Write The Scientist

Don’t forget! To read the questions and answers from other team members, just click on their photo above.

Oct. 25 – 28: George Silva, R/V Atlantis Captain, Answers Your Questions

What has been your scariest experience on Atlantis? Have you been in any really big storms?? Thank you, sir! — A student in Delaware

A good captain does not have time to get scared because he/she must be able to react calmly and quickly in emergencies. Serious injuries or sickness to the crew or science party at sea are the most stressful times for me. Often we are days away from a hospital and I have to rely on my limited medical training to take care of the sick and injured, even though I can talk to a real doctor on the satellite phone 24/7 (twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week)....Yes, I have been in quite a few storms over the past 22 years while at sea. some are worse than others. We get very good weather reports from different places like satellites and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Most of the time we know well in advance of approaching storms and hurricanes, so we can avoid the worst of it. Ships are very safe and seaworthy if they are taken care of properly. Storm is nothing to be too concerned about. Sometimes you have to slow the ship way down or even stop if the sea gets too rough until the storm passes. It can get very uncomfortable in a storm because the ship rocks and rolls a lot and some people get seasick. Not me, of course. :-)

...You are very welcome. I hope to see you out here some day. Most of the time it’s a lot of fun.

All of these questions were submitted by one school in a single e-mail:

Elizabeth wants to know if you get scared at the bottom of the sea.

Are there any sharks down there? — Vanessa

Where do you guys sleep? — Avery

What kind of creatures that deep eat people? — Rebekah

How deep are you right now? — Stephanie

How many creatures did you see down there this trip? — Tony

What is the most dangerous and beautiful creature down there? — Mr. Khan

Hi Elizabeth, Thanks for writing. As you know, we have Alvin on board the ship. Alvin is a submarine and goes beneath the surface to the bottom of the sea. I have not been in Alvin yet, but I hope to some day. The research vessel Atlantis is the ship that carries Alvin. We are sometimes called the “Mother Ship.” I am the captain of the Atlantis, and of course, we like to stay on the sea surface. I am not the captain of Alvin. The people that drive Alvin are called pilots, and they are a very special and talented group of people. I do not think the Alvin pilots get scared. Alvin is a very safe submarine and most of the pilots have been down many, many times before so they get used to it. They are also very busy most of the time collecting samples and things along that nature, so they don’t really have time to be scared. I think all of the pilots are a little nervous the first time they go to the seafloor when they are still training to be pilots. The people on the Atlantis can talk to Alvin whenever they need or want to. There are also two other people in Alvin, so they have someone to keep them company.

Hi Vanessa, Thanks for writing. There are definitely sharks in the sea, as you know, many different kinds. Sometimes we can see them from the surface. I am sure the Alvin pilots see them sometimes from the Alvin also. Sharks can go to the seafloor if it is not too deep. Most of the time, Alvin goes very deep. On this trip, Alvin went to 2,500 meters, which is about 8,200 feet. That is way too deep for sharks. There is very little life on the seafloor at that depth.

Hi Avery, Thanks for writing. We guys and gals sleep in rooms on the ship. We call them cabins. They are kind of small. I’ll bet your bedroom at home is bigger than the “cabins” on the ship. Most of the people sleep two to a room. Some of us have our own rooms. The Atlantis can carry a total of 60 people: 22 are the ship’s crew, 30 are reserved for scientists, and 8 are members of the Alvin group. Alvin does not have any beds or rooms. It is small, and there are only three seats in it.

Hi, Rebekah, Thank you for writing. I am not a biologist, but I don’t think there are any creatures that eat people. I know that there are some sharks that will bite people when they mistake them for food, but people are not part of their diet. They bite people by mistake actually. I don’t think sharks like the taste of humans.

Hi Stephanie, Thanks for writing. I am on the R/V Atlantis, so I am on the surface of the sea. Alvin is in the Alvin garage that we call the Alvin hangar. That is where Alvin goes at the end of each day. We put Alvin in the water every morning at 8 a.m., and then we take it back on the ship every night at 5 p.m. When the weather is too rough, we can’t put Alvin in the water because it isn’t safe. Right now, the Atlantis is going to a place called Manzanillo, which is a town in Mexico. We just finished a voyage, and it’s time to drop this science party off and pick up a new one. On the last voyage, Alvin went to the bottom of the sea 12 times. The water depth was 2,500 meters, which is about 8,200 feet.

