ocean engineering
Acquisition and curation and management, oh my!
Data management is an often over looked part of the scientific process. But it is quickly becoming the elephant in the room as oceanographers are increasing the amount of information they collect. A group from Kiel, Germany recently proposed a set of best practices to kick start the conversation. Eric OrensteinEric is a PhD student […]
Swimming with the fishes
Studying organisms in their natural habitat is tricky business (and not in the GoodFellas sense). A recent paper from MIT announces the arrival of SoFi, a bio-inspired robot that swims like the fish it is designed to study. And it is run with a Wii controller…underwater video games have arrived! Eric OrensteinEric is a PhD […]
I saw the Sun!
It opened up my eyes, I saw the sun! Well, in this case, it opened up my light polarization sensor which allowed me to infer the Sun heading and elevation. I think that throws off the rhyme scheme… Eric OrensteinEric is a PhD student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His research in the Jaffe […]
MAC-EXP: A new sediment corer designed to maintain in situ pressure conditions
The MAC-EXP, a pressure-coring experimentation and cultivation system, was designed to advance our ability to analyze the microbial processes in the deep-sea sediments, which is typically a challenge because the pressure change upon recovery can alter the in situ state. Jackson et al. (2017) describe the result of the systems first field trials. Anne M. […]
Making waves in the Southern Ocean
Scientists from the Applied Physics Laboratory in Seattle tested a wave-powered ocean robot in the treacherous, turbulent waters of the Drake Passage for the first time in the name of science. Veronica TamsittI’m a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla California. My research is focused on the Southern Ocean circulation and […]
E’rybody move to yer left
Particulate matter shows up everywhere in oceanography: remote sensing, paleoceanography, climate studies…the list goes on and on. Despite how often particles show up in the literature, very little is known about how this matter is effected by the motion of the water it is immersed. A new study out of Harbor Branch demonstrates they may […]
Growing a Scientist: Undergraduate Research 2017
Each summer, the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) hosts undergraduate students from all over the country to participate in oceanographic research. These Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURFOs) have not only been working with GSO scientists, but they have spent part of their time learning how to communicate this science to the […]
Ctrl+P: 3D printing applications for oceanography
3D printing and oceanography? Check out the fascinating new research advancements made in ocean sciences using one of the most innovative technologies of the 21st century! Prabarna GangulyI’m a fourth year PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at Northeastern University. My research focuses on the impact of early life stress in the form of […]
OceanTech: profiling the sub-surface via Argo floats
The final post of theme week introduces the Argo array, an international effort to understand the ocean’s sub-surface via technological floats that enable continuous, real-time temperature and salinity data collection. Data collected from the Argo array can be coupled with satellite and shipboard measurements to provide a more complete understanding of global ocean dynamics. Anne […]
Mucus flux and other amazing discoveries with underwater cameras
Scientists have been taking pictures underwater since the turn of the 19th century. But only recently have researchers and engineers started designing special systems to answer some of the most vexing questions in oceanography. Just last week, a group from MBARI published their findings from one such instrument about zooplankton mucus. Eric OrensteinEric is a […]
Ocean Tech: Using Robots to Conduct Deep-Sea Research
The deep sea is the largest habitat on Earth, but with freezing water and high pressures it is difficult for scientists to study this ecosystem. With the help of technological advances over the past decades, it is becoming easier to unveil some of the mysteries of the deep. Read on to find out how. Ashley […]
New Year, new innovations: energy and climate science
Research in marine renewable energy and climate systems will grow ever more important in the future. The research for these areas are not just done on the coast, however – I ventured into the mountains to learn more. Zoe GentesZoe has an M.S. in Oceanography and a B.S. in Geologic Oceanography from URI, with a […]
Sub sea ice technology aims to expand Arctic plankton surveys
A German research team tested out three devices for studying plankton in Arctic sea ice. These new methods might allow scientists to expand Arctic primary production studies and yield new insight into these important, understudied ecosystems. Eric OrensteinEric is a PhD student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His research in the Jaffe Laboratory for […]
Storm Troopers! Robots collect ocean data during hurricanes
Hurricane prediction models are constantly improving as we create more innovative ways to study the growth and development of storms. In 2011, a team from Rutgers University sent an autonomous underwater vehicle into the projected path of Hurricane Irene to measure ocean conditions before, during, and after it passed. Nicole CoutoI’m interested in how physical […]
Manipulating ship wakes to reflect light could help fight climate change
The tiny bubbles produced by ship’s wakes reflect light and cool the planet. Could they be manipulated to counteract global warming? Michael PhilbenI recently completed a PhD in Marine Science at the University of South Carolina and am now a postdoc at Memorial University of Newfoundland. I research the effects of climate change on soil […]
A cloudy future for climate engineering
Pumping reflective aerosols into the atmosphere may hold promise for cooling the climate. But once we start, we won’t be able to stop. Michael PhilbenI recently completed a PhD in Marine Science at the University of South Carolina and am now a postdoc at Memorial University of Newfoundland. I research the effects of climate change […]
One person’s noise, is another person’s data
Measuring the heat content of deep ocean waters is critical to understanding how our global climate system works. It is also very difficult to do on a large scale. A group at the University of Georgia recently proposed a new technique to take the temperature of the deep ocean using only ambient noise and passive […]
Echoes in the deep: Robots with fish finders
You might call it the Batmobile of the sea: Scientists put sound based fish finders into an underwater robot to get closer to the creatures they want to study. Austen BlairAusten Blair is a MS candidate at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. While his current research focuses on the influences of […]
An exact replica of a coral reef right in the office!
In order to better understand coral reef complexity and structure researchers developed a cost effective way to 3D print coral reefs. Using these 3D models, researchers were able to dissect the complexity of coral reefs and better understand their intricate growth patterns. Valeska UphamFor my fisheries and aquatic science PhD I am working on how […]
Staying ahead of commercial exploitation in the deep sea
The first seafloor massive sulfide mine in the Pacific is expected to begin commercial operation in 2017. Licenses have already been granted and environmental impact assessments conducted, but we know little about the marine communities surrounding sulfide deposits in the ocean. This study characterizes such communities in a future mining exploration site. Virginia SchutteI just […]
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