Hey Erik! Living conditions aboard the Atlantis really aren't that bad. Of course, there's not a much room as you'd have at home, but we are comfortable.

Yep, we're swamped with activity, there is really no time to get bored. An average dive day starts at 05:30 AM. The workday runs through the length of the dive ending after we recover Alvin, normally around seven or eight at night. Out here, there are no weekends and no days off even if the cruise is six weeks long. So next time you hear someone wishing for ‘Friday’ tell them about us.

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Hi Loren, actually Alvin breaks down frequently, but not too seriously. Usually it is minor things, such as a thruster can develop and electrical problem preventing them from working, however there are enough redundant systems on the submersible that the mission can continue and be completed. Plus the Alvin pilots are trained professionals that can handle any situation that might arise due to a repair problem. -- Bekki

Hi Shirley, No, I've never piloted Alvin. There are specially trained people who pilot Alvin. As for dives, I have yet to have the experience of diving in Alvin. There was an incidence about a swordfish getting caught in Alvin's skin, I believe that information is on our web site, check it out, I believe there are photos as well. As for what I'm studying out here, I'm involved in concentrating viruses from the hydrothermal vent water. We all work in collaboration, taking pieces of the puzzle, examining them and then sharing the information to complete the main picture. -- Bekki

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Although I'm sure there are viruses that affect the Pompeii worm, however that isn't my area of research. I study viruses that affect bacteria who live at the hydrothermal vents. However, I'll pass your message on to the other scientists aboard and see if anyone else may know. Thanks for the question. -- Bekki

Hi Allison! Thanks for writing. Well, I did not see any creatures myself, yet anyway. I know that the people that went to the seafloor in Alvin saw quite a few interesting ones. They saw different kinds of fish near the surface on the way down, like tuna fish. On the way down, they saw different kinds of jellyfish. It is very dark after you get to about 100 meters or 300 feet, so they don’t see too much until they get to the bottom. When Alvin is on the bottom, they see mostly crabs and tubeworms, which are real cool. What kind of creatures they see depends on how deep they are and what part of the world we are in. -- Bekki

Hi Josh, Actually I'm not studying plants. My area of research involves viruses in marine and estuarine environments. Kurt and I are out here to collect viruses that infect bacteria at the hydrothermal vents. And, nope I haven't had a chance to go on a dive yet. I'm sure it would be great though. -- Bekki

Hi Matt, the water shoots out at different rates due to the speed of the vent. Some vents are simply diffuse flow where the temperature can drop from 450°C to 2°C quickly within several inches of the vent due to the fact the ocean acts as a great heat absorber. -- Bekki

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Well Kevin, for me it's the viruses. But we won't get to see them until we return to our lab in Delaware and use a high powered microscope called a TEM (transmission electron microscope). -- Bekki

Hi Rachel, actually the submersible is carried on a support ship. We put it into the water and retrieve it everyday. It only goes to the bottom of the ocean for specific missions. The crew sleep and live on the support ship, RV Atlantis. -- Bekki

Hi Nathan, the biggest concern for the submersible is that the windows don't melt. The reason being that if the windows melt, it's a big problem for safety. The two observers have windows that they are responsible to alert the pilot for any unsafe areas such as being too close to a chimney. -- Bekki

Hi Amber, Nicki and Elisha. Entertainment for Halloween was easy. We all brought costumes, or made them up out here. We had best costume contests, played foosball, listened to music and took a lot of pictures. Check out the web site, they should be up any day so you can see how silly we dressed up for the holiday.
-- Bekki

Hi Crystal. The viruses we study only affect bacteria, so they don't bother us. It's similar to how you can't give your cold to your dog. Viruses are host specific for the most part. That means they only affect certain beings. Since there is no human life at the bottom of the ocean, it is highly unlikely that the viruses we collect will bother humans. -- Bekki

Hi Ricky, one of the biggest challenges with studying viruses is to have enough of them to extract their DNA or simply to see them. We have to collect between 100-120 liters of water and concentrate that down to a volume of 250 ml (1 cup). So all the viruses that were in the larger volume are now in the smaller volume. It is much easier to deal with them in that manner. Thanks for the question. -- Bekki

Hi Justin. Well, that question is still being researched. We won't know for a while just how many different types of viruses are down there until we complete our research. A great question, but even we don't know the answer to that as of yet. Check back in a few years! ;-) -- Bekki