Hi Tony, Thanks for writing. Well, Tony, I did not see any creatures myself, but I know that the people that went to the seafloor in Alvin saw quite a few interesting ones. They saw different kinds of fish near the surface on the way down, like tuna fish. On the way down, they see different kinds of jellyfish. It is very dark after you get to about 100 meters or 300 feet, so they don’t see too much until they get to the bottom. When Alvin is on the bottom, they see mostly crabs and tubeworms, which are real cool. What kind of creatures they see depends on how deep they are and what part of the world we are in.TONY,

Hi Mr. Khan. Thank you for writing. That’s a difficult question to answer, especially since I have never been in Alvin. I would say the most dangerous are some species of sharks, but there are many other poisonous fish and snakes and such as well. I do not think that any sea creature actually attacks people. They are dangerous only for self-defense to protect themselves against danger and predators. The most beautiful is hard to say or describe also. I have seen many different kinds of creatures from the ship on the sea surface and also from what Alvin has brought up from the bottom of the sea. I guess everyone has their own idea of what beautiful is. I think just about everything I see is beautiful because they are all so unique and different. I guess some are kind of funny looking and some a bit scary while some are colorful than others. In my mind, they are all beautiful.

CAPTAIN SILVA

Oct. 25– 28: Bruce Strickrott, Alvin Pilot, Answers Your Questions

Hi, my name is Brian S. of Howell Middle School North. I have one question: how do you get to the surface if there is a power failure?

Hi, Brian, this is a good question —

Alvin, although a submersible, floats.Without the 832 pounds of steel descent/ascent weights we attach to the sub every morning, Alvin would remain on the surface. On descent, at about 50 meters from the bottom, the pilot releases two of the four weights, adjusts the sub’s buoyancy with water (added to or removed from tanks in the sub) to make it weightless (not mass-less). When it’s time to surface, the last two weights are released and the sub ‘floats’ to the surface. Our weight releases, known as the ‘Service Releases’ are powered from the ‘Service Bus,’ one of Alvin’s half a dozen or so electrical distribution networks. It’s the only ‘bus’ that can be powered by our emergency batteries, carried inside the sphere. In an emergency, the pilot can switch from normal 26 volt power, ‘converted’ from our 120 volt ‘Main
Batteries,’ to the emergency ‘Green’ power. This 30-volt source supplies the Service Bus and is used to release the ascent weights. It’s pretty simple and works! Thanks for the good question.

First of all, we would like to thank you for creating such an incredible interactive Web site. Our class at Howell Middle School North in New Jersey is having a fantastic time with your adventure. Our question is related to being the Alvin pilot. How difficult is it to maneuver Alvin? Also, do you find it more difficult to steer the submersible as you travel further down to the colder and more dense water? Finally, are there any technical difficulties that happen as a result of pressure or temperature? Do your ears pop? Thanks for your time. — Mr. Roberto and Team 6-3

Hey there to team 6-3 ... Glad you’re following us.

Maneuvering Alvin can be difficult, especially in tight areas with strong currents. Off the coast of Oregon, along the Juan De Fuca ridge system, is an area of immense vents that are tightly packed together, have very hot water (over 350° Celsius), and routinely have very strong currents. On some dives, the currents are strong enough to make the vent plumes run horizontal from the vent orifice. This is a good indication of a difficult set-up for sampling. It can be very frustrating trying to keep the sub ‘parked’ at a vent site while fighting a strong current. Also, we can’t see much to our port or starboard sides and nothing at all behind us. Over time, the pilots become very spatially aware, noting nearby structures and their relative positions to the vehicle, flying by ‘gut feeling’ to keep us clear of obstacles.

The only real differences between the surface and the seafloor are wave interaction and the sub’s buoyancy. On the surface, we have to deal with the ocean’s waves and swell pushing Alvin around. Under the surface, there is no wave effect. At depth, the sub begins to cool off and as the dive progresses, the sub becomes less buoyant requiring periodic adjustments to our variable ballast system to maintain neutral buoyancy.

On a routine dive we don’t experience any technical difficulties due to the environment. Alvin is designed for the extreme and operates best down near the seafloor. The sub’s titanium sphere keeps us at about one
atmosphere so that we never experience a pressure change .... no ear ‘popping.’ Thanks for the questions.

Hi, my name is Ryan Harris, and I’m from Nea-kah-nie High School. I just wanted to know what the scariest thing that you have encountered is. Thank you for your time. — Sincerely, Ryan Harris

Ryan, actually I can’t remember anything during a dive that was truly scary. I think that fear is based on unfamiliar situations. We spend a long time training to be pilots and get many chances to experience
different conditions on the seafloor. Maybe I could say that during one of my early training dives, when I dropped the temperature probe off of the science basket, that the reaction of the lead pilot during the dive was pretty scary. Thanks for the question.

Hi! I’m Kyle is it hard to pilot the Alvin?

Bruce, I want to know if it is hard piloting Alvin? — From B. L.

Hi my name is Simon. I was wondering if it is difficult to maneuver the Alvin?

Hi Kyle, B.L., and Simon ...

