The eight most common species of coral around the islands can adapt to ocean warming and acidification but only if efforts to cut carbon emissions are made, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB).
Throughout the Indo-Pacific, a region that comprises more than two-thirds of the coral reefs on Earth, corals were found to be capable of surviving a “low climate change scenario,” where laboratory conditions reflect a global reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Critically, none of the species in the study could withstand a scenario where carbon emissions were not reduced. The study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B suggests that curtailing carbon dioxide emissions is essential for the survival of coral reefs.
“This study shows that widespread and diverse coral species all exhibit the potential to adapt to the changing climate, but climate change mitigation is essential for them to have a chance at adaptation,” said Christopher Jury, who is an HIMB post-doctoral researcher and lead author of the study.
A recently completed aquaculture facility, encompassing approximately 8,600 square feet and containing two recirculation systems used to house aquatic organisms in freshwater or saltwater, is now in operation at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
“Ultimately, through a versatile and integrated system design capable of providing animals with a range of environmental conditions, the main goal of TAREC is to provide a platform for integrated research, extension and education activities that address aquaculture industry needs and funding agency priorities while supporting workforce development,” said CTAHR Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science Professor Andre Seale, who spearheaded the project.
Malte Stuecker, associate professor in SOEST, won the James B. Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for his significant contributions to Earth and space science. As part of the award, he will also become an AGU Fellow.
AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, celebrates individuals and teams through its annual Honors and Recognition program for their accomplishments in research, education, science communication, and outreach. The AGU announcement highlights that “these honorees have transformed our understanding of the world, impacted our everyday lives, improved our communities and contributed to solutions for a sustainable future.”
Stuecker’s research is on the dynamics, predictability, and impacts of climate variability and projected climate change, with an emphasis on the Indo-Pacific region.
“I am very grateful to receive this recognition. I am thankful for my mentors, postdocs, students, and colleagues who make up a research community that is exciting, challenging, and fun,” said Stuecker, who is dually appointed in the Department of Oceanography and the International Pacific Research Center in the SOEST. “It is a privilege to conduct research that I am passionate about and to be part of this community.”
Stuecker received degrees from the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in Germany as well as from UH Mānoa. Prior to his current appointment in SOEST, he was an assistant project leader at the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) in South Korea and a NOAA Climate & Global Change postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Stuecker joins a distinguished group of scientists, leaders and communicators recognized by AGU for advancing science. Each honoree reflects AGU’s vision for a thriving, sustainable and equitable future supported by scientific discovery, innovation and action.
Honorees will be recognized at AGU24, which will convene more than 25,000 attendees from over 100 countries in Washington, D.C. and online everywhere on 9-13 December 2024. Reflecting the theme ‘What’s Next for Science’ at AGU24, the Honors Reception will recognize groundbreaking achievements that illustrate science’s continual advancement, inspiring the AGU community with their stories and successes.
When asked where she is from, Malia Martin shared, “I’m born, raised, and rooted in the mokupuni of Oʻahu, specifically in the Ewa moku and the ahupuaʻa of Honouliuli.” As an undergraduate student in the Global Environmental Science (GES) program at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa, Martin is merging her love and respect for place, care for community, and passion for science.
“I decided to pursue GES because it allows me to expand my interests, in not only biology or engineering or physics, but to feel the freedom to try new things and see where my interests lie,” Martin said. “Through the program, I have been able to study plankton, bottomfish fisheries, engineering, coral ecology, and ocean chemistry.”
While she was a student at James Campbell High School, Martin was president of the school’s STEM Enrichment Club, which competed in Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, and Aloha Bowl. Immediately after high school, she interned with Kupu in their Hawaiʻi Youth Conservation Corps and found her first love: ʻāina.
Diving into fisheries science
After starting her college career at Leeward Community College and being drawn to oceanography, Martin worked with professor Donn Viviani and spent nearly three years sorting, counting, and identifying fish larvae sampled from Kanēʻohe Bay. In Viviani’s lab, she connected with NOAA researcher Don Kobayashi, who introduced her to NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Young Scientist Opportunity (PYSO) and NOAA’s Hōkūala Kīkaha Kai Internship Opportunity, both of which she successfully applied for.
