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NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EXPLORER DR. ROBERT BALLARD RETURNS TO 1977
HYDROTHERMAL VENT DISCOVERY SITE IN THE GALAPAGOS
PUBLIC INVITED TO EXPERIENCE MULTI PLATFORM,
LIVE DEEP-SEA EXPLORATION OF EXTREME BIOLOGY,
SHIPWRECKS, AND UNDERWATER GEOLOGY
Announcing the 2015 Season of Ocean Exploration for the E/V Nautilus
in the Gulf of Mexico, Galapagos, California, and British Columbia
Premiering Online April 9, 2015
(New London, CONN – March 25, 2015) — On April 9, 2015, Dr. Robert Ballard’s Exploration
Vessel E/V Nautilus and its Corps of Exploration will embark on their most ambitious expedition
season yet, exploring sites ranging from the Gulf of Mexico to British Columbia through late
September. Over six weeks of the six-month expedition will be dedicated to exploration and
mapping of the Galapagos region, the site of the first hydrothermal vent discovery in 1977.
The public, scientists, educators, and students can watch the real-time action in high-definition
streaming video and participate in live interactions with shore-based audiences via
www.nautiluslive.org, a 24-hour portal bringing expeditions from the field to future explorers on
shore via telepresence technology. The public can also follow the expedition on social media
and through in-person live interactions at partner museums, aquariums, and science centers
across the country
The 2015 season marks the transition of the vessel and operations of the Ocean Exploration
Trust (OET) to the west coast of the United States and the Pacific Ocean, concluding over two
years of research in the Gulf and Caribbean regions.
“Lewis and Clark traveled for more than two years and had to wait to return home to share what
they’d seen. Now, the moment a discovery is made, scientists can virtually step aboard the ship
and share findings in real time as well as help direct the minute-by-minute operations. This is a
voyage of discovery everyone can make,” said Dr. Ballard, a National Geographic Society
Explorer-in-Residence and President of OET.
Continuing the Corps’ mission to seek out the unknown ocean regions the scientific community
has deemed a high priority for exploration, more than 200 explorers and scientists from
institutions including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Texas A&M University will
conduct research ranging from the ongoing impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico to mapping the Galapagos Rift and investigating rarely explored regions of the
California coast and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Nautilus will spend the first two months in the Gulf of Mexico examining the biological impact of
the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill as well as studying the fundamental behavior of hydrocarbon seeps as
they disperse in the water column to better predict the impact of any future oil spills. Exploration
in the region will continue with the examination of brine pools and cold methane seeps. Mussels
living on these “underwater lakes” thrive in very low oxygen environments, existing on a
symbiotic relationship with chemosynthetic bacteria and scientists are continuing to learn about
how they are able to live in these inhospitable environments.
The team will also investigate an unexplored side-scan sonar target that that has high potential
to be an 1800’s-era shipwreck and possible mud volcanoes in the region.
The ship will transit through the Panama Canal during the 100th anniversary year of the canal
and begin seafloor mapping and exploration of various vent sites in the Galapagos Rift near the
Galapagos Islands. This marks a historic return for Dr. Ballard who was part of the scientific
team that discovered the first “black smoker” vents in the region in 1977. The discovery of
hydrothermal vents and chemosynthetic organisms in the volcanic ridges in the rift was a
revolutionary discovery in science that changed our understanding of life processes.
Following the work in Galapagos, the team will map seamounts off Mexico and then conduct
research in the relatively unexplored region of the California Borderlands near San Diego and
Santa Monica. Targets of exploration include examining the geologic threat posed by important
faults that lie closer to important centers of urban population than the San Andreas Fault and an
“air-ship wreck” of the rigid airship USS Macon and its attached biplanes that sank in the 1930s.
This season’s Pacific exploration locations were recommended by participants of the Workshop
for Telepresence-Enabled Exploration of the Eastern Pacific Ocean held in December 2014 by
OET and NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration.
In addition to its exploration and public outreach programs, OET engages formal and informal
educators and students of all levels in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)
education and outreach programs. The Science Communication Fellowship Program brings
educators on board to be the voice of the expedition to the public. The Science and Engineering
Internship Program trains undergraduate and graduate students studying ocean science,
engineering, and video production in the at-sea environment. The Honors Research Program
invites rising high school seniors to participate in a summer research and exploration program
with scientists. Beginning in 2014, OET began concentrating its suite of education and outreach
programs within target communities in a newly launched initiative, the Community STEM
Program bringing all of OET’s educational resources to specific communities to create
generations of learners within a specific region.
“Our program exists to use the excitement of exploration to inspire and motivate the next
generation of scientists and engineers, by bringing our expedition directly to schools, museums,
homes, and mobile devices,” said Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) Executive Vice President and
National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Dr. Katy Croff Bell. “Sharing the excitement of the
moment of discovery with the public and students is a key part of our mission.”
About the Ocean Exploration Trust
The Ocean Exploration Trust was founded in 2008 by Dr. Robert Ballard to explore the ocean,
seeking out new discoveries in the fields of geology, biology, maritime history, archaeology,
physics, and chemistry while pushing the boundaries of STEM education and technological
innovation. Our international program is launched from aboard the Exploration Vessel (E/V)
Nautilus, offering live exploration to participants on shore and the public via live video, audio,
and data feeds. The major 2015 expedition and education sponsors are the U.S. National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bechtel, the Florida Panthers Foundation, CITGO,
Office of Naval Research, the National Geographic Society, University of Rhode Island, and
additional private donors. Follow us online at www.nautiluslive.org, on Facebook and Instagram
at NautilusLive, and on Twitter as @EVNautilus.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Poulton
Ocean Exploration Trust
703-568-6117
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Nautilus Live
Twitter: @EVNautilus
Instagram: Nautilus Live
YouTube: www.youtube.com/EVNautilus
URL: http://www.nautiluslive.org
2014 Nautilus Season Summary: http://www.tos.org/oceanography/archive/28-1_nautilus.pdf