RAPID: Seamount research with Eye-in-the-Sea

PI最近被邀请，与Sylvia Earle，Rick Starr，布鲁斯Robison和Jorge科尔特斯（来自哥斯达黎加）沿着参加国家地理赞助的研究巡航，以探索哥斯达黎加科科斯群岛以南30英里（太平洋一侧）的一个基本上未经研究的海山区域。目的是收集科学数据，支持哥斯达黎加养护界提出的将该地区建成海洋保护区的建议。PI希望利用这一难得的机会，使用一种新的低成本版本的“海中之眼”（EITS）。许多深海潜水器（如此次考察中使用的潜水器）没有足够的有效载荷来容纳完整的EITS系统，这限制了其通用性。最近，在澳大利亚研究理事会的资助下，工程师们能够设计新的低成本，登陆版的海洋之眼。PI已经申请了一个RAPID奖，以建造一个低成本的海洋之眼着陆器版本，以利用这个独特的机会。由于海山蕴藏着数量惊人的特有物种，它们代表着发现新物种的令人兴奋的前沿。从来没有人用像“海中之眼”这样不显眼的天文台探索过海山。这是一个新发现的绝佳机会，也是提高公众对保护这些珍贵而脆弱的生物多样性热点的必要性的认识的绝佳机会。更广泛的影响探险的主要目标是获得科学数据和图像，以支持在科科斯以南30英里的海山地区建立一个1 900平方公里的海洋保护区的提议。为了利用哥斯达黎加养护界的努力，将收集关于生活在海隆上的受捕捞威胁的鱼类和无脊椎动物数量的数据，特别侧重于鱼群。PI将在船上写博客（英语和西班牙语），就像其他国家地理探险队一样。此外，正在计划为哥斯达黎加电视台制作一部纪录片，希望也为国家地理国际频道制作。此外，这次探险的三位资深科学家，Sylvia Earle博士（国家地理探险家），布鲁斯Robison博士（MBARI高级科学家）和Widder博士广泛参与了公共宣传，热情地谈论海洋管理的必要性，并被要求参加许多公开演讲活动，其中无疑将介绍这次探险的结果。

The PI was recently been invited, along with Sylvia Earle, Rick Starr, Bruce Robison, and Jorge Cortes (from Costa Rica) to participate in a National Geographic sponsored research cruise to explore a largely unstudied seamount area 30 miles south of the Cocos Islands, Costa Rica (Pacific side). The goal is to collect scientific data in support of a proposal by the conservation community in Costa Rica to make this area into a marine reserve. The PI would like to take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to use a new low-cost version of the Eye-in-the-Sea (EITS).Many deep sea submersibles like the one being used on this expedition do not have adequate payloads to accommodate the full EITS system, this has limited its general utility. Recently, with funding from Australian Research Council the engineers were able to design new low-cost, lander-version of the Eye-in-the-Sea. The PI has requested a RAPID award to construct one of these low-cost, lander-versions of the Eye-in-the-Sea to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Because seamounts harbor exceptional numbers of endemic species they represent an exciting frontier for the discovery of new species. No one has ever explored a seamount with an unobtrusive observatory like the Eye-in-the-Sea. This is an exceptional chance for new discovery as well as raising public awareness of the need to protect these precious and fragile biodiversity hotspots. Broader ImpactsThe primary goal of the expedition is to obtain scientific data and images to support a proposal to create a 1,900 km2 marine reserve on a seamount area 30 miles south of Cocos. To leverage the efforts of the conservation community in Costa Rica, will collect data on the abundance of fishes and invertebrates - that are threatened by fishing - living on the seamounts, with particular emphasis on fish aggregations. The PI will be blogging (in English and Spanish) from the ship as has been done for other National Geographic expeditions. In addition, a documentary for Costa Rican TV and hopefully also for National Geographic international channels is being planned. Further the three senior scientists on this expedition, Dr. Sylvia Earle (National Geographic Explorer in Residence), Dr. Bruce Robison (MBARI Senior Scientist) and Dr. Widder have been extensively involved in public outreach, speak passionately on the need for ocean stewardship, and are called upon for numerous public speaking engagements where results from this expedition will undoubtedly be presented.