JAXPORT plays role in mission to preserve ocean ecosystems
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- JAXPORT plays role in mission to preserve ocean ecosystems
Scientists launch equipment to track conditions on the ocean floor during an expedition from JAXPORT. Photo credit: Dylan Wilford
JAXPORT recently served as home base for researchers from the ocean exploration group DEEP SEARCH (Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral/Canyon/Cold seep Habitats). The scientists departed from and returned to Jacksonville through JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal.
Researchers spent a week at sea studying underwater ecosystems from the Florida/Georgia border to North Carolina aboard the TDI-Brooks International, Inc. research vessel Brooks McCall. The information gathered will be used to help protect underwater ecosystems.
In addition to collecting water and sediment samples, the group also launched two “lander” platforms. These platforms will sit on the ocean floor and record long-term data about conditions over the next year, using a variety of sophisticated instruments.
DEEP SEARCH is a partnership between universities across the United States and the Netherlands, and various federal agencies dedicated to marine research.