pauldavidmena
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Marine Research in the Sea of Cortez
My employer currently has a research vessel, the Atlantis, conducting research at a sampling station in the Guaymas-Southern Trough in the Sea of Cortez. Here is an image from the ship's internal
website.
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pacificobob
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Excellent, I'd like to hear more about the nature of the research. Have you been aboard?
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pauldavidmena
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I've only been aboard the research vessels when they were docked in Woods Hole. Non-crew is permitted onboard during a "cruise" (as we call it), but
are expected to put in 12-hour shifts 6 days a week! I wouldn't mind that too much, but I tend to be needed for my IT duties, which essentially
involve getting data off of the ships and into the data center.
The official research objective, per the Atlantis website, is "Microbial community structure and activity in hydrothermally-impacted sediments and
hydrothermal plumes in the Gulf of California." It's quite literally hot stuff. 
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lencho
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I had no idea y'all work on the west side. Is that supported out of Mass., or do you have facilities on the West Coast?
"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is, by how stupid he thinks I
am."
"...they were careful of their demeanor that they not be thought to have opinions on what they heard for like most men skilled at their work they
were scornful of any least suggestion of knowing anything not learned at first hand."
Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses
"Be kind, be patient, help others." -- Isabel Allende
"My gas stove identifies as electric." Anonymous
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pauldavidmena
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Quote: Originally posted by lencho  |
I had no idea y'all work on the west side. Is that supported out of Mass., or do you have facilities on the West Coast? |
Typically all 3 vessels in the WHOI fleet work in the Northern Atlantic, but the moving of a research array over the past year or so freed up one of
them to participate in deep-sea exploration. Since the Atlantis is home to the Alvin sub (of Titanic fame), it was tapped to cross over to the Pacific
via the Panama Canal about a year ago and has spent a lot of time near the Galapagos Islands researching thermal vents.
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Cliffy
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Big "worms" live near thermal vents! :-)
You chose your position in life today by what YOU did yesterday
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pauldavidmena
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Here is an article from WHOI's "Oceanus" magazine describing the worms, which can grow over 6 feet long. 
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