Mid-Cayman Rise Expedition 2011

Mission Logs

Follow along as participants in the cruise provide updates and reflections on their experiences, the science, the technology, and other elements of the expedition.

  • Homeward Bound!

    August 2 - 14, 2011  |  By Chris German

    After an intense and extraordinarily productive 11 days on station along the Mid-Cayman Rise, suddenly the last dive has been completed, the last planned sections between the Mid-Cayman Rise and Cayman Trough have been mapped and we are headed home.

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  • Following the Breadcrumb Trail

    August 14, 2011  |  By Jill McDermott

    As the final moments of a dive tick away, the anticipation builds here “on the beach” in the Rhode Island Exploration Command Center—our ROV pilots are on the trail of hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks on Mount Dent.

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  • What is Multibeam Backscatter?

    August 12, 2011  |  By Elaine Stuart

    During exploration missions where there is as much geological and geophysical as habitat interest, multibeam backscatter is becoming recognized more and more as an invaluable tool.

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  • A Day of Adaptation

    August 10, 2011  |  By Keeley Belva

    "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." — Charles Darwin

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  • Worldwide Connections in Ocean Exploration

    August 9, 2011  |  By Keeley Belva and Chris German

    Today began with the discovery of some new biological communities that included both shrimp and hydrothermal tubeworms hosted at diffuse vents—the latter is likely the first seen in the Atlantic.

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  • Another Piece of the Puzzle

    August 8, 2011  |  By Diva Amon

    During this NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer mission to the Mid-Cayman Rise, we observed biology in three main habitats—sediments, hydrothermal vents and rocky outcrops.

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  • Welcome to Inner Space

    August 7, 2011  |  By Catalina Martinez and Keeley Belva

    The Inner Space Center at University of Rhode Island, that is. For this expedition at the Mid-Cayman Rise, most of the science team is stationed here in Rhode Island for the first time. It’s a great place to be even though it’s raining and a little dreary today.

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  • Getting Underway!

    August 5, 2011  |  By Kelley Elliott

    NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer departed Rodman, Panama, on August 2nd, beginning her transit to the Mid-Cayman Rise, where a team of scientists will use advanced technologies to explore the region from August 5 - 15th.

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  • Passage through the Panama Canal

    August 2, 2011  |  By LTJG Matt O'Leary

    As an officer aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, my job is rarely dull or uneventful.

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