The MOCNESS nets are in the water! The scientists deployed the nets for two hours in the early morning hours. The nets sampled the top 200 meters of the water column. Once back onboard the scientists emptied the nets and began sorting.

The scientists found many animals in the nets including dragonfish, lanternfish, eels, crustaceans (shrimp, lobsters, etc.), pteropods (Sea Butterflies), a cephalopod, and planktonic larvae. We have seen some of these before! Check out the pteropods and crustaceans below.

I can't wait to see what the scientists have to share with us next!

Exciting news! Another cruise is scheduled to set sail on Friday August 7^th! Scientists are traveling from all around the United States to meet in Gulfport, Mississippi. Some of the scientists are traveling a long distance to join the cruise. When all the scientists arrive in Mississippi they will work together to load equipment onto the R/V Point Sur. The cruise will be at sea for three weeks. Stay tuned for updates from the scientists and Squirt!

Did you know that dolphins can reach speeds of 40km per hour? That's as fast as an African Bush Elephant! Have you ever seen an elephant run? That's pretty fast.

While dolphins can swim that fast, they usually swim 5 to 10km per hour. That's how fast a Tiger Beetle crawls! Scientist Dante Fenolio took a video of dolphins swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, let's take a look. Can you keep track of the dolphins as they swim?

Squirt here to talk about the importance of my home: the ocean! Just look at this mess:

 
The ocean provides a lot of resources to humans. For example, we get some of our food, water, and medications from the ocean! Also, have you ever been to the beach? The beach is a recreational benefit from the ocean.

The ocean is an amazing place so it's important for us to protect it. You can help out. First off, please don't be a litterbug! Many plastic bottles, toys, cans, boxes, and bags end up in the oceans. You can help clean up the oceans by recycling plastics, cardboard boxes, and cans. Also, next time you go to school look around and see if there is any trash blowing around. If you see any trash pick it up and recycle it or place it in a trashcan. Another way to not be a litterbug is to reuse items. For example, the plastic bags used at grocery stores can be reused as trash bags.

The ocean is also polluted by chemicals and pesticides. You can help reduce this pollution by asking your parents to use less chemicals on the lawn and in your garden. If you don't have a garden you can buy organic produce at the store, start a garden, or buy local produce at a farmers market!

Can you think of other ways to protect my home? If so click on the "comments" link below and share your ideas with me and all the other kids reading this blog!

Thank you for helping clean up my home. Maybe next time you see it there will be less of a mess!

Squirt here to talk about fish!

There are five stages in the life cycle of a fish. Fish begin as an egg, just like you did. Then as the fish grows and develops, it become larval fish. During this stage the fish lives off of a yolk sac. The larval stage of a fish is similar to the human fetal stage when you were growing inside your mom. Take a look at this anglerfish in the larval stage.
 
When a fish starts eating on its own it enters the fry stage. In humans this would be the child stage. As a fry continues to develop it then enters the juvenile stage. During the juvenile stage, the fish matures reproductively. Humans undergo this stage during their teenage years. The last stage of development in fish in the adult stage. In the adult stage, fish are capable of reproducing to create their own offspring (or children). Humans also have an adult stage, for example your mom and dad are adults.

Just like human boys and girls are different, so are many fish! This is known as sexual dimorphism where the different genders (or sexes) look different. Male anglerfish are much smaller than female fish.  Also, only female anglerfish have the bioluminescent lure. Check out the images below!

Male anglerfish:

 
Female anglerfish:

See you next time!

Squirt here with an update about the Blazing Seven cruise! The scientists spent six days at sea. They collected samples on five of these days. The scientists described the days to me as "beautiful" with a gentle breeze. They towed their nets in the clear blue waters at 48 places! The nets caught shrimp, squid, jellyfish, billfish, flyingfish larvae, and lanternfishes!

At each place they saw Sargassum. Check out the picture below. Sargassum is brown algae that attracts many animals including shrimp, crabs, and fish. Some of the fishes include filefishes (in the family Monacanthidae), triggerfishes (in the family Balistidae), Sargassum fish (in the family Antennariidae), flyingfishes (in the family Exocoetidae), and dolphifishes (in the family Coryphaenidae). 

The Blazing Seven finished its cruise by heading westward to Port Fourchon in Louisiana. The next cruise will be setting sail soon. I'm so excited!

Another DEEPEND cruise went out to sea! This time a different ship, the Blazing Seven, set sail on June 5th for a collecting trip! I hear the scientists woke up at 3 o'clock in the early morning to start their adventure.  

The scientists on the Blazing Seven are working together to better understand the ocean ecosystem. Some of the scientists onboard are researching the eggs and larvae of fishes while others are researching the ocean food web.

