Project Manager/Lead Scientist: Bruce Robison
The long-term goal of MBARI’s midwater research program is to develop
an ecological model of the natural communities that occupy the oceanic
water column. We have expanded the coverage of our previous field
work on mesopelagic animals in the upper 1000 m of the water column, to
include bathypelagic species down to 3500 m. These animals have never been
studied with the kind of technology that MBARI possesses, and they
represent the largest gap in our understanding of carbon flux through the
oceanic water column.
ROV Tiburon will conduct video transects at bathypelagic depths.and
begin to make quantitative measurements to
elucidate bathypelagic community structure, function, and dynamics. This will allow us to
determine the ecological links between Francisco Chavez’ upper water column
studies, our mesopelagic studies and Jim Barry’s benthic community work.
Work on mesopelagic animals has shifted from surveys to process
studies. Laboratory studies on the ability of gelatinous animals to take
up dissolved organic compounds from seawater will continue. Oxygen consumption measurements of keystone species will allow us to factor
energetics into our ecological model.
Gelatinous zooplankton, tagged with acoustic transmitters, will be tracked
with a diver in the water to monitor behavior. A major
goal will be to return to a tagged animal for a second day of tracking.
Divers will also collect Aurelia, Chrysaora, and Pelagia for long-term
tagging studies done in the laboratory..