During the PYSO internship in the summer of 2022, Martin created an artificial light prototype to aid deep sea underwater camera surveys. This was developed to directly help with the Bottomfish Fishery-Independent Survey in Hawaiʻi (BFISH).
“Through this program, I was able to gain experience in marine engineering by learning and utilizing Computer-Aided Design, 3D printing, soldering, and more,” Martin said.
In 2023, Martin transferred from Leeward CC to the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and enrolled in the GES program. For her GES undergraduate research thesis, Martin extended her PYSO project and is mentored by UH Mānoa oceanographer Jeffrey Drazen and NOAA senior marine scientist Benjamin Richards. Martin’s research is investigating how the artificial lights might affect the behavior of the Deep 7 Bottomfish, the seven most culturally important and highly valued of the deep-water bottomfish species in Hawaiʻi. She will be presenting preliminary results of this work at the American Fisheries Society meeting this week.
“The bottomfish fishery is the second largest commercial fishery in the islands and the BFISH promotes sustainable harvesting of these species,” Martin said. “Guaranteeing that the Deep 7 Bottomfish can be fished for years to come without them being overexploited will allow Hawaiʻi residents to catch their own fish and create stronger food security for islanders, a step toward Kanaka autonomy.”
Supporting representation in the sciences
This past spring, Martin was selected to participate in the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program through the UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, which aims to provide training in biological research for a diverse group of UH Mānoa students who are underrepresented in the sciences.
“I really like how much progress I’ve been able to make on my research with the MARC Program’s guidance,” Martin shared. “Participating in the required research courses and hearing about my cohorts’ research has really helped me see the bigger picture of research as a whole and not just in the spotlight of conservation. I’m also finding ways to improve my communication of science through their example. As a Native Hawaiian, I really appreciate the work being done through MARC to create opportunities in academia for marginalized communities.”
Martin will be graduating in spring 2026. After which she hopes to become an employee at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and later pursue a doctoral degree.
The ocean plays an important role in the global carbon cycle by absorbing about one-quarter of the carbon emitted by human activities every year. A study published recently in Nature Geoscience and co-authored by a University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa oceanographer revealed about 6% of the total uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) by the ocean is due to rainfall.
“The impact of rain on air-sea CO₂ fluxes hasn’t been systematically examined, but understanding it gives us a more complete picture,” said David Ho, study co-author and oceanography professor in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. “This is especially important since rainfall patterns over the ocean are expected to shift with climate change, and that could impact the ocean carbon sink.”
Exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere are governed by various chemical, physical, and biological properties and processes. Rainfall alters these properties of the ocean surface, and thus promotes the exchange of CO2 at the air-sea interface.
Rain impacts this carbon exchange in three different ways. First, as it falls on the ocean surface, it generates turbulence that facilitates the renewal of water in contact with the atmosphere. Secondly, it dilutes the seawater at the surface, altering the chemical equilibrium within the oceanic carbon cycle and enabling seawater to absorb greater quantities of CO2. Finally, raindrops directly inject CO2 absorbed during their fall into the ocean through wet deposition.
The new study, led by Laetitia Parc, a doctoral student at Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS; France), is the first to provide a global estimate of these three effects of rain. The research team relied on an analysis of satellite observations and reanalysis of global climate and weather data over an 11-year period from 2008 to 2018.
Their investigation showed that rain increases the oceanic carbon sink by 140 to 190 million tonnes of carbon per year. This represents an increase of 5 to 7% in the 2.66 billion tonnes of carbon absorbed annually by the oceans. The increase in surface exchanges due to turbulence and seawater dilution plays a role of comparable order of magnitude to the direct injection of dissolved carbon in raindrops.
However, the regions where these processes are significant differ. Turbulence and dilution primarily increase the CO2 sink in tropical regions characterized by heavy rainfall events associated with weak winds, which induces noticeable salinity and CO2 dilution. In contrast, the deposition by raindrops is significant in all regions with heavy precipitation: the tropics, of course, but also the storm tracks and the Southern Ocean.
The results of this study suggest that the effect of rain should be explicitly included in the estimates used to construct the global carbon budget, which is compiled annually and integrates anthropogenic emissions, the growth of atmospheric CO2, and natural carbon sinks.
