Hi everyone,

Bianca here with one final update from the DP10 cruise.

Hello,

My name is Zyan Brown, and I am part of Dr. Tamara Frank’s Deep-Sea Biology Lab. This was my first time on the R/V Point Sur with the DEEPEND crew, and honestly, I was very nervous and anxious going into this, not knowing what to expect. But what an incredible experience it has been. Being able to contribute to this ongoing research, supported by the NOAA RESTORE Science Program, was both meaningful and fulfilling.

Hey everyone! 

I am back on the R/V Point Sur with the DEEPEND crew! After sailing with everyone last fall on the first Deep-Sea Benefits cruise I am so grateful to be back out here again exploring the wild creatures of the deep on the 10th DEEEPEND|RESTORE cruise. While on the last cruise I was a master's student in Dr. Milligan's Seascape Ecology lab I have since then completed my degree and I know work full time in Dr. Sutton's Oceanic Ecology lab. My role for this cruise was more focused on helping things run smoothly in lab, training new students (Bianca and Emma) on the at sea database, and then I have also been practicing my taxonomic identification with Dr. Sutton on the family Sternoptychidae (Hatchetfishes). 

As Owl City once said, “You would not believe your eyes if ten thousand fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep.” Well… would you believe it if, instead of fireflies, it were shrimps lighting up the ocean? In the deep sea, many animals glow through a process called bioluminescence. It’s a chemical reaction that helps animals survive in the dark- used for everything from hiding, hunting, or saying “stay away!” You can find bioluminescence in all sorts of creatures, including shrimps, fishes, and squids!