‘Hard’ is a relative term. I’d use the word challenging. Different situations during the dive, like positioning to sample, finding a specific site, or maneuvering in strong current near the vents can be difficult. It’s important to know the limitations of the vehicle and your own abilities and balance those during the more difficult times below. Thanks for the question.

	Did you find any neat things? I like the Web site. It’s real cool. Did you find any Pompeii worms? Do you like your job? Please write back.
	A mystery writer .... I certainly love my job and we always find things that are interesting. Yesterday we sampled Alvinella worms, sulfides from the vents, and the water that flows out and the basalt rock near the ASC [Axial Summit Caldera]. Things are so different from the surface that I can’t remember a dive that wasn’t ‘neat.’

My name is Charlotte Tepper. I am currently a student at Royal Palm Beach High School. I am a Junior in Marine Biology. My teachers name is Mrs. Ahmad. We have been following this expedition for a few days now, and I must say, it is awesome. Being the pilot of Alvin must take a lot of responsibility. What would you say is the biggest responsibility that you have? Alvin is very small and becomes very uncomfortable. Have you ever wondered why you took the job you did? What were your thoughts? Are you the only person who knows how to maneuver Alvin? Thank you for your time. Hope to hear from you soon!! — Charlotte Tepper

Charlotte .... First, where is Royal Palm Beach, I live in Deerfield Beach, Fl.

The biggest responsibility that the Alvin Group has, pilots and techs, is to ensure the safety of our observers. Alvin’s record over the last 37 years is perfect. No one has ever been hurt. Everything else is
secondary; safety of the vehicle and mission accomplishments are always secondary to getting the folks back ‘home’ in good shape, although they’re often tired and a bit stiff.

Dave Olds, a group member up until about a year ago, once said, “This is the best and worst job...” What he was trying to say was the experiences out here are amazing, but we all give up a lot to get here. Eight months a year we’re out here working, often up to four or five weeks without a day off. Prior to this job I had a home, a girlfriend, and all the other things ‘normal’ people enjoy. Since 1996 when I started with the group, I have maintained no permanent residence, traveling around the U.S. and world during my vacation time. It’s a nomadic lifestyle that I’ve chosen, at least for the time I stay with the group. I realized that this was a chance of a lifetime and decided the sacrifices were worth it in the long term. Someday soon I’ll return to the ‘real’ world, probably ending up boring people with tales of my time in the group.

Dear Mr. Strickrott,
We are studying vents in Oceanography fifth grade. We have been participating in the stuff for kids. I want to know what your favorite part of being down there is. What is it like? Do you feel the pressure change a lot? Is there any temperature difference if you are inside Alvin? Since it is very dark, how much can you see around you? Thank you for your time! — Yours truly, L*auren

Lauren with a * ... it’s hard to pick a favorite thing. No two dives are ever the same. The experience as a whole is very gratifying and I guess the opportunity to participate in all of the science, especially on the
front lines, is the best part. Also, I love machines, especially ones that fly, float, dive, or drive. Alvin is the best toy a guy could ever ‘play’ with.

We don’t experience any true pressure change. Alvin’s titanium hull keeps us at about one atmosphere, protecting us from an external seawater temperature and pressure that would kill us instantly. At our maximum depth, the force on our viewports alone is over seven hundred thousand pounds. That’s like having a jumbo jet balanced on the 12"-diameter viewport. We do cool down a little, getting to around 50°F on the bottom. That’s why we have wool blankets and warm clothing with us. Lights are the key to illuminating the areas we visit. Alvin has up to ten lights on board, all controllable by the pilot. We require at least one to work, pointing forward, to initiate a dive. Outside the sub it’s completely dark, no light except for the occasional bioluminescent creature flashing us on the way up or down. Without our lights we’d be unable to see a thing. Thanks for all the questions.

Hello, my name is Megan O’Neal and I'm from Arlington High School. My question is... How are the Vent Crabs able to survive the pressure way down in the ocean when human beings can’t even survive it? I mean, humans are so much bigger and stronger then a crab and we would die instantly from the pressure. I don’t understand how the Vent Crabs survive it. Thank You. — Megan O’Neal

Megan, first your assumption that humans are stronger than crabs is only partly true. It’s a relative thing. Think of the ant, capable of carrying multiples of its own weight over long distances. And the vent crab, capable of withstanding great pressure and temperature extremes. They’re often alive when we get them to the surface. These two examples beg the question, ‘Which of the three is really the ‘strongest’ animal?” It’s all relative. Our greater strength is really a function of our larger body size, but show me one human that can carry a car over his head while marching home and I’ll call that strength. The crabs and vent organisms have evolved so that what we call an ‘extreme’ environment is normal for them. Their bodies and cell structures are perfect for life in the deep. It’s our surface environment that is extreme for them, full of light, and heat and large clumsy humans full of assumptions.