The University of Hawaiʻi (UH) has reached a milestone in the U.S. Department of Defense funded project that aims to create a living breakwater system to protect coastlines from erosion and create ecosystems where resilient corals and other ocean life can grow and thrive.
The project, spearheaded by the Applied Research Laboratory at UH (ARL at UH) in partnership with UH Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), has completed the first concrete reef structure, and full production is now underway for 60 units. The project is on track for its first deployment of a 50-meter array of structures near the Ulupaʻu crater, off the Kailua Bay side of Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi in late 2024, early 2025.
Concrete reef prototypes.
The Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) is a $27 million, five-year project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and is in partnership with University of California San Diego/Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Florida Atlantic University, Ohio State University and industry partner Makai Ocean Engineering located in Hawaiʻi.
“This project aims to redesign how we do coastal protection,” said Ben Jones, R3D principal investigator and ARL at UH Director of Ocean Science and Technology. “We’re looking at how to engineer a living breakwater system to protect coastlines and that will incorporate living coral. So we’ve engineered a coral reef that is inspired by natural fringing reefs.”
Concrete reef prototypes
The two concrete reef prototypes, cast at Campbell Industrial Park, feature large holes to dissipate wave energy and are specifically designed to promote coral growth:
The Reef Crest structure (20 ft long x 8 ft wide x 7.7 ft high, 11.7 U.S. tons) will bear the brunt of the larger waves and will be anchored to the seabed to prevent it from moving during larger-wave events.
The Back Reef Structures (13.6 ft diameter x 5.2 ft tall x 4.4 US tons) will rest in calmer environments.
Concrete reef prototypes with coral settlement module.
The structures will sit just below the water’s surface and leverage the natural shape of the seafloor to preserve the areas’ natural aesthetics.
“This is a really great project, a truly interdisciplinary project,” said Zhenhua Huang, SOEST Ocean and Resources Engineering professor. “I am a coastal engineer and through this project I am working with marine biologists, which is a totally different field. So, we work together to achieve this common goal, which is to come up with a solution that is nature based.”
Adaptive biology, nature-based solutions
Setting up coral settlement modules
One Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) team has been breeding more resilient corals that are better at adjusting to warming oceans caused by climate change.
“The adaptive biology part of it is focused on how we get corals onto the structure that are going to survive marine heat waves and future climate change,” said Robert Toonen, HIMB research professor. “This project builds on over a decade of research at HIMB.”
A second HIMB team worked on the design and fabrication of coral settlement modules, complex habitat shapes, that will be placed on the concrete reef base structures. These structures will naturally recruit coral larvae. Additionally, thermally tolerant corals will be attached to some of the modules, which are designed to mimic natural coral reefs.
“We put out these structures with special crevices, cracks and crannies that we’ve noticed through multiple generations of design that coral babies love,” said Joshua Madin, HIMB research professor. “We kind of reverse engineered the reef to find out what they love about the reef and then we reproduced those using 3D printing and concrete casting methods and tested them.”
Project’s next phase
After the team deploys the structures off of Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi, the site will be monitored. Researchers say they will be able to measure the reduction in wave energy immediately, but it will take a few years to measure the success of the growth of the resilient corals and ecosystem.
“One of the most valuable aspects of this project is that we are taking all of the lessons that we are learning and developing a robust template for how to implement this work elsewhere,” said Joshua Levy, the project’s technical program manager. “This includes customizing surveying techniques and technology designs that best mimic the area’s physical environment and natural genetic diversity.”
The R3D team is also exploring potential applications at other vulnerable coastlines on Oʻahu such as Puʻuloa Range Training Facility in ʻEwa, and the Kaʻaʻawa coast.
Research that matters
Design and fabrication of coral settlement modules.
R3D is one of many research projects at UH, which set a record in extramural funding awarded, with $615.7 million in fiscal year 2024. Extramural funding is investments from external agencies such as the federal government that support research conducted by university faculty and staff.
“This groundbreaking project is a prime example of how our world-class research is making a real impact in our communities,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Addressing coastal erosion and creating more resilient coral reefs is research that matters to all of us here in Hawaʻi and to many around the world.”
