Dr. Mark Patterson, a scientist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is currently leading an expedition to survey the coral reefs around Aquarius Reef Base! His team will use two autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that will map the coral reefs in the area and identify the reef species.
The team has been keeping daily logs over on their blog and will host two live webinars on Thursday, August 20th. You can catch the live webinars at 2PM EDT and 7PM EDT. Be sure to tune in!
Links:
Expedition Blog
Live Webinars
Grace asks: How do you keep the water pressure from crushing Aquarius and how do you get electricity and fresh air?
Hi Grace,
Thanks for the questions.
The hull and viewports are strong enough to withstand the pressure at the depth Aquarius sits.
We have a generator for power and compressors for air in a large buoy (LSB or Life Support Buoy) that sits on the surface over the Aquarius. From there we can transfer power through a cable and air through a hose to Aquarius. We also have air storage tanks on the seafloor from which we can transfer air to Aquarius.
Dr. Ellen Prager
Science Advisor, Aquarius Reef Base
Richard asks: Was it last year that you fastened coral to the reef? And has the coral grown? How high has it grown?
Hi Richard,
We transplanted the corals during our mission last year (June 2008). The two species of coral we transplanted have very different growth rates and patterns. The branching staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) transplants that have survived have more than doubled in size while the mounding coral (Montastraea faveolata) grows very slowly. Important to the purpose of our study, it appears that some of the coral groups from different sources, or even different coral genotypes from the same source, have significantly higher growth rates than others, and may thus serve as more fruitful transplants for restocking.
Dr. Margaret Miller
Aquarius Principal Investigator
NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service
Luis Ayala asks: Has anyone ever stayed below during a hurricane? What steps are taken to prepare Aquarius in the event of a large storm?
Dear Luis,
No one has ever been inside Aquarius during a hurricane. We carefully monitor impending storms all year long and if one could possibly impact us during a mission it is canceled well in advance. We believe in “better safe than sorry.”
To prepare for a storm the first thing we do is get the scientists out of the habitat and send them home. We then secure things as best we can, removing lines, flooding or removing gazebos, unhooking the umbilical, and sometimes moving the Life Support Buoy. We then make sure all equipment is secure at the base, then secure our homes, and then evacuate or ride it out.
Otto Rutten
Associate Director, Aquarius Reef Base