Cephalopodcast

The first expedition of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2007 field season, Cayman Islands Twilight Zone, is now available on their website. The expedition runs from May 20-June 10, 2007.

During the trip, scientist will study coral reefs of the “twilight zone” in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Cuba. These reefs have been studied much less than shallow and deep-water reefs because they are beyond the safe range of conventional SCUBA equipment, yet are too shallow and close to shore to justify the use of expensive submersibles and ROVs.

This shore-based mission will employ new diving techniques that allow scientists to personally visit deep-water ecosystems without the need for expensive submersibles. Divers will utilize both open- and closed-circuit diving systems, as well as breathe special gas mixtures, including Nitrox and Trimix.

Web coverage for this mission includes Biotechnology, Technical Diving, and Biodiversity content essays written especially for this mission. Web logs, including video and images, written by scientists and other explorers at sea capture daily activities and discoveries. An “Ask an Explorer” feature is also available to submit questions to and receive answers from the explorers while they are engaged in the mission.

• Cayman Islands Twilight Zone