SEA Education Association
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SEA Education Association (SEA) offers college students a study abroad that challenges them intellectually and physically by combining a sailing adventure of a lifetime with the study of the deep ocean.
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ArticleThe annual salinity cycle of the Denmark Strait Overflow(American Geophysical Union, 2022-03-22) Opher, Jacob G. ; Brearley, J. Alexander ; Dye, Stephen R. ; Pickart, Robert S. ; Renfrew, Ian A. ; Harden, Benjamin E. ; Meredith, Michael P.The Denmark Strait Overflow (DSO) is an important source of dense water input to the deep limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). It is fed by separate currents from the north that advect dense water masses formed in the Nordic Seas and Arctic Ocean which then converge at Denmark Strait. Here we identify an annual salinity cycle of the DSO, characterized by freshening in winter and spring. The freshening is linked to freshening of the Shelfbreak East Greenland Current in the Blosseville Basin north of the Denmark Strait. We demonstrate that the East Greenland Current advects fresh pycnocline water above the recirculating Atlantic Water, which forms a low salinity lid for the overflow in Denmark Strait and in the Irminger Basin. This concept is supported by intensified freshening of the DSO in lighter density classes on the Greenland side of the overflow. The salinity of the DSO in the Irminger Basin is significantly correlated with northerly/northeasterly winds in the Blosseville Basin at a lag of 3–4 months, consistent with estimated transit times. This suggests that wind driven variability of DSO source water exerts an important influence on the salinity variability of the downstream DSO, and hence the composition of the deep limb of the AMOC.
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ArticleThe biogeography of the Plastisphere : implications for policy(Ecological Society of America, 2015-12) Amaral-Zettler, Linda A. ; Zettler, Erik R. ; Slikas, Beth ; Boyd, Gregory D. ; Melvin, Donald W. ; Morrall, Clare E. ; Proskurowski, Giora ; Mincer, Tracy J.Microplastics (particles less than 5 mm) numerically dominate marine debris and occur from coastal waters to mid-ocean gyres, where surface circulation concentrates them. Given the prevalence of plastic marine debris (PMD) and the rise in plastic production, the impacts of plastic on marine ecosystems will likely increase. Microscopic life (the “Plastisphere”) thrives on these tiny floating “islands” of debris and can be transported long distances. Using next-generation DNA sequencing, we characterized bacterial communities from water and plastic samples from the North Pacific and North Atlantic subtropical gyres to determine whether the composition of different Plastisphere communities reflects their biogeographic origins. We found that these communities differed between ocean basins – and to a lesser extent between polymer types – and displayed latitudinal gradients in species richness. Our research reveals some of the impacts of microplastics on marine biodiversity, demonstrates that the effects and fate of PMD may vary considerably in different parts of the global ocean, and suggests that PMD mitigation will require regional management efforts.
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ArticleComparative mitochondrial and chloroplast genomics of a genetically distinct form of Sargassum contributing to recent “Golden Tides” in the Western Atlantic(John Wiley & Sons, 2016-12-20) Amaral-Zettler, Linda A. ; Dragone, Nicholas B. ; Schell, Jeffrey M. ; Slikas, Beth ; Murphy, Leslie G. ; Morrall, Clare E. ; Zettler, Erik R.Over the past 5 years, massive accumulations of holopelagic species of the brown macroalga Sargassum in coastal areas of the Caribbean have created “golden tides” that threaten local biodiversity and trigger economic losses associated with beach deterioration and impact on fisheries and tourism. In 2015, the first report identifying the cause of these extreme events implicated a rare form of the holopelagic species Sargassum natans (form VIII). However, since the first mention of S. natans VIII in the 1930s, based solely on morphological characters, no molecular data have confirmed this identification. We generated full-length mitogenomes and partial chloroplast genomes of all representative holopelagic Sargassum species, S. fluitans III and S. natans I alongside the putatively rare S. natans VIII, to demonstrate small but consistent differences between S. natans I and VIII (7 bp differences out of the 34,727). Our comparative analyses also revealed that both S. natans I and S. natans VIII share a very close phylogenetic relationship with S. fluitans III (94- and 96-bp differences of 34,727). We designed novel primers that amplified regions of the cox2 and cox3 marker genes with consistent polymorphic sites that enabled differentiation between the two S. natans forms (I and VIII) from each other and both from S. fluitans III in over 150 Sargassum samples including those from the 2014 golden tide event. Despite remarkable gene synteny and sequence conservation, the three Sargassum forms differ in morphology, ecology, and distribution patterns, warranting more extensive interrogation of holopelagic Sargassum genomes as a whole.
