Tropical sand and the wan grassy sea

The last sluice of the Panama canal closed behind VÆDDEREN on the night of 12th March and the ship sailed into the warm waters of the Caribbean. She has now been joined by researchers whose work encompasses “Tropical sea-grasses”, “Fluorescent proteins” and the geological project,“West Indies Marine Geoscience Investigations”.

Dato 26.3.2007

Research is going at full pace; scientists, journalists and crew are happy.

A glimpse in the ocean’s archives

Geologists from “West Indies Marine Geoscience Investigations” on leg 16 from St Thomas to St Croix are busy on digs in the sand at the bottom of the Caribbean. During the last week, Antoon Kuipers’ team finally struck lucky.  With the assistance of Vædderen’s crew, they retrieved sediment samples from a depth of 4,000 metres, bearing witness to geological activity of the past 10,000 years.

The purpose of collecting samples is to study evidence of past earthquakes, volcanoes and hurricanes. History is one aspect, but the geologists aim to improve ways of predicting seismic activity and how climates might evolve in the future.

A seabed of grass

Biologists who joined the expedition at St Thomas on 18^th March are looking into the conditions for growth of tropical sea grasses in the Caribbean area.

Photo: Malene Hedegård Petersen
Ole Pedersen setting up micro electrodes on the seabed, in order to measure oxygen and sulphides in the grasses' roots.

The project is concerned with the implications of sea grasses for the manifold forms of life in the world's oceans. In the Caribbean, large sea creatures feed on the grasses.  Turtles and sea cows are joined by sheltering small fish and prawns.

The researchers will moreover be comparing the luxurious Caribbean sea grass meadows with grass wrack found in Danish waters, which for many years has suffered from a surfeit of nutritive substances.

Photo: Webcam 26-03-2007
Frederiksted, seen from VÆDDEREN’s bow as she approaches the harbour.

The West Indies, then and now – Galathea’s work on land.

At the time of writing, VÆDDEREN has arrived in Frederiksted on the island of St Croix and will wait for a couple of days, pending the arrival of more expedition members. Land-based projects have been preparing for the arrival of Galathea 3's expedition ship.  The subjects being studied are "St Croix - then and now", "Healers, Slaves and Surgeons" and "Voices from beyond the grave".

The latter is an investigation into bone remains of slaves who were buried on the island, and is led by the anthropologist Pia Bennike. Final approvals are still expected before the project can be completed.