Your question reminds me of a statement I once heard. Throughout the natural world, animals evolve to fill specific niches. They each have specific traits and behaviors that help them thrive in a particular environment. Ants and bees are socially united, moles live underground, bats use sonar to hunt insects, Riftia tubeworms cultivate symbiotic bacteria. Take away these one or two specialized traits, and the animal can no longer survive. But humans are different. We don’t have fur for cold weather, claws for hunting and defense, we can’t run that fast from predators, we can’t naturally breathe water or fly in the air. The one thing we can do is study, think and learn. It’s the one specific characteristic trait we have, an amazingly complex brain, capable of interpreting the natural world, studying other animal and plant traits, and adapting our environment to mimic them. Humans can breathe underwater, move at extreme velocities over water, land and air. We’ve even been to the moon. Take a look around you at the amazing array of things the human mind has created, television, computers, health care, meteorology, automobiles, the list is endless. From a physiological standpoint we’re not that specialized. It’s our brains and our questioning minds that make us different. And I believe that our future evolution will be a conscious one. We will think ourselves into the future.

“If intelligence is our only edge, we must learn to use it better, to sharpen it, to understand its limitations and deficiencies — to use it as cats use stealth, as katydids use camouflage — to make it the tool of our
survival.” — Carl Sagan

Thanks for the thought-provoking question ...

Hello Bruce! My marine science students at Mandarin High School are interested in finding out how, during the course of an 8-hour dive, you and the scientists on board are able to take care of the basics of being confined for so long, particularly with regards with using the bathroom! Also, do you have enough room in the sphere to change positons to keep from becoming cramped? If so, are there any other accommodations made to make being in the sub for extended periods more comfortable? Lastly, what kind of equipment is used to help navigate the sub while on the bottom? Thanks! — Lex Waters

Hi, my name is Marcus Walker from Edmonson Middle School. I just wanted to know where exactly you are right now. Do you ever get bored? Is it fun? What do you do for fun? — Sincerely, Marcus Walker

Hey, Marcus ... now these are questions!

Where are we ... we are at exactly 9 degrees 50.293 minutes north of the equator, 104 degrees 17.646 minutes west of the Prime Meridian out in the middle of the Pacific. It’s a little rainy (Sunday, Oct. 28) and getting toward lunch.

Do I ever get bored .... not really. We are too busy to get bored. An average dive day starts at 05:30 AM for me and the guys. Our workday runs through the length of the dive ending after we recover Alvin, normally around seven or eight at night. Out here, there are no weekends and no days off even if the cruise is six weeks long. So next time you hear someone wishing for ‘Friday’ tell them about us.

Is it fun ... the work is very rewarding, often demanding, and can wear you out. After three months of work with only a handful of days off in port, we’re ready for some vacation time. I'll get eight weeks off in January. Fun is a relative term. Anyone can get tired of doing the same thing over and over. The key is to keep busy, learn new things to keep your mind sharp, and try to break up the routine.

What do I do for fun ... many things. Life on ship affords time to read, and we have a good library. We have no television (yeah!) but can select movies from our large selection of DVDs (20+ and growing). We have some decent workout equipment as well. I play guitar and spend my time reading and studying new things. Right now I’m reviewing the rules for flying so that I can pass my bi-annual flight review when I hit shore again. Oh yeah, we also dream about being on shore again, relaxing with our friends and doing
other fun things like surfing, diving, or skiing. Thanks for the questions.

Hi, our names are Caroline, Diana, Erin, and Amanda. We want to join the Alvin, but we need to know what we have to do become part of the crew. So PLEASE tell us!!!!!! Thank you, Us

Hi guys .... I think that getting a job with the Alvin Group is a combination of education, experience, and timing. You’ll need an engineering degree, mine's in Ocean Engineering, and some time working in a
technical field. Some of us are ex-Navy guys. I spent six years in the service managing, operating, and repairing missile fire control weapons systems. Other guys have worked as engineers in industry prior to moving to the group. Many of us are accomplished scuba divers and love other water sports like surfing. About half the group, Pat Hickey and myself for example, are pilots in the air as well. The group is always looking for people with solid technical skills to join the group. Oh yeah, you have to like going out to sea ... we do an average of eight months a year out here.

	Have you ever wanted to catch and eat any of the fish that you see? — Platt
	Hi, Platt .... we often catch the zoarcid vent fish and turn them over to science for study, but I’ve never had the desire to eat one. Thanks for the question.