The thriving of our communities and ecosystems in Hawai‘i is intricately linked to our connection to, knowledge of, and care for the natural world. The world-class research and innovation at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) is intended to be informed by people and place, and accessible and beneficial to all. To honor those who reach beyond academia, we are highlighting members of SOEST who are committed to connecting and engaging with communities and students of all ages in Hawai‘i.
Throughout her academic career, Natalia Gauer Pasqualon has been driven by a passion for understanding the dynamics of volcanic systems and their implications for hazard assessment and mitigation. As a graduate student at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), she studies volcanic deposits and active eruptions, and develops methodologies that improve prediction and response to volcanic hazards.
“Science exists to solve problems within society, so it is a priority for me that our community is aware of what’s happening at the university,” said Pasqualon, who is pursuing her doctoral degree in the SOEST Department of Earth Sciences. “Engaging with community members demystifies the research process and makes science accessible to everyone.”
Recently, Pasqualon was selected for the semester-long SOEST outreach and communications trainee program, through which she shared her knowledge, curiosity, and passion for volcanoes and Hawaiian geology with hundreds of students and community members. She was motivated to share volcano science and her research beyond the world of academia. During the traineeship, she offered workshops, hands-on activities, and presentations at O‘ahu elementary and high schools, and the Waikiki Aquarium’s Mauka to Makai community event.
“Making science enjoyable and relatable helps break down barriers and encourages learning,” Pasqualon said. “This transparency builds trust and allows the community to see the real-world applications of our work. And, by offering interesting activities and engaging with kids we spark their curiosity and enthusiasm for science, inspiring the next generation.”
Reciprocal learning
Pasqualon appreciates that learning and sharing goes two ways when interacting with students and community members.
“Building strong relationships with the community starts with these types of interactions,” she said. “Local knowledge and perspectives can provide valuable insights and incorporating community input into our research ensures that our work is relevant and beneficial to society.”
Connecting with a wide age range of students and adults has also offered Pasqualon, who is from Brazil, the opportunity to improve her communication skills. This was especially valuable as it prompted her to translate technical language into simpler terms and English is her second language.
Another significant benefit, she said, is that she was invited to become more immersed in the local community.
“While waiting for other students to arrive at Nanakuli High School, I had a wonderful cultural exchange with one student,” Pasqualon shared. “They were preparing an ʻahu ʻula, a feathered cape traditionally worn by aliʻi royals and high chiefs, to welcome a teacher returning after a period away. I was amazed to learn from this local student about the ʻahu ʻula and how they put it together. It was definitely a highlight of my trainee experience.”
Natalia Gauer Pasqualon
Funding for the SOEST Outreach and Communications Trainee program was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF/GEO #2304691) through a Catalyst Award for Science Advancement.
Between 59 to 51 million years ago, Earth experienced dramatic warming–both periods of gradual warming stretching millions of years and sudden warming events known as hyperthermals. In a study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Utah and Hawai‘i at Mānoa geoscientists revealed sea surface temperatures were closely linked with levels of atmospheric CO2 during this period. Further, the gradual warming was linked to CO2 from volcanic sources, whereas organic or methane-derived CO2 was linked to rapid warming.
“Volcanic sources of CO2 are usually smaller and act over long time scales (millions of years), whereas methanogenic or organic sources can have higher rates of input and act over shorter time scales (decades to millennia),” said Richard Zeebe, study co-author and oceanography professor in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. “The higher rates are relevant to our future because human activities are releasing carbon at unprecedented rates compared to natural sources over the past 56 million years or more.”
Learning from the past
“The main reason we are interested in these global carbon release events is because they can provide analogs for future change,” said lead author Dustin Harper, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah. “We really don’t have a perfect analog event with the exact same background conditions and rate of carbon release.”
The study suggests emissions during two ancient hyperthermals are similar enough to today’s anthropogenic climate change to help scientists forecast its consequences. The findings further provide case studies to test carbon cycle feedback mechanisms and sensitivities critical for predicting anthropogenic climate change as humans continue pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere on an unprecedented scale in the planet’s history.
