South Carolina
http://www.geol.sc.edu/billy.htm
What is your role on this cruise?
I will measure radon and radium isotopes in water samples as tracers of submarine groundwater discharge.
What are your primary goals?
To quantify the fluxes of groundwater and associated nutrients into the ocean.
What do you expect to find?
Groundwater is usually enriched in radon and radium isotopes as well as nutrients. At sites where the groundwater
enters the ocean we expect to measure high concentrations of these tracers.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
Favorite: getting good data; least favorite: equipment failure
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
When I was 14 most of the fish in my tropical fish tank died. I
traced the problem to the pH of the water and adjusted it using advice and
reagents from the pet store. At this point I realized that understanding
pH was an important aspect of having tropical fish, so I began a quest to
understand this strange word. In fact this quest became more interesting
to me than raising tropical fish. Two years later I worked as a chemical
assistant at a marine lab and decided that taking chemistry to sea was fun
and exciting.
James Moore
(top
of page)
U.S. Geological Survey
Geologist, Volcanic Hazards Team
http://www.usgs.gov
What is your role on this cruise?
I am a volcanologist and petrologist and will work with
other geologists in the video observations and sampling of
geologic specimens from the sea floor. We will collect both
submarine lava samples and coral samples, and from analyses of
these materials will work toward unraveling the chronology,
structure, and chemical evolution of the volcanoes.
What are your primary goals?
To learn more about the subaqueous processes that built
these giant volcanoes and are currently degrading and
modifying them.
What do you expect to find?
We have a supposition of the types of rocks and structures
that occur in various places on the flanks of the volcanoes,
as based on past work and current models of volcano formation.
However, what invariably happens is that quite unexpected
features are discovered, and commonly the research program
need be redirected at sea and (in the laboratory) to
accommodate these discoveries. From the sum of the evidence
gleaned from the research existing ideas and models are often
modified to more closely approximate reality
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
The fascination about this cruise (as well as other
types of research) is the thrill of exploring the unknown, and
"setting your feet (or robotic eyes and hands) where no
one has gone before". Here the unknown is easily defined
because we know where other ships have gone and the equipment
at their disposal. Other favorites are the opportunity to
associate with new people with a different outlook on life,
and to change the pattern of everyday existence. I enjoy
experiencing the weather which pervades life at sea more
powerfully than on shore. After a research cruise, I return to
the office with recharged batteries.
Usually on the first day out, mal de mer lurks in the
background, but mercifully seems to disappear in time.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
I have been drawn to the out-of-doors all my life—beginning
early with family camping trips, Boy Scout activities, and
high school Sierra skiing and hiking trips. This naturally led
to a geology major at Stanford and a career with the U S
Geological Survey. I was assigned to
the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in mid-career, and there
developed a curiosity about the great bulk of the Hawaiian
volcanoes that lies beneath the sea. Twenty oceanographic
cruises later this curiosity is unabated and I am fortunate to
participate in the MBARI cruise. I was lucky and knew early in
my life that I wanted to be a scientist. With that desire, and
a constant emotional and academic push in that direction,
things took a natural course.
D.J.
Osborne (top
of page)
MBARI Instrumentation Technician
http://www.mbari.org/staff/djo
What is your role on this cruise?
My role during the Hawaii Expedition involves running, integrating and maintaining the sensors we use to measure the ocean's
physical properties. My primary instrument is called the CTD - which stands for conductivity, temperature and depth. The
conductivity measurement can be converted to salinity; we also measure
transmissivity, fluorometry, dissolved oxygen, light and other bio-optical water properties. The CTD is lowered through the ocean with a large winch and a structure on the ship
much like a crane. This particular CTD can go 6800 meters deep which is equivalent to about 4 miles. The CTD also has the
ability to capture water at different depths. The device that does this is called a Rosette Water Sampler. We have twelve
different bottles on the CTD that hold 10 liters of water each or about 2.5
gallons. We can close the bottles at the depths we
like and bring water to the surface so the scientists can do further analysis. I run the instrument, process the data, and ensure
that all the systems are working properly and accurately.
What are your primary goals?
My primary goal is to ensure that the instrument is ran in a safe
manner and that all persons
around the heavy equipment and high voltages are kept safe and sound. The ships crew helps me with keeping everyone
safe. My next most important role is to make sure the equipment is kept safe and is only deployed when conditions are safe
and the sea is not too stormy or rough. And finally my goal is to make sure all the instruments perform as expected - with a
high level of accuracy and efficiency without any complications or problems.
What do you expect to find?
I expect to find much warmer water as we get closer to Hawaii and that could effect some of
the instruments in some unforeseen way. These instruments have never been in water this warm and they could behave in
unexpected ways - everything should be ok, but you never know. Also, I expect some of the instruments mounted in the
hull of the ship could also have a small potential to work different in very warm water.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
My favorite part is working outside on the boat in the open
sea in the fresh air and making all the equipment work as if it looks easy. I also like the challenges of working through
difficult problems with limited resources while at sea and there are usually many opportunities for this.