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ArticleCorrigendum(American Meteorological Society, 2014-12) Leslie, William R. ; Karnauskas, Kristopher B. ; Witting, Jan H.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-100 : scientific activities, Woods Hole - Bermuda - Lunenburg - Woods Hole, 21 May - 26 June 1988, SSV Corwith Cramer(SEA Education Association, 1988-06) Lea, ChuckThe purpose of this cruise report is to summarize the scientific activities aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer on cruise c- 100. This cruise was the first Sea Semester voyage aboard the Cramer, and represents a milestone in SEA's efforts in nautical, maritime and oceanographic education.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-101 : scientific activities, 6 July - 12 August 1988, SSV Corwith Cramer(SEA Education Association, 1988-08) Corso, BillThis cruise report outlines the scientific research program conducted on board the SSV Corwith Cramer during Sea Education Association's Sea Semester 101. The study area encompassed the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf and slope from Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to Grand Bank, Newfoundland.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-102 : scientific activities, Woods Hole - Antigua - Grenada - Carriacou - St. Thomas, 14 October 1988 - 22 December 1988, SSV Corwith Cramer(SEA Education Association, 1988-12) Wilber, R. JudeThis cruise report presents a basic outline of the academic program and scientific research conducted on board the SSV Corwith Cramer during the fall of 1988. It consists of a brief cruise narrative describing operations during our six weeks at sea as well as tabulated information on the location and type of samples taken. Some raw data are included; detailed cruise logs and full student reports are available through Sea Education Association and the Chief Scientist.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-103 : scientific activities undertaken aboard SSV Corwith Cramer, St. Thomas - Bequia - Tobago Cays - Bonaire - Roatan - Miami, 1 December 1988 - 11 January 1989(SEA Education Association, 1989-01) Joyce, PaulThis cruise report outlines the scientific research and academic program conducted on board SSV Corwith Cramer during her fourth cruise during the winter of 1988-1989. It consists of the abstracts of the student projects completed during this crulse and the data which are being incorporated into the long-term studies of the SEA staff and associated researchers. The bulk of this report was written at sea and is not intended to represent a final analysis or interpretation of data generated during C-103.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-104 : scientific activities undertaken aboard SSV Corwith Cramer, Miami - Bahamas - Port Antonio - Roatan - Miami, 9 February 1989 - 22 March 1989(SEA Education Association, 1989-03) Lea, ChuckThe purpose of this cruise report is to summarize the scientific activities of cruise 104 of the SSV Corwith Cramer. The summary includes abstracts from the projects conducted by the students of class C-104. The projects represent the final fruit of a process which begins in Woods Hole during the shore component when possible topics are researched and then refined into written and oral proposals. At sea, a variety of specimens, observations, and measurements are collected and analyzed by the students for presentation to their shipmates. The written projects are returned to Woods Hole for use in the long-term science objectives of SEA and in helping future students design their work. Much of this work was written at sea and represents a first interpretation of the data.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-106 : scientific activities, 23 May 1989 - 3 July 1989, SSV Corwith Cramer(SEA Education Association, 1989-07) Corso, BillThis cruise report outlines the scientific research program conducted from the SSV CORWITH CRAMER during Sea Education Association's Sea Semester 106. The cruise traversed much of the northwestern Atlantic ocean, and a variety of biological, chemical, physical, and geological investigations were done. These investigations represented both individual student research projects, which had been designed by the students prior to the cruise, and on-going studies of SEA staff scientists and associated agencies. Abstracts of the student research projects make up the major part of this report. These abstracts are edited versions of those written at sea and are not intended to reflect the final analysis or interpretation of data collected during C-106.