The research team analyzed microscopic foraminifera fossils—recovered in drilling cores taken from an undersea plateau in the Pacific—to characterize surface ocean chemistry at the time the shelled single-cell organisms were alive. Using a sophisticated statistical model, they reconstructed sea surface temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels over a 6-million-year period that covered two hyperthermals, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM, 56 million years ago and Eocene Thermal Maximum 2, ETM-2, 54 million years ago.
Researchers discuss drill cores aboard an International Ocean Discovery Program vessel. Credit: Sandra Herrmann, IODP.
“These events might represent a mid- to worst-case scenario kind of case study,” Harper said. “We can investigate them to answer what’s the environmental change that happens due to this carbon release?”
The findings indicate that as atmospheric levels of CO2 rose, so too did global temperatures. During the hyperthermals, no ice sheets covered the poles and ocean surface temperatures were in the mid-90s degrees Fahrenheit.
Today, human activities associated with fossil fuels are releasing carbon 4 to 10 times more rapidly than occurred during these ancient hyperthermal events. However, the total amount of carbon released during the ancient events is similar to the range projected for human emissions, giving researchers a glimpse of what could be in store for us and future generations.
The exploration of our planet’s oceans often reveals extraordinary creatures that serve as key indicators of our climate’s health. Gorgonians—commonly known as “sea fans”—are not just fascinating for their size and structure but also for their critical role in marine ecosystems. With over 1,200 species documented, gorgonians are a vital part of coral reef systems, making up 64% of all corals on earth. These corals contribute significantly to the biodiversity and stability of underwater environments, many of which are increasingly threatened by climate change.
Gorgonians belong to the Octocorallia class, characterized by their unique eight-fold symmetry and the protein gorgonin, which gives them flexibility and resilience in their deep-sea habitats. These corals have adapted over millions of years to thrive at depths where sunlight barely penetrates, with 75% of them found at 50 meters (164 feet) or deeper. However, rising ocean temperatures and acidification—consequences of climate change—pose significant risks to these ancient marine organisms, among many other human-induced actions.
Our understanding of gorgonians and their ecological importance has been greatly expanded by experts such as Dr. Sonia J. Rowley, a professor at the University of Hawaiʻi. Dr. Rowley is one of the few researchers who have ventured to depths of 181 meters (600 feet) to study these corals firsthand. Her work provides invaluable insights into these deep-sea creatures and highlights the broader impacts of environmental changes on marine life, emphasizing the need for dedicated conservation efforts backed by science. And in this case, deep-sea science.
Gorgonian samples in Sonia Rowley’s lab. Photo Credit: Marla Tomorug
Sonia’s Beginnings
Hailing from a small fishing village in England, Sonia’s formative years unfolded on the deck of a boat, far removed from the conventional classroom setting. Despite the challenges of dyslexia that hindered her in her youth, she found solace and a sense of belonging in the ocean, learning to dive by the time she turned 11. This is where she discovered her true calling, allowing her to overcome her educational hurdles in pursuit of a career in biology.
However, her path into the world of marine biology and deep-sea exploration was far from easy, especially in a field historically run by men. At 28, after forging a path in commercial diving—a male-dominated sector—she made the bold decision to chase higher education, turning her past adversities into the fuel for her scientific journey. Sonia knew that to excel and carve out her place in this world, she would need to surpass many who had preceded her. She dedicated herself to becoming a highly trained, certified, and experienced diver, exploring depths that few others dared to venture. This rigorous commitment allowed her to gain insights into our oceans that most never will, positioning her as a true expert in her field.
While some might romanticize scientific life as one of constant exploration and adventure on the seas, Sonia was ready to share the reality involving extensive lab work, administrative tasks, grant applications, and the relentless quest for funding. Yet for Sonia, she’s established herself enough to still get out to sea to conduct her experiments, against all odds.
The Gorgonian Deep Diver
Diving with Sonia offered our expedition team a front-row seat to her deep-sea research on gorgonians. As we prepared to enter the 22°C (73°F) waters, Sonia briefed us on her plan: She was testing a new method for an upcoming Indo-Pacific expedition, using biodegradable dye on an invasive coral species to study their responses to underwater currents, especially at greater depths.
