AT03-38 REVEL

long-term studies of vestimentiferan growth and nutritional interactions; examine the molecular and biochemical basis for the tissue stable C isotope signatures of vesicomyid clams; from Chuck Fisher's website: This was our last cruise from a grant funded by the National Science Foundation, to study temporal change in biology of hydrothermal vent systems. We visited our RIDGE observatory site on the Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge on the RV Atlantis with the research submarine ALVIN.The Penn State group included 2 graduate students (Derk and Ish) and two undergraduates from our lab, Julie Knisel and Sarah Howlett. In addition KT O'Toole (of "What's in the News" fame) joined us as our PSU REVEL coordinator and to film segments for her PBS children's news show. We finished up our in-situ studies, recovered our thermistor arrays, and made several community collections using our new Bushmastser and Chimneymaster collection nets. We also got our Alvin water sampler working like never before and used it to characterize the chemical conditions around the tubeworms at our study sites. As a side line, we lost, found, fixed and then used a fancy water sampler for NASA, and brought them back a nice set of samples. This cruise was once again host of the REVEL program for secondary school science teachers. This year, 3 secondary school science teachers from Pennsylvania participated along with 5 others from Washington and New York states. Although our research here and the REVEL program are temporarily done, we have grant spending to bring both back to the Juan de Fuca Ridge.

Alvin dives 3453-3464