Dhugal’s Deep Sea Wonders and Expedition Art Aboard the JOIDES

A nice 5 minute podcast and article about new research in the twilight zone off of Australia!

Using a one of a kind remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named Picasso the team explored the mesopelagic zone, 200 to 1000 metres below sea level between the reef and the deep sea.

The two and a half week expedition started on May 1 with the crew of the Coral Emperor enduring 25-30 knot winds for most of the trip.

Despite the weather, project leader, Dr Dhugal Lindsay says the trip was a success.

“We found evidence of ancient sea levels where action had eroded it away,” he said. “So you can see caves and things where the waves were eroding away at the shoreline which was pretty cool.”

Sarah McNaboe discusses her role as an expedition artist aboard the JOIDES Resolution and shows off a few paintings!

“Traditionally,” she points out, “science has been saddled with the notion that it’s only comprehensible to scientists. A lot of this is due to the language that’s used and I believe scientific illustration helps to break the barrier by enhancing communications between the general public and the scientific community.”