Purpose of an expedition
The furtherance of scientific understanding is broadly based on accumulated knowledge reported in reports, paper, journals and conferences. As such, it is a scientist’s ability to generate such outputs from their time spent onboard a research ship that defines the quality of their work, while increasingly it is the societal and environmental impacts of this work which ultimately defines how successful it has been. As a result, the ‘life-cycle’ of a research cruise is one that covers several years, from the gestation of an idea right through to the ultimate reporting of scientific results.
That process begins with the construction of a proposal, detailing what they wish to study and why, the costs of what they intend to do, and finally what is intended to happen with the results. Some studies are very focused and can be addressed by quite specific data collection or experimentation; while others are based on large datasets collected over a period of time. The former generally comprise a single research expedition (or indeed just a specific component of one), while the latter may require multiple cruises over several years with instrumentation deployed in-situ between cruises to collect a time-series of data. The overall tendency is towards a multidisciplinary approach with a range of disciplines working together to maximise the impact of a research expedition.
Expedition examples
Long-term investigation
RAPID-WATCH - Is an example of a long-term time-series investigation. This programme goes to sea every year to work with moorings placed along the mid Atlantic ridge. The moorings are used to measure the ocean’s characteristics and because it has been going for so long, scientists can build up a picture of what is usual or unusual. This type of long-term study is important for examining climate change.
Exploring new areas
ChEsSO - Is an example of a major multidsiciplainary expedition. ChEsSO (Chemosynthetic Ecosystems in the Southern Ocean) comprised a consortium of scientists who wanted to look at the life forms found around hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean. There had been indications that these ‘black smoker’ vents existed on another expedition in the Southern Ocean, but it was not until a decade later that dedicated team of scientists from many different disciplines came together to study the interactions between fauna, flora and geology in this fascinating environment.
