Research vessel Le Suroit (France).

Map of hydrophone deployment locations and cruise route. (click for full-size)

SIRENA Expedition
R/V Le Suroit
May 17 - June 4, 2002

Seismic Investigation by REcording of acoustic waves in the North Atlantic.

On May 17, 2002, scientists from both sides of the Atlantic sailed from Ponta Delgada in the Portugese Azores on the French research vessel Le Suroit to deploy six continuously recording hydrophones around the Mid-Atlantic Ridge north of the Azores. Unlike Pioneer Seamount, these acoustic data will not be available in real time, but when the instruments are recovered next summer and their onboard data are analyzed, this important region of the global ocean will be "acoustically explored" for the first time. Expected activity includes earthquakes from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, possibly volcanic activity from the ridge and Iceland, large whale calls, in particular blue whales and humpback whales, and new measurements of the noise impact of oil exploration around the Atlantic Basin. The cruise arrived in Brest, France on June 4, 2002.

Visit the Ocean Explorer SIRENA website

Reports from sea:

May 23, 2002: Installed the two southern hydrophones in heavy seas. Ship headed to the west central hydrophone with arrival expected on Friday. View photo (right) of fin whales near Azores. Whales were in a group of 20-30 fin and blue whales. For more information on these whales, see the Bioacoustics site.

May 25, 2002: The 2002 season for Sound in the Sea has begun and we face the same challenge faced by ocean explorers throughout the centuries: foul weather! We are on the French research vessel, Le Suroit, which sailed from Ponta Delgada in the Portugese Azores on Saturday, May 18^th and plan to deploy six underwater hydrophone moorings in the North Atlantic to explore the region acoustically. more...