Throughout their time at sea the scientists on the Blazing Seven used neuston, ring, and bongo nets to sample the water. These nets are similar to the MOCNESS nets we talked about in an earlier blog post, except the neuston and ring nets only use one net instead of five. The bongo nets are two side by side nets and look like the picture below. The scientists on this cruise were not sampling as deep as on the R/V Point Sur cruise. The Blazing Seven scientists are sampling at 100 and 500 meters. That's about as deep as the Statue of Liberty in New York is tall (93 meters) and the Taipei 101 in Taiwan is tall (509 meters).

Their first catches included several lanternfish (in the family Myctophidae), deepwater shrimp, and many kinds of fish larvae. The scientists have also seen a lot of Sargassum, a brown seaweed. Check out the juvenile flying fish.

I'm excited to hear and see what the scientists find next!

Hi everyone! The last few weeks we have seen many neat animals that were caught in the MOCNESS nets. Today I would like to show you how the scientists store and care for the MOCNESS nets, which are made by Bobbie Seigler at the Sea-Gear Corporation in Florida.

The MOCNESS nets are stored in a large open container for the drive to and from the ship. The big container reminds me of a toy box! When the scientists arrive at the ship they assemble the frames. Then the scientists drop the nets into the water. Check out the MOCNESS nets in action!

During the cruise, the scientists clean the nets by spraying them down with water. As the scientists sprays down the net they also check for rips or holes. If a net is damaged, the scientists replace the net so the animals do not escape.

At the end of the cruise, the scientists disassemble the frames so they can take the nets back to Florida. Once in Florida, the nets are given a really good cleaning. Then, the nets are left out to dry before they are stored until the next cruise. Just like you and me, the scientists have to clean up their toys!

I'm glad we learned more about the MOCNESS nets because they are so important for the DEEPEND scientists! Until next time.

Whoa, what's that? It's so colorful! The DEEPEND scientists tell me that this is a siphonophore. Siphonophores belong to the animal group that includes corals and jellyfish. This group is called Cnidaria. Siphonophores are colonial animals. Colonial animals are multiple individuals that are connected and work together. Siphonophores can grow to be 40–50 meters long. That's about the length of a Blue Whale! Siphonophores feel gelatinous. This means they feel like jello! My favorite jello flavor is cherry, how about you?

Siphonophores are active predators, just like the heteropods we talked about last time. They hunt small fish and crustaceans. When they get close enough, siphonophores use their tentacles to capture and reel in the prey. Some individuals of the colony are responsible for motions that help to move and orientate towards prey while others catch the prey or digest it. Each individual of a siphonophore has its own role to play.

Siphonophores bioluminesce blue or green when they feel threatened. Remember how the Dragonfish uses bioluminescence to attract prey? Well, siphonophores use bioluminescence to try to scare predators.

That's all for today. See you next time!

Breaking news from Squirt! Did you know there are snails that can swim? Heteropods are swimming snails!

While most heteropods are small, some heteropods can grow as big as half a meter in length. That's about as long as a pillow. That's a HUGE snail! Some heteropod species have a coiled clear shell while other species do not have a shell. Just like land snails, heteropods with shells can pull themselves inside the shell for protection. Check out the snail with a shell below. The heteropods without shells have nowhere to hide, but they can swim really fast! Being able to swim fast is good for the snails because they are active predators. Predators are animals that hunt other animals for food. An example of a land predator is a lion. Lions hunt gazelles for food. Heteropods hunt prey like worms, jellyfish, and even other snails.

The tongue of a heteropod is covered with teeth. That's really neat! These teeth are used to grab and tear up the prey caught by a heteropod. Sometimes heteropods are called "sea elephants." This is because they have a trunk-like proboscis near their mouths. A proboscis is a long body part that is attached to the head of an animal. Doesn't the proboscis look like a trunk?

I never knew snails could swim. I'm learning so much from the DEEPEND scientists.

Squirt is back! The DEEPEND scientists found a nifty seed shrimp. Seed shrimp are crustaceans, just like the Blind Lobster we talked about last time. Sometimes seed shrimp are called "mussel shrimp." This is because they have two shells that surround their bodies, just like a mussel. Seed shrimp belong to a group of crustaceans called ostracods. There are about 8,000 living species of ostracods. Ostracods can be found in almost any water environment on Earth, including deep seas, polar seas, freshwater ponds, and tropical beaches. Five species of ostracods are known to live in the ocean.

Ostracods are tiny animals. The average size of an ostracod is about 1 mm. That's only about the tip of a sharp pencil! But some species of ostracods, like Giant Ostracods, can grow to be 32 mm. Draw 32 dots right next to each other using a sharp pencil. Look at how big they can get! The seed shrimp the DEEPEND scientists caught was about the size of a green pea.

