Hey everyone! My name is Sidney Trimble, and I am a masters student in Dr. Zan Milligan’s lab where I am also the lab manager. My thesis is estimating the carbon flux of a Hatchetfish called Argyropelecus aculeatus. These little guys eat a large amount of prey and exhibit diel vertical migration (DVM) so they may play a large role within the biological carbon pump (BCP).

I’m Juliet Tretler, a graduate student at Nova Southeastern University on my first ever deep sea cruise. I’ve worked with Dr. Tracey Sutton on processing and cataloging samples from previous DEEPEND cruises for the past year, so I was eager to go to sea and see fresh samples of some of the fish I’ve helped preserve.

Hi everyone!

We have arrived at our first station, Viosca Knoll! Yesterday was a busy day filled with assembling equipment and putting together the MOCNESS net (more on this in a later post) while at the dock and we headed out just after midnight after our safety briefing was completed by the captain.

Yes, my friends, it is time for another DEEPEND cruise! 

We will be heading out late on Friday, Sept. 6th into the Gulf of Mexico on one of our favorite vessels, the R/V Point Sur.  This trip will be a little different than our past DEEPEND cruises as we have received funding for a new project, "Deep Sea Benefits".  We will be using acoustics, our trusty MOC10 net, and perhaps have a couple new projects to share once we are underway.