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We start off our expedition, investigating the shallow coral reef off Bermuda. At depths of 60-90 feet, the shallow reef is relatively easy to research, requiring standard scuba equipment. The focus of this part of the science was to look at the impact of invasive lionfish on the coral reef environment. Lionfish come from the Indo-Pacific region, but have now ‘invaded’ other reef habitats, where they have no natural predators. Their feeding habits are having a negative impact on local species.

For a better understanding of the submarine environment, scientists need to study a range of physical and chemical factors, including light, pH (level of acidity), oxygen, salinity and temperature. The team deploy a piece of equipment called BEAMS (Benthic Ecosystem Acidification Monitoring System). You can learn more about this from the video made by the science team.

The deep dive team had a depth limit of 300 feet. To explore the ocean below this, the team used manned submersibles. These Triton 1000/2 submersibles are rated down to 1,000 feet, and some submersibles can travel to full ocean depth at 36,070 feet. With their clear pressure hulls, these submersibles give scientists unparalleled views of the subsea world.

The Nekton Mission used two submersibles, Nomad and Nemo. Nemo was the transect submersible, equipped with a GoPro system to conduct video transects. A video transect involves piloting along a set route at a steady speed, recording video. This recording can then be analyzed by researchers back at university. Nomad was the sampling submersible equipped with a range of tools for taking further samples, as well as a specialized video camera. Both submersibles have hydraulic arms for collecting physical samples.

The science work during the expedition did not stop with sample collection and video recording.On the research vessel were two science container laboratories. The science worked here, conducting initial analysis on some of the samples and also preparing them for storage. It is important that the samples are properly preserved so that they do not alter before they can be analyzed further at more specialized facilities back at universities.

The path from collecting samples to sharing with results in a peer-reviewed scientific paper can take up to 18 months. The samples are collected, prepared and stored on board before further work is conducted back at the researchers’ universities. To ensure that the samples do not decompose or alter, they were stored in this refrigerated container (at 2 degrees C / 35.6 degrees F). Chemical preservatives such as ethanol were also used.