Explore the Deep Sea
Expeditions
Photostories
- Preparing for sea: the final 48 hours before an expedition departs
- Expedition researchers and crew need to rehearse what to do in case of emergencies such as fires, pirates and sinking ships
Hot links
Fancy becoming an expedition member, as researcher or crew?
- Information about jobs, internships and careers in ocean research, from the Marine Technology Education Center.
- For K-12 teachers, a summer program of research at sea, from the University of Washington.
Worldwide Expeditions
Many of the links on this page will take you to other websites.
Deep-sea scientists take part in a wide variety of expeditions to different parts of the world. Websites covering expeditions to seafloor volcanoes and vents include the following:
- Dive and Discover
- The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Monterey Bay Research Institute (MBARI)
- Census of Marine Life
- University of Delaware
- SEAS (Student Experiments At Sea)
Recent expeditions include…
- Destination Galapagos: seafloor exploration. The Galapagos Islands have long been famed for their unique animals. But this part of the Pacific Ocean is not just of immense interest to biologists. The Galapagos mid-ocean ridge (named after the nearby islands) lies over a "hotspot" — a huge plume of hot rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. Hydrothermal vents were first discovered near here a few decades ago. In December 2005 and January 2006, a deep-sea expedition investigated a largely unexplored, 400km-long segment of seafloor — mapping and describing rocks, vents and animals.
- Underwater volcanoes in the northeast Pacific (September-October 2005). In Fall 2005, a research expedition visited volcanoes and vents along the Juan de Fuca mid-ocean ridge. The researchers posted range of information on a dedicated website, including video clips of the ship at sea and video from the sea floor.
- Volcanoes at the top of the world (July-August 2005). An expedition to the Arctic Ocean in July and August 2005 explored the seafloor near Jan Mayen, the world's most northerly known volcano. Using a submarine vehicle called the Bathysaurus, the expedition discovered two areas containing hydrothermal vents — on part of the mid-ocean ridge between Iceland and Spitzbergen. These previously-unknown vent fields were teeming wih microbes and animals, including tubeworms — the first time tubeworms have been seen associated with vents outside the Pacific Ocean.
- Lost city (July-August 2005). Named after the legendary city of Atlantis, the Lost City vent field lies 700m deep in the Atlantic Ocean about 9 miles (15km) from the nearest mid-ocean ridge. Unlike previously-discovered seafloor vents, the hot underwater geysers of Lost City are heated entirely by chemical energy — heat is released as seawater reacts with underlying rocks. The hot fluid that comes out of these vents deposits white calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide — forming ghostly chimneys on the seafloor, up to 60m (nearly 200 feet) tall. The site was discovered less than five years ago. In July and August 2005, a research expedition studied the site in detail, and explored a nearby underwater mountain.
