From the Field: Follow the Tonga Trench Expedition

The Tonga Trench Expedition runs Aug. 31-Sept. 6, 2012 and is led by graduate students from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The research cruise, funded by the UC Ship Funds Program, is a rare opportunity for scientists to explore the Tonga Trench in the South Pacific Ocean, the second deepest trench in the world.

The main objective of this voyage is to explore, discover, and study the unknown world of the deep sea. By deploying deep-sea instruments such as landers, the team aims to better understand the composition of the microbial community of the Tonga Trench and how it is affected by pressure and other environmental conditions. In addition to scientists and students from Scripps, faculty and students from other universities will come together to learn about deep-ocean environments.

As explorations now readers, you are invited to follow the progress of the Tonga Trench Expedition aboard Scripps research vessel Revelle. Scripps students, scientists, and volunteer researchers will blog from the field and offer a glimpse into the abyss. For some of them, this will be their first experience conducting research at sea.

Follow the Tonga Trench Expedition here and experience the excitement of scientific exploration and discovery of the deep!