Exploring the Depths

After such an intense time at sea – how did it feel to come back?

I would say I felt scientifically renewed. We spend so much time writing about the animals we study, staring at screens, that we sometimes feel that we have lost touch with nature - why we do this work in the first place. Being in the water and seeing the organisms in their environment, really reconnects you with that purpose. That said, I was also very tired when I came back - we worked extremely hard during the expedition.

How intense was the daily schedule on board?

I averaged about 18-hour work days. Mornings often started early with dives, submarine missions or helping in the ROV control room, which can be surprisingly exhausting because you’re sitting in a dark room, staring at screens and concentrating intensely. The afternoons and evenings were spent processing samples in the lab. Some days, I barely went outside at all, but all of it was amazing.

What was the main goal of the OceanX mission, and your role in it?

The expedition was a broadly focused biodiversity survey - what we call a “BioBlitz”. The aim is to discover and document marine invertebrate diversity, especially in regions that are under-studied or particularly diverse.

I was invited as the annelid (marine worm) expert. Earlier in my career, as a student, I would have been involved in processing many different groups of organisms, but now my role has become more focused. On this expedition, I concentrated mostly on collecting and processing annelids, which can sometimes be more challenging than other invertebrates to process.

You went on submarine dives – was that a first for you?

Yes, it was my first time ever in a submarine. On my first dive we went down to about 600 meters, and we discovered a new species from the group I specialize in. I recognized it immediately – it was unusually large, unusually deep, and clearly something new.

What made this discovery special for you scientifically?

I usually work in shallow water, from the shore to about 30 meters, where depth-related zonation is minimal. Seeing a species in nature that clearly exists only much deeper than this gave me my first direct view of depth structure in this group. That was genuinely exciting.

What surprised you most during the expedition?

Descending in the submarine was a profound experience. As you go down through the water column, you suddenly become aware of how three-dimensional the ocean really is. You see plankton drifting past the glass, and you understand how much of the ocean we tend to overlook when we only focus on the seafloor.

It made me very aware of my own scientific blind spots – and how much of the ocean there is to explore.

How was life on board of the OceanXplorer?

Honestly, it was like a paradise for marine science. The ship is incredibly well designed, the technology is extraordinary, and the crew is highly skilled, friendly and professional. It was also the first time for many of those in our group - even very senior scientists - to work with submarines and ROVs like this. The level of scientific support was unlike anything I’ve experienced before.

And the team atmosphere?

Several of us have been working together on these BioBlitzes for almost 20 years, and others were new to the group. But the atmosphere was exceptionally good - very peaceful, friendly and collaborative. Everyone got along really well and seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience, and having experts in diverse groups led to a lot of exciting collaboration opportunities and new perspectives. There were also local Timorese guests on board during the whole expedition, and it was fun to get to know them and work together on the samples.

What happens to the samples now?

We collected roughly 4,000 specimens in total. The material is now being distributed to different institutions: corals go to Saudi Arabia, sponges to Hawaii, and the annelids will become part of the LIB collection. Most of the rest will go to the Florida Museum of Natural History. All samples were preserved with tissue samples and voucher specimens, and the majority were also photographed alive to preserve colour information. For the worms alone, we collected around 500 specimen lots – that’s a lot for just two weeks of work.

If you could go again tomorrow, would you?

Absolutely. I almost didn’t want to come back. It was exhausting, but such an amazing and enriching experience - but I would still go again without hesitation.

Anything else you’d like people to know about the expedition?

What really stood out to me was the role that private foundations like OceanX can play in advancing biodiversity research. The level of resources, equipment and support they provided was extraordinary and supports marine research at a level that’s rarely possible otherwise. It’s unusual, special – and incredibly valuable for understanding and protecting marine biodiversity.

About OceanX

OceanX is a non-profit organization that partners with scientists to explore the ocean and accelerate ocean discovery. Using advanced research vessels, manned submersibles and ROVs, OceanX enables scientific research in regions and depths that are otherwise difficult to access, with the aim of improving knowledge, conservation and public awareness of ocean biodiversity. https://oceanx.org/