Research Cruise in the Eastern India Ocean

Three lab members (Yingdong, Scott and Huijun) are on their way to participate in a research cruise on board R/V Roger Revelle in the eastern India Ocean off the west coast of Australia. The project, code-named BLOOFINZ (Bluefin Larvae in Oligotrophic Ocean Foodwebs: Investigations of Nutrients to Zooplankton), is funded by the US National Science Foundation and is a part of the 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition. Led by Chief Scientist Michael Landry (SIO, UCSD), this multinational project involves researchers from six US universities and invited investigators from the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.

Because of the COVID-19, the cruise has been postponed several times and the boarding port is changed from Darwin, Australia, to Guam, USA. During this research cruise, Yingdong and Scott will mainly focus on sample collection for metagenome, metatranscriptome, polyP, nifH amplicon, and molecular identity of dissolved carbon sources. Huijun will help with the dilution experiment and collect samples for clade-specific plankton growth and grazing.

The journey is expected to end around March 10, 2022, and we will provide updates as the cruise proceeds. Have a safe and fruitful cruise.