Life on the ocean wave

A recent expedition exploring the deep sea around the Bermuda Triangle is set to revolutionise the way biological research is conducted at sea

The 20-day cruise – which involved the sequencing of DNA at sea - was part of an ambitious global inventory of zooplankton which aims to shed light on important global ecosystems.

The team – made up of 28 marine experts from all over the world – captured specimens at depths of up to 5000 meters before bringing them on board to sequence their DNA. The cruise’s scientific leader Peter Wiebe, senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA said: “We believe this is the first team ever to sequence DNA of zooplankton on a rocking, rolling ship. What was really surprising was how well the sequencer performed without any modification. It never got seasick.”

The expedition identified more than 1000 individual organisms, several of which were new to science. The captured creatures included tail-kicking shrimp, swimming worms, flying snails and pulsing jellyfish. The more the team sampled, the more sensitive the census would become when used to spot ecological changes.

“By 2010, the research conducted by this project will provide a baseline against which future generations can measure changes to the zooplankton and their provinces, caused by pollution, over-fishing, climate change, and other shifting environmental conditions,” said Ann Bucklin, lead scientist for the census and head of the University of Connecticut Marine Sciences Department.