Microbes in the Western Pacific Ocean

Starting January 3, 2007, a group of marine scientists lead by the University of Hawaii and University of Tennessee will lead a new National Science Foundation expedition to the Pacific Ocean -- "Microbes in the Western Pacific Ocean" -- and middle- and high-school classrooms are invited to join them via a virtual field trip to the middle of the ocean.
 
Under the direction of Dr. Zackary Johnson (UH) and Dr. Erik Zinser (UT), the research team will explore the open ocean waters and the micro-organisms that inhabit them, focusing on Prochlorococcus , possibly the most abundant organism on the planet.  Although the smallest known plant, this tiny microbe can reach abundances of nearly 1/2 billion per liter of seawater and is found from the surface down to over 200m (~600ft) in depth in most oceans.  Working aboard the University of Hawaii research vessel R/V Kilo Moana, scientists will explore how the abundance and diversity of this organism changes across the Pacific Ocean.  The scientists hope to better understand how this important microbe responds to changes in temperature associated with global climate change and its role as the corner stone of the oceanic food web and producer of 1/2 oxygen we breath.

With support from the National Science Foundation, the University of Hawaii will offer participating teachers and students an interactive website that will be updated daily during the 40-day expedition with journals, photos and video clips from the expedition.  Students and teachers are encouraged to interact with the researchers while at sea by posting questions to the website while learning about marine microbes.  Local participants from the cruise will be available for in classroom presentations and question/answer sessions following the research cruise in late February.

We welcome you aboard!