While Sonia was equipped with advanced diving gear designed for long-duration underwater research—called a closed-circuit rebreather (CCR)—our standard scuba gear limited our dive to just an hour at 30 meters. For Sonia, however, 30 meters is only a shallow dive—her true research lies in the Mesophotic coral reefs, also known as the “Twilight Zone,” which extend from 30 to 180 meters. This zone, where sunlight begins to fade, is where Sonia’s expertise shines. Her remarkable dive to 181 meters, a feat that involved nine hours underwater, was made possible by her use of her CCR.
The Gorgonian Lab
Following our intense diving, we transitioned from the unpredictable ocean to the stability of Sonia’s lab, a change of pace to more grounded scientific pursuits. Inside, we encountered an impressive collection of 8,000 gorgonian samples, each awaiting analysis by Sonia and her team. She shared her fascination with the many mysteries surrounding these specimens, particularly highlighting those from Wakatobi, Indonesia, collected from depths exceeding 140 meters. “There’s so much we don’t know about these gorgonians. They are here so that we can try to extract as much information as possible,” Sonia explained. “The deeper we go the less we know.”
Throughout her extensive dives and research in the Indo-Pacific, Sonia has observed a notable phenomenon: the diversity of gorgonian corals at shallower depths generally decreases when traveling eastward, yet remains constant at greater depths. This has sparked questions about coral distribution, their adaptation to changing environments, and potential evolutionary paths, especially in biodiversity hotspots like the Philippines and Indonesia. She distinguishes between corals found within specific depth ranges and those that thrive across various depths, highlighting the role of environmental variables such as light, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, sedimentation, and geomorphology at depths beyond 140 meters.
Geomorphology, the study of the origin and evolution of earth’s surface features, emerges as a critical factor in Sonia’s research, influencing the findings and insights gained from each dive. Basically, she’s focused on the complex interplay between marine life and their habitats, paving the way for a deeper understanding of coral ecosystems and their resilience—especially amidst climate change. Because there’s so little science that’s been done surrounding deep-sea gorgonians, Sonia is on track to break more records, find more species and bring more of what sits so deep beneath the surface to light.
After three and a half years exploring Jezero Crater’s floor and river delta, NASA’s Perseverance rover will ascend to an area where it will search for more discoveries that could rewrite Mars’ history. As members of the Mastcam-Z camera team for the rover, Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate student Eleni Ravanis and her advisor Sarah Fagents, researcher in the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, will be looking for rocks on the crater rim that might provide detailed insights into the earliest period of the planet’s history.
“Our samples are already an incredibly scientifically compelling collection, but the crater rim promises to provide even more samples that will have significant implications for our understanding of Martian geologic history,” said Ravanis. “This is because we expect to investigate rocks from the most ancient crust of Mars. These rocks formed from a wealth of different processes, and some represent potentially habitable ancient environments that have never been examined up close before.”
Since February 2021, the rover has been exploring the floor of the 45 km-diameter Jezero Crater, where an ancient delta provides a window into the fluvial history of the area. During that phase of the mission, the rover collected the first sedimentary rocks ever sampled from a planet other than Earth. These sedimentary rocks in particular are important because they formed when particles of various sizes were transported by water and then deposited into a standing body of water; on Earth, liquid water is one of the most critical requirements for life as we know it.
Perseverance recently began the months-long ascent up the western rim of Jezero Crater that is likely to include some of the steepest and most challenging terrain the rover has encountered to date. The rover operators at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory say that the rover may have to climb slopes of as much as 23 degrees, and eventually the rover may have gained more than 300 meters in elevation from its original landing site.
On the Crater Rim Campaign, Ravanis is one of the science leads meaning she will provide input into where the rover drives and what rocks should be investigated along the way. These promise to be exciting times, as the rover should see very ancient rocks, perhaps more than four billion years old, that were excavated by the formation of Jezero crater.
“I am very excited for the rover to investigate rocks in and on the crater rim thought to be a part of geological units that are very widespread on Mars,” said Ravanis. “These likely include the very ancient crust, the products of ancient volcanic eruptions, and rocks altered by water that date from a time when Mars had a very different climate to today. Examining these rocks up close and sampling them for later return to Earth will inform our understanding of not just Jezero Crater, but the planet Mars as a whole and through time.”
