Back on Land

We arrive in Ft. Lauderdale and are all glad to be back on land for a few days. But we were also elated by the success of the first part of the expedition. This first journey was difficult because we had to deploy and test new equipment, to sample a diverse array of environments and oceanographic features, from large surface and subsurface blooms of photosynthetic organisms to nutrient-depleted areas of the Caribbean, and it was the first time in a year that the Sorcerer II had really been tested in open water and long distances. Data on both photosynthesis and respiration were captured, much of which will be novel and highly useful in explaining the metabolic pathways and biological participants involved in carbon and nutrient cycling in the ocean.

This week we prepare to depart for Bermuda and the Azores and will continue on to Plymouth Marine Laboratory in England. Based on the sampling success of the first leg of our journey, it is difficult to contain our enthusiasm over the microbial discoveries that lay ahead. Stay tuned as we share more scientific adventures with you.