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-107 : academic program, Woods Hole - St. Albans - Lunenburg - Woods Hole, July 7, 1989 through August 25, 1989(SEA Education Association, 1989-08) Low, CliffordThis cruise report provides a record of the academic activities conducted during the cruise C-107 of the SSV Corwith Cramer. The cruise was preceded by a rigorous six-week course on shore. The oceanographic research on the cruise was done entirely to accomplish individual projects designed during this period in Woods Hole. The research projects emphasized the application of theoretical concepts to the study of the oceans. Overall. the students gained practical experience in biological, physical, chemical and geological oceanographic research in diverse regions of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, nitrate, silicate, and chlorophyll a analyses were carried out in shelf and slope waters. Plankton samples were . taken along the entire cruise track. Demersal fish populations were assessed on Georges Bank, and sediment samples were collected within Bay D'Espoir, Newfoundland, Canada. Surface data on plastic and tar pollution were also collected along the entire cruise track.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-109 : scientific activities undertaken aboard SSV Corwith Cramer, St. Thomas - Carriacou - Grenada - Roatan - Cozumel - Miami, 30 November 1989 - 10 January 1990(SEA Education Association, 1990-01) McClennen, Charles E.This cruise report is a partial record of the formal education and scientific activities conducted during the sea component with SEA Class 109 on the SSV Corwith Cramer. The emphasis is on the formally scheduled activities, the scientific sampling, the laboratory analyses and student research projects. For those who experienced C-109 it is of course an incomplete reflection of all that transpired and all that was learned. An accurate characterization of C-109 would have to clarify in detail the intensity and diversity of the educational experiences.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-112 : scientific activities undertaken aboard SSV Corwith Cramer, Woods Hole - Bermuda - Lunenberg - Woods Hole, 23 May - 3 July 1990(SEA Education Association, 1990-07) Bohrer, Richard N.This cruise report summarizes the academic activities aboard SSV Corwith Cramer during the Sea Education Association's SEA Semester Cruise C-112. The scientific program was designed to provide practical experience for college students in all fields of marine science and introduce them to a diverse group of marine habitats, from nearshore to deep sea.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-113 : scientific activities, Woods Hole - St. John's, NFLD - Lunenburg, NS - Woods Hole, 14 July - 24 August 1990(SEA Education Association, 1990-08) Lea, ChuckThe purpose of this cruise report is to summarize the scientific activities of the cruise C-113 aboard SSV Corwith Cramer. The research effort was directed towards the fulfillment of undergraduate research projects. These projects represent the final fruit of a process which began in Woods Hole during the shore component when possible topics were researched and then refined into written and oral proposals.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-114 : 9 October - 19 November 1990, Woods Hole - Azores - Lisbon(SEA Education Association, 1990-11) Corso, BillThis cruise report outlines the scientific and academic programs conducted aboard Sea Education Association's SSV CORWITH CRAMER during cruise 114. C114 traversed the North Atlantic Ocean from 9 October - 19 November 1990.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-115 : scientific activities undertaken - SSV Corwith Cramer, Lisbon, Portugal - Funchal, Madeira - Port Royal, Antigua - Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, November 29, 1990 to January 7, 1991(SEA Education Association, 1991-01) Wilber, R. JudeThis cruise report outlines the scientific research and academic program conducted on board SSV Corwith Cramer during late fall of 1990.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-131 : Scientific activities aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, Miami, FL - Rum Cay - Port Antonio - Roatan - Key West, February 8 to March 19, 1994(SEA Education Association, 1994-03) Bohrer, Richard N.This cruise report summarizes the scientific activities aboard SSV Corwith Cramer during the Sea Education Association SEA Semester cruise C-131. The scientific program was designed to provide practical experience for college students in all fields of marine science. The students participated in all ship operations and presented results from a project of their own design. Twenty-five students from twenty-three colleges participated, joining a crew of six nautical staff and four