My favorite part of a research cruise is when the scientists find something totally new or different than expected.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
I decided to become an engineer because even as a young child I
was always fascinated by how and why things worked. I was constantly taking things apart, trying to figure out how they
worked and then I'd put them back together... at least most of the time I did. Engineering seemed to follow the natural
course of my interests.
Jenny Paduan
(top
of page)
MBARI Senior Research
Technician
http://www.mbari.org/staff/paje
What is your role on this cruise?
I will be assisting with collecting rock and sediment samples with the
ROV and over-the-side gear, annotating the video, maintaining the gear, subsampling the
samples for analyses, and safely shipping everything home.
What are your primary goals?
That everything works, that we have everything we will need
(kilometers from a hardware store!), and that we get great samples everywhere we look!
What do you expect to find?
LAVA! ...shards of lava glass, pillows and flows of lava, ancient lava,
and maybe even some fresh lava (though I don't want to get too close if
we should be lucky enough to be the first to see an eruption underwater)!
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
Favorite: the excitement of new discoveries
Least favorite: being seasick
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
I have always loved science: What are the plants around me, the animals,
rocks, landforms, the stars? What are they made of? How did they get to
be the way they are? What makes them function and persist? How are we
impacting them? I love the interdisciplinary nature of Oceanography: to
understand the ecology of an animal, you must also understand the
chemistry, physics, and geology of its habitat. When I was young, I wanted to study volcanoes, then to become an
astronomer, then a veterinarian. I was a biochemistry major at a liberal
arts college, and went to graduate school to study marine biochemical
ecology. Fortunately, along the way I took several geology courses,
because my path has taken me full circle back to studying volcanoes!
Charlie Paull
(top
of page)
MBARI Marine Geologist
http://www.mbari.org/staff/paull
What is your role on this cruise?
I will be the Chief Scientist on one of the legs of this
cruise
What are your primary goals?
To learn whether there is a substantial amount of water that is discharging to the seafloor through the flanks
of the Hawaiian Islands. Fresh water associated with the terrestrial aquifers may be flowing down hill and offshore from the high rainy mountains. Also, cold seawater may be entering the flanks of the islands at depth, become heated and rise within the rock to discharge at shallower depths. Both of these process with effect that diagenetic history of the rocks and cause chemical changes in the adjacent seawater.
What do you expect to find?
Chemical and isotopic shifts in the seafloor rocks and fluids.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
Seeing the seafloor through the ROV's cameras.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
Long term interest in the oceans. How did you become one?
24 years of school, college, graduate education, and post-doc experience.
Bill Ussler
(top
of page)
MBARI Senior Research
Specialist
http://www.mbari.org/staff/methane
What is your role on this cruise?
My primary responsibility is the operation of our portable chemistry lab van. This 16 foot long custom-built container
contains a complete analytical laboratory for the analysis of the fluids
and gases contained in marine sediments. There are 3 gas chromatographs
configured to analyze methane and the low-molecular hydrocarbon gases
ethane, propane, butane, and pentane, dissolved carbon dioxide, and
dissolved hydrogen sulfide. Two ion chromatographs comprise a system to
analyze dissolved cations (sodium, calcium, magnesium, strontium,
and ammonium) and anions (chloride and sulfate) in sea water and waters
extracted from sediment cores. I will also assist in the collection and
analysis of water samples for the concentration of radium and radon
isotopes.
What are your primary goals?
My main focus on this expedition is determining the chemistry of fluids and gases contained in surface sediments and ocean
waters around the flanks of the Hawaiian islands.
What do you expect to find?
It is very likely that the fresh water aquifers contained within
the volcanic edifices that comprise the Hawaiian Islands have discharge
points off-shore. The chemistry of meteoric waters discharging into the
ocean should have a chemical signature that is easily distinguished from
sea water. Dr. Billy Moore, who is accompanying us on this expedition,
has developed a method for using radium isotopic measurements to
identify water that has percolated through rock before entry into the
oceans. He will be assisting us in the application of this technique to
water samples we will collect using the Tiburon ROV.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of a research
cruise?
My favorite part of any research cruise is the discovery of new
and interesting facts about the ocean. My least favorite parts are
finalizing all the important details necessary for packing the equipment
and supplies; and feeling seasick while at sea.
Why did you decide to become a scientist/engineer/etc?
How did you
become
one?
I have had a long-standing interest since childhood in science, especially chemistry and geology.
Becoming a scientist requires persistence, adaptability, inquisitiveness, and a willingness to learn and do many, often mundane,
tasks. Tenacity combined with many years of formal education has
allowed me to pursue a rewarding career in the Earth Sciences. I have
two suggestions for future ocean scientists: 1. obtain an undergraduate degree in one of the core sciences (chemistry, physics, or
biology) in preparation for graduate work in the marine sciences; and 2.
develop technical and engineering skills that can be applied to the
development of new techniques and instrumentation.
