Fiji/Lau Expedition
May 15–June 3, 2005
Please visit the Ridge 2000 website for additional information.
June
2
This is the final update for the Fiji/Lau expedition. Everything is being packed, immigration forms are being filled out, and the members of science team are eager to hit the pavement.
Bob Vrijenhoek wishes to express his thanks to the Jason II pilots, the
Melville crew, and the science team, for their dedicated hard work, professionalism, and congeniality during this
expedition.
When members of the science team were asked—what were your greatest surprises during this expedition?—they
responded:
Bob: The weather was great, a very pleasant surprise. Also, we found very few tubeworms, so I am writing a new song, "Where Have all the Tube Worms Gone?"
Fred and Greg discuss how to pack it all up.
Greg: The 2.8-meter tubeworm. possibly the longest tube worm ever found.
Fred: The variety of Hesionidae worms. Possibly four of five new species were found.
Shana: The golden Alviniconcha, and the limpet that lives in the groove on the Alviniconcha shell.
Anders puts his specimens in special wrap.
Michel: The carnivorous sponge, eating crab larvae. The parasite that was found on the female crabs.
Joe: The sunken log with small crabs that appear to be feeding on the wood.
Amanda: How approachable the distinguished scientists were and how freely they shared their knowledge.
Karen: The communities we found were dispersed more than in other places. Like small rural farming communities rather than highly concentrated cities.
Susana: The diversity of the sponges. She found more species than expected.
Ana: All the wonderful snails.
Victoria really knows where everything goes.
Victoria: The sulfur rocks and how they burned and melted.
Shannon: How the Mahi Mahi carcass attracted predatory snails to it overnight.
Josh: The great weather. The collecting efficiency of Jason II and it's crew.
'Akapei: All the wonderful rock and mineral samples. Working with the
Jason II vehicle.
Susanna: The very long tubeworm.
Carol: The unique Dumbo octopus. The strings breaking on the mussel pots.
Todd signs off his computer for the last time.
Lizzy: The diseased mussels from mussel hill. Some of the mussels we opened were black with disease. The failure of some of the mussel pots to close properly.
Katharine: How well she was treated on her birthday.
Robbie: No tube worms.
Todd: How little free time I had. How complicated and technical an expedition like this is. Finally seeing a Minke whale.
Amanda's beautiful sunset picture.....and what her future holds.
