Bioluminescence and Biodiversity Expedition 2013

July 10-15, 2013

Steve Haddock’s research group and their collaborators study deep-sea gelatinous zooplankton (various types of jelly-like animals). Haddock’s research focuses on bioluminescence, biodiversity, and ecology of deep-sea and open-ocean ctenophores, siphonophores, radiolarians, and medusae. In addition to studying the evolutionary relationships of these animals, Haddock is interested in cloning the proteins that enable these jellies to emit light or fluoresce.

On this five-day expedition, scientists will conduct research based on dives performed by the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts and supplemented by blue-water scuba diving and midwater trawling.

Learn more

Logbook

The last day (in more ways than one)

Meghan Powers is a doctoral candidate at University of California Santa Cruz, working in the Haddock lab. She is interested in the evolution of bioluminescence. She uses molecular techniques to obtain genetic information from deep-sea zooplankton including cephalopods, chaetognaths, and jellies.

Friends and interns

On this cruise, there are quite a few collaborators working with the Haddock lab. I talked about the work of the Dunn lab on day three. Today, you will learn about Jamie Baldwin-Fergus’ work and hear from the Haddock lab’s summer intern, Alex Jaffe.

Tribute to an inspiring mentor

I think about my first research cruise often, and it weighed on my mind yesterday when I got a message that Jim Case, my mentor and academic parent, had passed away.

The spectacular diversity of siphonophores

A group of collaborators from Brown University are on board this expedition. Casey Dunn's lab investigates how evolution produced the diversity of life. On this expedition, they are focused on siphonophores, which are colonial cnidarians.

The best bang for the buck!

I have had the good fortune to participate in many expeditions with different groups over my 11 plus years at MBARI. I've been to sea with benthic ecologists, molecular biologists, geologists, chemists and they have all been amazing experiences that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Out to sea

oday we set sail at 11:00 a.m. The timing of the departure and return of each cruise on the research vessel Western Flyer depends on the tides.