Dear Bruce,

I am a teacher at Arlington High School in Washington. My students read on the Web site that Alvin can support 3 crew members for 72 hours. Has a situation ever come up where Alvin became disabled or could not get back to the surface, as scheduled? What kinds of plans are in place in case Alvin should become temporarily “disabled.” Also, as the pilot of Alvin, what has been the most memorable thing you have seen on your deep-sea dives? Thanks. — Michele Wolski

Hi, Michele .... Alvin has been diving for almost 37 years and the group’s safety record is perfect. Today I’m tracking Expedition Leader Pat Hickey from Top Lab. He’s taken Noel Masias on his first PIT (Pilot in Training) Dive. It’s our 3722nd dive. Since Alvin’s first dive, there have been only a few instances when the sub experienced problems that were potentially dangerous. One example was in the 1990s. The sub had unknowingly been scooping mud up into its lower equipment areas. A lower fairing had come loose and allowed a large quantity of mud to add mass to the submersible. When the pilot tried to ascend, the sub didn’t respond. As in all problems, the pilot contacted the surface for advice and in a small matter of time, the sub was on its way home although at a much slower rate than normal.

Many different pieces of equipment can malfunction on a dive and have minimal impact on dive success or on safety. When a problem is encountered, the pilot and surface watch evaluate its impact on the dive
and determine the proper action to take. Every dive is governed by our Operations Manual, the group’s ‘bible’ and specifically a list of ‘Minimum Requirements for Diving.’ Our morning pre-dive checks ensure that the sub meets the minimum requirements and identifies any other minor problems.

During a dive, systems are monitored constantly with the critical components — atmosphere, electrical distribution status, communications — monitored at least every half hour. Certain problems, loss of comms for example, will immediately end a dive. More serious problems and our reactions to them are outlined in the OPs manual. The sub has a wide range of redundant and emergency systems to help ensure that we return to the surface. In the long run, it’s the coordination of the group, the good
operational decisions of the pilot, and our specific operational guidelines that have maintained our perfect safety record.

From the eighth grade class of Donna Kenestrick in Durham, North Carolina:

Ivory S.: Do the tubeworms ever capture fish?

Ivan M.: Are there any underwater plants near the vents?

Ivan M.: What kind of material is the Alvin made out of?

Ivory S.: Have you ever eaten any of the animals that live near the vents?

Megan C.: What inspired you to explore the bottom of the ocean?

Jessie R.: What is the largest animal you have encountered in your dives?

Hi, Ivory — Tubeworms are neither carnivores or herbivores ... they have large quantities of symbiotic bacteria that help them feed. The bacteria utilize the chemistry of the vent water, channelled to them by the tubeworm, to help them stay alive. Ivory again ... I never have eaten any animals, but I’ve witnessed scientists eating vent shrimp from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and have heard of others eating the vent clams....

Hello, Ivan — Around the vents there is no light. It’s completely dark. Plants require light to nourish themselves, and without light there can be no plants. Ivan again... Alvin is made of many different materials. Titanium gives Alvin strength, for the sphere and for the frame. Foam and fiberglass are used to make Alvin float and to protect the internal equipment. Other metals and plastics are used to make up all of the electrical, mechanical, and structural equipment and sensors. Our batteries are lead/acid cells that chemically create power for Alvin to use.

Hi, Megan — I ended up working for the Alvin group after finishing a degree in Ocean Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. I had also spent six years in the Navy where I learned to love the oceans. I’ve also worked as a dive master and a a diver on small boats in Florida. Diving showed me how amazing life in the oceans can be. But I guess I owe most of my interests in science and technology to my family. As I grew up I’d always had a questioning mind and would read magazines and watch programs that discussed all types of science and new technologies. I guess the real irony is that I never planned to be a member of the Alvin group. One night while searching the Internet for job openings, I found the posting for a position in the group. It sounded so interesting that I sent off my resume the next day and within six months I was hired. I’ve been here over five years now, and it’s been very rewarding.

Hi, Jessie — Although we know there are large animals in the oceans, whales and giant squid for example, the biggest animal I’ve seen at depth was a pair of silver grouper roaming near the “Lost City” complex we found last year. They were about two to two and a half feet long, not really that big even as far as grouper go.

Thanks for the questions.

Oct. 22 – 25: Dr. Peggy O’Day Answers Your Questions

	Hi my name is Winnie and I am a junior at Episcopal High School. I was wondering if you ever get scared going down under water. What is your most exciting or interesting experience that you have had on board. Thanks so much for you time. Hope to hear back from you. Thanks — Winnie Simmons
	Hi, Winnie — We did an experiment where we put a package of minerals down on top of a hot vent, and then came back the next day and brought it back to the surface. When we looked at the mineral surfaces, bacteria had already begun to colonize on them. We are doing this to look at how bacteria first establish themselves on minerals in these hot environments and what kinds of bacteria they are.