Remember the post on bioluminescence? Bioluminescence helps ostracods catch prey because they can see when their prey bioluminescence. Ostracods eat small prey such as copepods, mysids, chaetognaths, medusae, and even small fish. I hope the DEEPEND scientists catch some of these for us to see!

Do you see the purple spots inside the seed shrimp the DEEPEND scientists caught? They are eggs! Giant Ostracods store their eggs internally. The eggs develop there until they are ready to hatch. Then the young are released into the ocean.

More to come soon!

Squirt here with some more fascinating photos! The DEEPEND scientists have been busy taking photographs of recent catches in the MOCNESS nets. First, let's look at the Waryfish, Scopelosaurus smithi (Sco-pel-o-saur-us smi-thi). Look at that pattern. What land animal does that pattern remind you of? It kind of looks like the pattern you seen on a giraffe!

Next up is a Deepwater Flounder (Monolene sessilicauda). This photograph is of a young flounder who is still growing to be an adult. Many species of invertebrates and fishes like the Deepwater Flounder have a dispersing immature (also called larval) stage that develops in the open ocean. I can't wait to see what a grown up Deepwater Flounder will look like. I hope the DEEPEND scientists catch one!

The last photograph I have to share with you today is a Blind Lobster. Lobsters belong to a group of animals called crustaceans. Crabs, crayfishes, and shrimps are also crustaceans. Crustaceans have a hard exoskeleton that helps protect them. An exoskeleton surrounds the body kind of like the padding you wear to play football. Crustaceans also have bilateral symmetry. Bilateral symmetry means the body can be divided into two almost identical sides. You and I also have bilateral symmetry! Imagine dividing yourself from head to toe, each side would look almost the same.

I hope you enjoyed the photographs. I did! See you next time!

Hi Everyone! Squirt here! Are you ready to learn some more about bioluminescence and the amazing Dragonfish?

Bioluminescence means “living light” and is the light produced by a living organism due to a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction is a change in structure or energy of compounds. In bioluminescence, chemical energy is converted into light and heat. The light is what causes the glowing we see. What is amazing about bioluminescence is that almost all of the energy is converted into light rather than heat! This is in contrast to what happens when you turn on a lamp where most of the energy is converted to heat rather than light.

In nature, bioluminescent organisms produce light in a variety of colors from violet to red to green to blue. It’s estimated that 90% of all animals in the twilight depths of the ocean (200 – 1000 meters) are bioluminescent, including some of my squid cousins! Other types of organisms that are bioluminescent in the ocean, including jellyfish, bacteria, and fishes. Many of these organisms emit blue-green light, as these colors are the most easily visible in the deep ocean .

Remember the Dragonfish the DEEPEND scientists caught in the MOCNESS nets?  We saw all of its teeth and the barbel hanging down from its chin. The barbel glows as chemical energy is changed into light energy. As the barbel glows the Dragonfish can use it to attract food. I would find a glowing object interesting enough to see what it is, wouldn't you? Yikes, I guess I would be someone's food!

Scientist Dante took some more pictures. Let's take a more detailed look at them! Look at the beautiful color and texture of the Dragonfish’s skin. It kind of looks like goosebumps! The Dragonfish also has photophores. Photophores are organs that produce light.

If you look closely here you can see red photophores that are near the eye of the fish. These photophores only emit red light. This is important because very few animals can see red light deep in the ocean. But, the Dragonfish can see this red light and he can use the light to hunt for food.

The Dragonfish also has feathery gills. Check them out! They remind me of bird feathers!  We can also see more photophores. Notice how they seem to be everywhere on the fish.  Dragonfishes may use photophores on their sides and even their tails to recognize other individuals of the same species, even the opposite sex, in the dark. They might also be used to confuse predators. Or maybe they use them to send secret messages to other fish!

 The Dragonfish is a pretty spectacular animal! I'm excited to see what else the scientists have to share with us next.

Hello again, Squirt here! Are you ready to learn about the photo lab aboard the RV/Point Sur? I am!

The MOCNESS nets catch a lot of animals. Remember how the scientists take notes and records on all the animals? Well, if the scientists find a really cool or strange animal they take it to the photo lab. The photo lab is located on the front of the deck of the ship.

Scientists take photographs (pictures) of the animals in the photo lab. These photographs get added to the notes and records that scientist April enters into the computer. Scientists capture details of how the animals look by taking photographs. Just like when someone takes a photograph of you, say cheese! Let's take a look inside the photo lab. There are lights, tanks, and cameras that the scientists need to get a good photograph.

 After the scientists take photographs, the animals are returned to the main lab (where the scientists sorted and identified the animals) to be frozen. Let's check out some of the photographs that have been taken already!

