Guy Harvey Magazine

SUM 2018


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Page 22 of 83 | 23 exploration ingrained into its operation and approach. The Institute's focus on technology, efficiency and scientific innovation sets it apart from other research programs, positioning it to remain at the frontier of high-tech, ocean-going research. Shortly after SOI was founded, the Institute purchased a German fisheries protection vessel and spent more than two years retrofitting the ship with the latest in maritime technology. The purpose of the vessel was to provide the global science community free access to a mobile platform to advance ocean exploration, discovery, and knowledge, and catalyze the sharing of information about the oceans. The converted vessel was named Falkor, after the luckdragon in the German fantasy novel The Neverending Story. With multi-beam echo- sounders for seafloor mapping, global internet connectivity, shipboard high- performance computing, and an Institute-built, dedicated remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the Falkor is well equipped for nearly any research oceanographers can pose. One unique aspect of the research vessel is that she does not claim a home port, traveling throughout the ocean to some of the most compelling regions to conduct science. This gives SOI global reach and international accessibility—flexibility that is crucial when your research system covers 71% of the Earth's surface! The Institute's model of scientific marine operations is based on advanced robotics, machine learning, data science and other emerging technologies addressing the goal of multiplying oceanographic observational capabilities. This is exemplified by the testing and refining of new instruments on the Institute's research vessel, such as unique adaptive tools like "squishy fingers," soft robotic actuators that allow scientists to pick up delicate specimens off of the sea floor without crushing them, or particle sizers that present novel ways to trace phytoplankton. With the research vessel Falkor providing state-of-the-art technological support, SOI is pioneering ocean science and technology development one expedition at a time. SOI recently celebrated five years of science aboard Falkor. In that time, the ship has traveled a distance equivalent to circumnavigating the Earth more than seven times on a series of 45 research cruises. Scientists on board have contributed to mapping more than 226,000 square miles of seafloor, leading to the discovery and naming of 14 new underwater features. As a private, non-profit operating organization, SOI is distinctive in its ability to bring together international teams. To date, more than 500 scientists and students have come aboard Falkor from more than 160 of the leading universities and organizations from 27 countries. Nighttime sampling means working by red light. Red light is the first wavelength absorbed by the ocean, so organisms at the deep chlorophyll maximum aren't able to detect it, therefore, it doesn't create "light pollution" when working on photosynthetic systems at night. Also, it doesn't destroy human night vision and is commonly used by scientists in the field.

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