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AQUARIUS
Opens 2002 Mission With
All-Female Crew
 Sports
fans marked the arrival of spring with baseball’s first pitch, but for
many marine biologists the first signs of spring included the start
of undersea missions aboard NOAA’s Aquarius, an underwater ocean
lab where scientists live and work on the seafloor.
The lab’s opening mission ran from April 15-24 and featured an all-female
science team. Aquarius, the nation’s only “innerspace” station
is operated by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. It is
located in NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. During their
10 days beneath the sea, the scientists measured the size and condition
of corals. They also collected tiny coral samples for DNA profiling
(similar to DNA fingerprinting) which will help determine how coral
populations grow and sustain themselves, providing information for management
and preservation of fragile coral reefs in Florida.
This year’s first mission was led by State University of New York at
Buffalo biologist Dr. Mary Alice Coffroth. Other Aquarius missions
scheduled for 2002 include science missions with researchers from California
State University - Northridge; University of Queensland (Australia);
University of California - Los Angeles; University of South Carolina;
College of William and Mary in Virginia; NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary
Program, and three NASA- sponsored space simulation and training projects.
Among the many subjects to be studied: coral bleaching, global climate
change, coral recruitment, fish and marine protected areas and studies
looking into the effects of watermotion and temperature on reef health.
Aquarius will also undertake several educational and outreach
projects this year, including a student writing contest (where the winning
essayist will enjoy an underwater tour of Aquarius); a visit
by representatives from the Girl Scouts of America; and many interactive
video links with science centers, aquaria and museums throughout the
country. Throughout each Aquarius mission, expedition journals,
photos,and live undersea webcam views of the lab and surrounding area
along with detailed program information will be available on the Aquarius
website at http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc/aquarius.
Leanne
Rutten and Russ Lounsbury on the grating outside the Aquarius wet porch.
The green hose in the foreground is part of the hookah rig used by habitat
technicians and aquanauts when they dive in the immediate vicinity of
Aquarius (within about 100 feet).
Aquarius, an integral part of NOAA’s National
Undersea Research Program, has successfully completed 34 missions
since its commissioning in 1993. Each year the program supports over
100 undersea research projects related to NOAA’s mission as steward
of oceanic resources and environment. For more details, please visit
http://www.nurp.noaa.gov.
By Dave Miller and Jana Goldman
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