scientific staff. In addition, we were joined by two visitors on specific legs of the cruise. The cruise track, Miami - Rum Cay - Port Antonio - Roatan - Key West, was chosen to provide a comparison of the southern Sargasso Sea to the Caribbean Sea. The Sargasso Sea is a subtropical, convergent ecosystem and therefore has a lower productivity than the tropical, divergent ecosystem existing in the Caribbean Sea. Many of our investigations were designed to study these differences. Among these were the distributions of surface and subsurface water masses (such as Subtropical Underwater and Antarctic Intermediate water), geostrophic transport of the Antilles and Caribbean Currents, compositions of carbonate sediments, biogeography of eel larvae, lobster larvae, Trichodesmium, and myctophids, and distributions of pelagic plastic and tar. We also made a working visit to Rum Cay where we studied the coral reefs, the lagoon circulation, and intertidal molluscs. We also made a transect across the Explorer Seamount to investigate the effects of the topography on the flow field and ecology. In all, we completed 94 surface stations, 33 CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) profiles, 20 Niskin bottle casts, 10 meter net tows, 33 neuston net tows, 4 Shipek grab samples, and 7 rock dredge samples. All of these data formed the basis for the student projects. The oceanographic program also included lectures on various subjects of either general or regional interest. Some selected results are presented in Part II. Station lists and some of the physical, chemical, and biological data are presented in Part III. Additional data are available through the Sea Education Association.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-131B : scientific activities undertaken aboard SSV Corwith Cramer, Miami, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia, May 6-16, 1994(SEA Education Association, 1994-05) Lea, ChuckThis cruise report outlines the scientific research and academic program conducted on board the SSV Corwith Cramer during Cruise C-131B. The cruise was designed to introduce students to a wide variety of shipboard oceanographic experience and to provide them with a broad multidisciplinary overview of the marine environment. The students actively participated in deploying oceanographic gear, in analyzing the samples collected and in compiling and interpreting data. In addition, their understanding and respect for the skills necessary to operate a vessel at sea were greatly enhanced by their roles as crew members on board the Corwith Cramer. Navigating and maneuvering the vessel to each oceanographic station, the students steered, worked the sails and determined the vessel's location throughout the cruise. Their practical experience was supplemented by lectures and demonstrations by SEA's staff.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-133A : scientific activities undertaken aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, Woods Hole, MA to Appledore Island, ME, June 20 - June 29, 1994(SEA Education Association, 1994-06) Scott, TimothyThis report outlines the scientific investigations conducted aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer during cruise C-133A, Oceanography of the Gulf of Maine, offered jointly by the Sea Education Association (SEA) and the Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML). The academic objective of this three-week course was to provide high school students with a practical introduction to oceanographic field research. This was accomplished in two parts, first the open-ocean environment of the waters surrounding Cape Cod were studied during a ten day cruise aboard the Corwith Cramer. Under the supervision of SEA scientists, students used modern oceanographic sampling gear to collect geological, physical, chemical and biological data pertinent to our cruise track. These data were then analyzed and interpreted by the students, who summarized their findings in oral presentations at the end of the cruise. Much of the data collected during this cruise are presented in this report.
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Technical ReportCruise Report C-134A : scientific activities undertaken aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, Woods Hole - Woods Hole, 6 August to 15 August 1994(SEA Education Association, 1994-08) Howard, William R.This report outlines the scientific and academic program conducted aboard SSV Corwith Cramer during August, 1994. It consists of summaries of research stations occupied, data collected, and highlights some of the results obtained during oceanographic operations. The report represents a preliminary analysis of data collected during C-134A.