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Hi Josalynn. Actually, the next Alvin will be the same size and weight. They will have to follow the same design in order to fit into the hanger and mooring that is already in use. The only possible changes would be to speed and depth ability. -- Bekki

Hi Krystal. Just as any other scientific research, finding the importance of your work is based on theory and experimentation. We feel that we can better understand the global nutrient cycles, detect novel bacteria, and perhaps see if the viruses at the hydrothermal vents are unique or can be found in your backyard. It works on a broad scale to understand the whole picture of the environment, you have to study the pieces. This happens to be our piece to study. -- Bekki

Hi Samantha, as I had mentioned to Josalynn, the only improvements to Alvin would be to make it faster and dive deeper while keeping it safe for the pilot and scientists.
-- Bekki

Hi Alison. We have a regular kitchen on the ship that serves three meals a day. Most of it is typical foods you would find anywhere. I am a vegetarian, and I've still been able to eat just fine on board, so it isn't very difficult at all. Of course there is the upside of not having to cook your own food or clean the dishes. -- Bekki

It's fun just having the opportunity to go to the deep sea and explore the unknown!

Hi Scott. Most of the new discoveries will be made back on land, in our labs. It's difficult for us to do all of our experiments out on the ocean, we do what we can, but for the most part it will be a few months after we return. Patience is the key to science. -- Bekki

Hi Danielle and Shelby. Yes, pictures are permitted inside Alvin. However the cameras have to go through a rigorous testing at WHOI to determine no harmful fumes are escaping from the camera. There are specific sub cameras available to the divers, since no personal cameras are permitted. -- Bekki

What a GREAT question James! The Pompeii worm's hair is neither soft or hard. The gray fleece, or "hair," that you see on the worm's back is actually bacteria. Tiny glands in the worm's skin secrete a mucous that the bacteria appear to live and feed on. To learn more about the Pompeii worm, take a look at the the Web site:

http://www.ocean.udel.edu/extreme2002/creatures/pompeiiworm/index.html

-- Bekki

Hi Kate. The sub comes to the surface by releasing the dive weights and floating up due to the natural bouancy. -- Bekki

Hi Scott. Great! I hope you do participate in ocean research some day. As for the discoveries I've made, it will be a while before I can determine that. Research takes a long time, and the samples we retrieve during this cruise won't yield all it's information for quite some time. Again, science = patience. -- Bekki

Hi Todd. Most of the animals on the bottom are more afraid of each other than the sub. Some do scurry away, perhaps due to the lights or the sub itself. However most are unaffected by the sub's presence. -- Bekki

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Hi Shane. Yes, I do really enjoy what I do for a living. The only thing I would consider doing otherwise would be photography. Luckily with my science, I can combine them. I bring my camera wherever I go, all my cruises and other adventures. I've gotten some beautiful shots. As well, I enjoy taking photos with the microscope, now that's a part of photography few people know about. Thanks for the question. -- Bekki

Hi Bunny. Actually the area of the ocean where we are studying, the bottom is mostly rock, no sediment. We do see dolphins occasionally, but do not swim with them. The wild animals may not be as friendly as the ones you would see at an aquarium.
-- Bekki

Hi Andrew, this is actually one of the many questions we are researching. Due to the unique nature of a hydrothermal vent, we would like to know if the viruses residing there are unique as well, or can be found in your backyard. -- Bekki

Hi Jacob. This too is something we are researching. As I mentioned to Andrew, the uniqueness of these viruses are yet to be determined. -- Bekki

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Hi Nikki, just about everything on the planet can be infected by viruses. The viruses we study only infect bacteria at the hydrothermal vents. I would assume that the other vent organisms also can be infected by viruses, but different ones. -- Bekki

As you descend to the deep sea, it is mostly blackness until you get to the bottom. That is when the fun begins! Check out the Web site to learn about the the different creatures that are found in the deep sea.

http://www.ocean.udel.edu/extreme2002/creatures/

-- Bekki

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Hi Shelby! Usually people listen to music, review their notes, and get ready for the work they need to do when they get to the bottom. It is very busy once you get there, so it's important to be prepared. Once you get to the bottom, there are so many interesting things to see that you forget where you are and time goes by very quickly! Thanks for writing, Bekki

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