	Do you get bored in the Alvin? I would. Thanks. — Monica and Kendall
	Hi, Monica and Kendall — Once you get to the bottom, there’s an amazing amount of things to look at — beautiful chimneys, tube worms, crabs, clams, fish. Most people find that the time goes by very fast and they don’t want to leave.

	How long is the Pompeii worm, what does it look like, and what does it eat?
	The average pompeii worm is 3 to 4 inches in length. The bacteria that live with it help it to survive. Check out the Web site to see what it looks like and how it lives.

I am a student at a high school in Texas, and my oceanography class has been learning about Alvin and the
Extreme 2001 project off the Web site. How is it possible for animals to survive down near the vents when the Web site said that toxins were constantly coming out of them? — Easton Riley and Caroline Wray

Hello, Easton and Caroline —

The interesting thing about different organisms is that what’s toxic to us is food for them! Some of the organisms that live near vents have bacteria living with them that convert the toxic substances to a form that the organism can eat. The bacteria in turn live off of secretions from the organism. So each benefits from the other and takes advantage of the warm environment around a vent.

Dear Dr. Peggy O'Day,

These questions come from some of the 6th graders in my Science class at Hillside Middle School in Manchester, NH. If you can try to answer a few of them, we would appreciate it. By the way, my students LOVED the expedition! — Thanks, Melissa Dion

1. How thick is the glass in the portholes on Alvin? — Stephanie Boisvert

2. Could the temperature in the deep sea ever get hot enough to make the water boil, even with the weight of the water above it? — Mary Moreau

3. Was “Godzilla” the tallest hydrothermal vent? If not, how tall was the tallest one? — Matt Paulson

4. Are there any animals that you have expected to see but have not found them yet? — Marlee Bruning

5. Would students (age 12 and up) be able to go on an underwater expedition with scientists? — Jessica McIntyre

6. Do you feel different when you go down deeper and deeper? If so, in what ways? — Alicia Doucet

7. Do Pompeii worms attack? — Justice McDaniel

(1) Hi, Stephanie — The Alvin pilots tell me that they are made of three-and-a-half-inch plexiglass.

(2) Hello, Mary — The hottest deep-sea vents found so far are about 400° Centigrade, and the weight of the overlying water is still enough to keep it from boiling. Below the surface of the seafloor, temperature
increases, but so does the pressure. Something very interesting happens to water beyond a certain temperature and pressure — it doesn’t boil at all! If you put enough pressure and temperature on
water, it doesn't separate into a gas and liquid. It simply stays as a single fluid that has properties somewhere in between a gas and a liquid (called a “supercritical” fluid). The water inside the Earth
is under enough pressure and at high enough temperature to be in this supercritical state.

(3) Hi, Matt — Godzilla was certainly one of the tallest chimneys ever found, but I don’t know if it holds the record. I’ll see if I can find out from the scientists who discovered it.

(4) Hello, Marlee — We are mostly studying organisms that have already been discovered to understand how they live in these environments. We are always on the look out for new things but haven’t found anything yet on this trip.

(5) Hi, Jessica — Probably not, but not because we don’t want you! The amount of money available for scientific research is very limited, and because there is only one Alvin, it’s difficult for scientists themselves to get time on these expeditions. However, we do have a number of college students here on board, so if you study science and math in school, you might find yourself on a research cruise someday.

(6) Hi, Alicia — Alvin is pressurized just like any submarine, so you don’t feel much different inside. It just gets very dark outside once you get below the surface to a depth where light cannot penetrate.

(7) Hi, Justice — We’ve never seen Pompeii worms attack anything — they don’t move around too much.

	I’m a student at Westford Academy. I was wondering if the pressure at the bottom of the ocean affects the people even though you are in the submersible?
	Alvin is pressurized just like any submarine, so you don’t feel the pressure. The main difference is that the air is a little different from normal air.

Hi Dr. O’Day,

I’m Austin with the Clayton School, and I’d like to know how thick the hydrothermal vents chimneys are. Thanks for a great adventure! — Austin Clayton, Ft. Collins, Colorado

Hi Austin —

Hydrothermal vents vary a lot in thickness, depending on how old they are and how vigorously they are flowing. When they first form, they are very small and fluffy, maybe only a few centimeters thick. With time, they precipitate different minerals that tend to make them stronger and harder, and can grow to be very large. Most of the chimneys at this site are relatively young and thin, less than a centimeter to a few centimeters thick.

Dear Dr. O’Day,

I’m in 9th grade and interested in going into the field of marine sciences. I was wondering, what kinds of chemicals are in the water around the vents? Thank you for your time. — Jenna Clayton, Homeschool, Ft. Collins, Colorado

Hi Jenna —

Most of the water around the vents has the composition of normal seawater, but it’s very cold, about 2-4° Centigrade, because it is so deep. The fluid coming out of the hot vents is very different from seawater, having a much higher concentration of sulfur and iron. However, the volume of water ejected from the vents is small compared to all of the surrounding seawater, so it mixes quickly with the seawater and gets diluted. It is only very close to the vents where the composition of the water is a mixture of vent
fluid and seawater, and this is why there are so many organisms living right next to the vent.

