There’s more than one way to do science!

A loud horn sounds and breaks the melodic murmur of the ship’s engines. There’s a special buzz on the ship and everyone is now distracted from their current task. Wayne, the ship’s Boson, signals the crane operator to lower the Avon into the water. Carrying the two swimmers, Jerry Graham, one of the ship’s Able-Bodied Seamen, steers the Avon toward Alvin, which has surfaced from the depths of the ocean. The process of bringing Alvin back on deck will take around 30-45 minutes. All the while, the scientists linger in anticipation of the day’s treasures.

Once Alvin is returned to the hanger, the energy on deck is clearly elevated. All the scientists spring into action and are eager to retrieve their specimens from Alvin’s basket (left image). On this particular expedition, there are six labs from around the United States and the UK processing specimens. I’ve had the pleasure of observing them over this past week and I was particularly struck by the methods they employ to collect and work with their specimens. It would take an endless Web-blog to detail everything, so I thought I might share with you just a few of the clever science methods I’ve noticed by the research teams. Although each of these scientists studies the same environment, notice how each research project is unique. The big idea of the day is: there’s more than one way to do science! As a science student you too will hopefully conduct your own experiment - whether you are participating in a science lab in school, a science fair project, or your own personal quest for knowledge - I hope you will find these inspiring.

The More the Merrier
Kate Buckman (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/MIT) is studying macrobiological (non-microscopic organisms) samples from the deep sea. She’s out here representing Dr. Tim Shank’s lab back home where they study how populations in the deep sea change over time. She spends hours each day on our cruise carefully measuring organisms and preserving animals collected from the vents for genetic studies in her lab at home. On this research cruise alone, she has processed hundreds of animals. She literally processes every animal that Alvin brings back to her, gathering a large amount of quantitative data. If she only measured a couple of animals, it would be difficult to make generalizations about the population as a whole, but working with such large sample sizes, as she does, increases the confidence she has in her data and allows her to make important claims about the animal communities.

Classic Control
Dr. Cris Little (University of Leeds, UK) is conducting a classic controlled experiment. At 9ºN he is interested in fossilization processes at hydrothermal vents. The process at these vents is very different than what would occur at “normal” sedimentary systems (like other marine environments). To understand hydrothermal vent fossilization better, he left behind five fossilization “cages” a year ago with the help of the Alvin submersible. The cages contain various objects that will allow him to study the rate of mineral deposition, which is the start of the fossilization process, and what happens to various biological materials in the vent environment. One of these cages is a control cage that was deposited in an area away from a vent. The second and third cages (built as a pair) were left in the diffuse flow area of the vent (an area with lower temperature flow and not many minerals in the water). Finally, the fourth and fifth cages (also built as a pair) were left in an area of the same vent with an active black smoker with high temperatures and more minerals in the water. Dr. Little retrieved his cages during this cruise, and will be taking them back home with him to the UK for analysis. He will be comparing the diffuse flow and the high temperature flow cages to the control. Having the comparison will allow him to recognize if the temperature and amount of minerals in a vent have an effect on the rate of fossilization. Already he has noticed that certain biological materials like shrimp exoskeletons and shells do not stand up well to the aggressive vent fluids (and probably wouldn’t make good fossils). Interesting!

Large Scale Imaging
Allison Fundis (University of Florida) and Marshall Swartz (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) never seem to sleep. In the evening, after Alvin is resting peacefully onboard the ship, Allison and Marshall, along with the team of researchers and crew they work alongside, start their work. They are part of an extensive project that utilizes an impressive piece of equipment called the Tow-Cam. The Tow-Cam is carefully lowered to the ocean floor and spends the evening collecting data while being “towed” behind the R/V Atlantis. Last night, Allison and Marshall gathered photographs taken by the Tow-Cam for a survey study they are doing. They are interested in understanding the morphology of the newest eruption at 9ºN, and are hoping to identify its key features. Last night alone, the Tow-Cam gave them 2,000 photographs. Such a large-scale survey study allows the researchers to carefully document the geologic features of the area. This work has benefited the entire research team currently on the R/V Atlantis by allowing them to spot a potential sites for future Alvin dives, and will certainly benefit the work of future scientists.

A Mountain of Evidence
Dr. Karen VonDamm and her research team from the University of New Hampshire (Jill McDermott, Florencia Meana-Prado, Valerie Stucker, & Stephen Phillips) have been accumulating a tremendous amount of evidence on the vent systems at 9ºN. Since 1991 Dr. VonDamm’s lab has been doing a long-term research project studying the chemistry of the vent fluids in this area. They are determining how various elements act in a vent system (i.e., are they being added to, or taken away from the surrounding waters), which has helped scientists understand how vent fluids affect the chemistry of the ocean. This long-term research has even allowed Dr. VonDamm to predict an eruption at the site two years ago. Accumulating large bodies of evidence over long periods of time afford scientists the ability to see environments change over time and, in the case of Dr. VonDamm, predict future events.

The Glass (or gas) Wizards
It might be stretching reality a little to claim that Eric Olson and Dr. Marvin Lilley from the University of Washington are wizards, but they certainly do perform some awesome chemistry! They collect gas samples from hydrothermal vents and manage to bring their samples, through 2500 meters of saltwater, back to their lab for analysis. This presents a number of challenges! First of all, they have to actually get a gas sample. To accomplish this, they work with unique “gas-tight” bottles made of titanium that are designed to be grabbed by Alvin’s robotic arm. The image to the left shows Dr. Lilley with a gas tight bottle. They take samples collected in gas-tight bottles by Alvin and basically save the gas for later analysis in their lab (Marvin Lilley is holding a gas-tight bottle in the image to the left). Their job, however, is very tricky because once the sample is brought to the surface, they risk contaminating their sample! To help counter this problem and reduce the variables that might affect their experiment, they use an apparatus called a vacuum line that is designed to pull the gas out of the bottles and save the gas in glass tubes. To make sure that the gas stays in the tubes and doesn’t become contaminated with air, they use a blowtorch to permanently seal the tube! The image to the right shows Eric Olson sealing off a glass tube. What an impressive way to avoid contamination and ensure a sample remains pure!

Determined Documenters
The science team from Portland State University, Dr. Isabel Ferrera and Gilberto Flores are involved in a complex research project attempting to describe the microbial diversity at the vents here at 9ºN. To study their microbes, they collect rocks from hydrothermal vents, which are covered in them (and filled with them)! Their research project is vast and complex, but I was particularly struck by the way in which they meticulously documented their rock specimens prior to processing them for analysis. They carefully sketch, measure, and photograph each rock (three from each Alvin dive) before attempting their microbial studies. This process is important because it will give them important clues later as to what type of environment various microbes prefer (inside vs. outside a rock). Their work reminds me how important careful observations are in science.