Remember the Fangtooth that Scientists Dante was holding in the blog post about Ink? Here is a photograph that he took in the photo lab. Check out those teeth now! Ouch, that would hurt if he bit you!

Scientist Dante also took a photograph of the Dragonfish. It has lots of small looking teeth! Check out the barbel hanging down from its chin. The end of the barbel glow through a process called biolumenescence (bio-lu-mi-nes-cence). We will learn more about this later. The Dragonfish can use the glowing barbel to attract food just like the Anglerfish did in Finding Nemo! Pretty electrifying!

I can't wait to see what the scientists discover next!

Hi everyone, Squirt here! I have another update from the scientists to share. the MOCNESS nets are catching a lot of animals and all of the DEEPEND scientists are busy! Once the MOCNESS nets are emptied on the deck of the ship, the scientists really get to work. The animals are first sorted by type. There are so many different kinds!

Then the scientists identify each individual animal. Scientist Tracey identifies the fishes.

Another scientists identifies the crustaceans (shrimps and crawfishes). The scientists take lots of notes about each animal, such as its size, coloration, and if it's healthy or not.

After identifying each animal, the scientists collect a small piece of tissue to later study its DNA. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. Let's sound that one out together: de-ox-y-ri-bo-nu-cle-ic ac-id. You did it! DNA is the instruction for life in each animal. One instruction that DNA give is how each animal looks.

Scientist April then enters all of the notes into the computer. She is responsible for the master copy of all the notes and records. Scientist April also keeps notes about where the animals were caught and at what depth. She answers questions like: How deep were the animals? What temperature is the water? How salty is the water?

After all the information is recorded, some of the animals are frozen. Other animals go on to the photo lab. See our next post on what happens at the photo lab! Isn't it exciting?

Squirt is excited that the scientists caught Ink in the MOCNESS net. Ink is a baby Atlantic Longarm Octopus (Macrotritopus defilippi). Remember the italicized name is a scientific name. Let's sound this one out together: Mac-ro-tri-to-pus def-il-ip-pi. Whew, we did it! Those will get easier with practice. The word "octopus" means "eight limbs." If you look closely at Ink you will see that he has eight limbs. Imagine if you had eight limbs, wouldn't that be strange!

The MOCNESS net caught some other cool animals including a couple of fishes: a Fangtooth (Anoplogaster cornuta) and  a Dragonfish (Echinostoma barbatum). Scientist Dante is holding the Fangtooth. My look at those teeth! In our next couple of posts we will tell you about what the scientists do once they have animals onboard!

Remember that if you have any questions just leave them in the comments and one of the scientists will try to answer your question!

Exciting News! The first DEEPEND Cruise has begun! Scientists boarded the R/V Point Sur, a research vessel, on May 3rd and will be exploring the northern Gulf of Mexico until May 8th. This is the first of many cruises the scientists will take over the next three years.

The scientists and educators of DEEPEND want to describe the ocean ecosystem of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is located south of the United States of America between Texas and Florida. You can follow the cruises on the DEEPEND website! 

An ecosystem consists of the community of living plants, animals, and microbes as well as the nonliving parts of their environment, such as water, rocks, and soil. A big part of describing the ecosystem is finding out what animals live here. the scientists will use a MOCNESS net system. MOCNESS stands for Multiple Opening/Closing Net Environmental Sensing System. Whew, that's a lot of big words! All that to say, MOCNESS drops five nets into the water at the same time but the nets stop at different depths. This allows the scientists to collect aquatic animals at different depths from the surface all the way down to 1500 meters. How deep is 1500 meters? Well that's almost four Empire State Buildings in New York stacked on top of each other!

The scientists will collect the animals from the nets. Some of these animals will be frozen and taken back to the lab to be examined. For other animals, scientists will just take tissue samples to help identify the species of each animal. Scientists expect to find crustaceans (shrimps and crayfishes), fishes, and cephalopods (squids). Although the scientist are early into their journey, they have already caught a really cool fish, the Johnson's Abyssal Seadevil, Melanocetus johnsonii! The strange words in italics are the scientific name for this animal. Try sounding it out" Mel-an-o-ce-tus john-son-I-I. The last two I's are pronounce "ee-eye." This fish is an anglerfish, similar to the one in the movie Finding Nemo. Anglerfishes are known for hunting using the glowing lure on its forehead to attract prey. Stay tuned, more pictures of neat animals to come!

If you have any questions for the scientists just ask them below! The scientists will try their best to answer all of your questions as soon as they can. You can ask them about the ocean, the animals, what it's like to be at sea, what the crew does all day, or anything else that interests you. The scientists look forward to hearing from you!