	What is the most interesting thing that you have helped discover at the hydrothermal vents and what is it like discovering something brand new? — Whitney Meeds, Royal Palm Beach High School, Florida
	Hello, Whitney — Every time Alvin goes down, people see new things. We have explored only a very small amount of the ocean floor and don’t really know much about the organisms living there. The oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface and not much of it has been explored — it’s exciting and there’s a lot to learn about the geology, chemistry, and biology of the deep oceans.

Dear Dr. O’Day! —

We are a group of high school marine science students in Jacksonville, FL, at Mandarin High School, and are really enjoying following the exploits of your team and the expedition. We would like to ask a few questions:

1. What plans are there to rescue the Alvin if there were some type of difficulty encountered during a dive at the vents? How would the sub get back? What would the crew need to do to facilitate being rescued or rescuing themselves?

2. What is the picture that seems to be emerging in the overall ecology of the vents since their discovery back in the mid-70’s? Beyond what we already know about the chemosynthetic symbiosis, what seems to be your perspective on the fundamental and overall biology of the ecosystem as a whole?

We don’t know if these questions are clear, but we have studied the vents a little in class, and it seems a lot has been learned, but with all the continued research, we'd like to know what is the latest besides the standard information that is in the current texts. We’re very excited that there may be a correlation between the bacteria at the vents and the possbility of similar life forms existing on Europa. Is there anything more you have learned about this?

We look forward to hearing from you, as we are following the expedition in class every other day.
Thanks. — Mandarin High School Marine Science Class, Jacksonville, Florida

Hello Mandarin High Students —

Alvin is a very safe submarine. It’s never had a serious accident. Although it goes down for about 8 hours or less per day, there is enough air to last for 3 days. Alvin is built so that it needs weight to keep it down on the bottom. If something goes wrong, all the pilot needs to do is release all of the weight and it will just
float up to the surface. The ship constantly monitors where Alvin is and what it’s doing, so there’s plenty of people on the surface to take care of anything that happens.

Most of the research on seafloor hydrothermal vents has focused on what’s at the surface — the macro- and micro-organisms, the chimneys that grow and fall, the chemistry of the fluids emitted at the seafloor. This of course is fascinating, and we’ve learned much about an entire ecosystem that is fueled by heat energy from inside the Earth rather than powered by the Sun, which all surface life is driven by. What we don’t know much about is what’s happening underneath the surface. We know that hydrothermal systems are quite large underneath the surface, but we really don’t know too much about how they work. What is the nature of the “plumbing” underneath what we see on the surface? What kinds of microorganisms live inside of seafloor hydrothermal systems? What is their interaction with minerals and fluids, and how does the entire system change with time? We’ve only had the opportunity to see the surface expression of
hydrothermal systems; it’s much more difficult to figure out how to explore the subsurface. But this is important because understanding how they work on the scale of larger geologic and planetary systems
might give us some idea of whether or not they exist on other planets or moons such as Europa, and may give us some idea of what to look for as we explore these other planetary bodies.

Hello, how are you on this fine day? I have a few questions for you.

1) Why did you decide to go on this expedition?

2) What does the bottom of the ocean look like?

3) Do you think that your finding will change anything we do in our daily lives?

4) Do you think that any thing you are doing and the tools you are using could have been changed by things people have just thought up? — Nate Cannon, AZ Masa Skyline High School

Hi, Nate, everything is great out here.

(1) It’s a very special opportunity to go on an Alvin cruise. There’s only one Alvin and there’s not much money for science research, so it’s difficult for scientists to go on these kinds of expeditions. I’m very lucky to be on this cruise.

(2) The bottom of the ocean is very dark, much too deep for any sunlight to penetrate, so Alvin needs very bright lights to see anything.

(3) It’s very hard to predict what will come out of the science we do on a daily basis. Very often, it takes many years of research before we understand things enough to draw new conclusions. Other times, a
breakthrough may come quickly. Some of the scientists on this cruise are looking at the DNA and RNA from the microorganisms that Alvin brings back. It’s possible that these might be used in the development of new drugs or specialized bacteria for cleaning up toxic wastes, for example, but we don’t really know yet.

(4) Science and technology go hand in hand. As we try to understand the science of hydrothermal systems, we realize that we need new ways to look at them and make measurements. So we are constantly working with engineers to develop new tools and technology to help us make better
measurements or different kinds of measurements, which then can lead to new scientific discoveries.

Hi my name is Luke. I was wondering how long you have been studying the ocean.

