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Gulf of Mexico Brine Pools with Megan Cook

Have you ever met a little kid who refuses to go to bed, because they know the minute they lay their head down, something amazing and unexpected will happen? No matter how strong the onset of the Sleepies, this child will valiantly fight them back until wee-hours just to ensure the impending night’s biggest excitement won’t slip by. Over the last few weeks out at sea, I’ve been the adult-reincarnate of that child! 
Aboard the E/V Nautilus we are exploring the Gulf of Mexico seafloor using deep diving ROVs around the clock 24 hours a day.  Capable of diving to 13,000 feet, mapping the seafloor and bringing up a suite of water, sediment, chemical, or biologic samples the vehicles can produce never-ending possibilities for what lies just beyond the edge of the ROV lights.…

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Exploring the Gulf of Mexico Deep Reefs with Megan Cook

By Megan Cook, Mission Blue Young Explorer
Megan will rejoin the E/V Nautilus in the Gulf of Mexico in late July further exploring hydrocarbon influx sites.  Participate as the team explores the Gulf of Mexico Deep Reefs Hope Spot by sending in questions to www.NautilusLive.org or by following on Twitter or Facebook. ~ Ed.
Where is your favorite coral reef? I’m willing to bet you answered somewhere tropical and warm, where the sunshine glitters into clear, shallow water bathing polyps and divers alike.  Nearby there might be a beach scene where drink umbrellas wouldn’t be out of place. That would have been my answer too, until last month… 
Descending to the seafloor took the ROV Hercules over an hour. From the control van of the E/V Nautilus, I sat with my watch team from the Corps of Exploration as HD video poured in from the ROV Hercules.…

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Ballard’s E/V Nautilus Prepares for Gulf of Mexico Expedition

By Megan Cook
Flexibility is very key in scheduling science and exploration missions.  Due to some last minute technical work happening aboard the E/V Nautilus on the Gulf coast, my first week as an Ocean Exploration Trust science communication fellow has been on a different coast: New England.  The ship’s scheduled exploration will begin soon, but in the meantime it was great to be behind the scenes getting to know what makes live streaming ocean exploration possible.
The critical hub for streaming exploration live over the internet is the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.  This facility receives satellite transmissions from research and exploration ships all around the world.  In addition to managing enormous data volume and troubleshooting streams, the ISC team produces daily broadcasts to showcase exploration for the world. …

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Megan Cook Selected for Dr. Robert Ballard’s Nautilus Exploration Program

“All of us are born explorers.  If we find ourselves in a room that has a door, the first thing we will do is open the door to see what is on the other side.” Dr. Robert Ballard
Over 95% of our ocean is still unexplored. Nearly all of this falls far below the sun-streaked scuba depths and into the deep sea- the great frontier left on our planet. Come along this summer as Mission Blue Young Explorer Megan Cook joins the Nautilus Exploration Program to take you into depths of our blue planet never seen before. 
The Nautilus Exploration Program was founded in 2008 by Dr. Robert Ballard, the discoverer of the Titanic and a great ocean explorer. The international exploration program centers on scientific exploration of the seafloor launched from aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus, a 211-foot research vessel equipped with state-of-the-art exploration and telepresence technology.…

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