Hi Luke —

Actually, I do a variety of different kinds of geochemistry. Part of my research involves seafloor hydrothermal systems, which I’ve been studying for the last couple of years. Another part of my research looks at surface environments, mainly soils and sediments, where I study the chemistry of toxic metals from pollution, and try to figure out whether or not they are hazardous. The fun part about chemistry is that it happens everywhere on Earth, so you can study many different kinds of geochemical processes in
many different places.

Hi! We are two students from the Chesapeake Bay Governor's School. We were wondering how you became interested in geochemistry. Has studying the ocean floor changed your life? — Rachel Sullivan and Ashley Williams, Warsaw, Virginia

Hi, Rachel and Ashley! —

I’ve always like science and math in school, and I particularly liked studying the Earth (and doing a lot of camping). I was a geology major in college and looked at rocks (and did a lot of rock climbing). But I liked chemistry too, and was interested in environmental issues, so I began to study the chemistry of the
environment in graduate school. Now my research is split between environmental chemistry, studying toxic metals in soils and sediments and trying to figure out how to make them less hazardous, and the hydrothermal chimney chemistry you’ve been reading about. I really enjoy traveling to different parts of the planets to study chemistry and geology, and the bottom of the ocean is a pretty exciting place to go.

	Hi, Can you tell me more about the Fangtooth fish? What eats them? What is their life cycle? and what are the differences between males and females? — Rachelle
	Hi, Rachelle — The fangtooth is a pelagic fish that doesn’t live right at the vents. It doesn’t have many or any predators at depth because organisms are so far and few between at that depth. The scientists on Alvin cruises study mainly vent organisms, therefore your best bet for fangtooth information would be to do a search on the Web.

I have a question about how you bring back your samples from the deep ocean. Our teacher explained to us that you're not able to bring up all new specimens that you find because of the pressure difference. I was wondering why you just don’t put them in a pressurized container, and then instead of just
opening the container in a regular lab, why don't you open it in a pressurized lab with some sort of special suit for the scientists? Thank you. — Tyffany McIntyre

Hello, Tiffany —

We have some special boxes that we put the creatures in at the bottom that preserves them, but we don’t try to keep them alive. It is too difficult on the surface to recreate the extreme presssure and temperature of the environment that they live in. There have been a few experiments to grow tubeworms in a special tank on the surface, but it is very difficult. Fortunately, we can look at and culture the bacteria and microorganisms that come up because many of them are not very affected by the change in pressure.

Hi! I am Allison from Kulshan Middle School in Bellingham,Washington. I’m sure you have no time to waste but I hope you can answer a few of my questions.
How long did it take you to train to do all of this?
What is your favorite deep water sea creature?
When did you find you'r greatest discovory? What aquptment did you use?
How long have you been intrested in marine life?
Thank you for your time.

Hi Allison —

Going down in Alvin as an observer doesn’t take much training. Basically you watch and take video pictures. The pilots who control Alvin do all the work, and it takes them at least two years to train as an Alvin pilot. My favorite deep sea creatures are the crabs that live around the vents (I think they are very cute).

	Hi crew, I’m Hannah in the 6th grade at Kulshan Middle School and I just wanted to know what is your favorite thing so far going down or if your not in the ocean. Then what do you think your going to see while you go down. Thank you for your time answering my question.
	Hi Hannah — My favorite thing to look at are the hydrothermal chimneys and the different structures they make. The minerals that make up the chimneys are very interesting and can tell you a lot about the history of the structure and how it formed.

	HI!!!! I am Kevin from Bellingham WA! What Is your favorite thing down there? Is it cold down there? Thanks for answering my questions.
	Hi Kevin! — Yes, it’s very cold at the bottom of the ocean, just a little above the freezing point of water. This is why all of the life at the bottom stays close to the hydrothermal vents where the water is heated by the hot fluid coming out of the vents. I’m a geologist, so I like the chimneys and the different structures they make. Each one is very unique.

	Hi, my name is Ian Wells and I was wondering about some questions. How long could you stay down in the deep in the Alvin? Do you need a certain amount of air to breathe down there? Thank you for answering my questions and I hope you have a safe journey.
	Hello Ian — Alvin typically goes down for about 8 hours each day. It has enough air for three people to last three days as a safety precaution. It is meant to just go on daily trips to the bottom and not to stay underwater for a long time like other, bigger submarines. --

	Dear DR.Peggy O’Day, HI my name is Melanie from Howell, New Jersey.I would like to ask you some questions. When ever you go down in the ocean do you get scared?Why or why not? Do you ever see the same thing twice when you go down in the ocean? Well thank you for your time and have a good day. — Howell Middle School North
	Hi Melanie — There are so many interesting things to see once you get to the bottom that time goes by very fast and you forget about where you are.