THE FOUR TEAMS

There are four different Scientific Teams which will be a part of OCEANQUEST: Oceanographers, Meteorologists, Marine Biologists and Navigators.  Each member of the class must choose one Team whose tasks are of interest.  You may want to select an alternate, since each of the four Teams must contain equal numbers of members.  Your teacher may also assign Teams.

Oceanographers

The scientific party on the Jacques Cousteau will include 4 oceanographers.   The ocean encompases about 70% of the Earth, and much of it is still undiscovered.  The job of the oceanographers will be to research the deep oceans using autonomous underwater vehicles, look back in time at the Revolutionary War era, and become shipwreck detectives. 

Meteorologists

Weather conditions, including life and ship-threatening storms, are an integral part of sea voyages.  The meteorologists on our journey will be responsible for tracking weather conditions to ensure a safe passage for all members of our team.  The meteorological team will also be responsible for tracking the El Nino and La Nina events in the equatorial Pacific.  These two phenomena have an impact on the weather in many different places such as Australia and the United States.

 Marine Biologists

The OCEANQUEST’s scientific party will also include several Marine Biologists.  In past trips, we have seen marine mammals and invertebrates living on recovered moorings and buoys.  We hope you will be able to identify these species on our upcoming cruise as well.  At the conclusion of OCEANQUEST, we will travel to the Galapagos Islands.  While on the islands, you will identify species such as the giant tortoise and marine iguanas and be able to share some of the special adaptations of these unique animals.

Navigators

The Jacques Cousteau is a modern oceanographic research ship that navigates the world’s oceans.  We are searching for a team of OCEANQUEST Navigators who will be able to use what they know about the sea to pilot our ship, crew, and scientists from Woods Hole, Massachusetts to the equatorial Pacific off the coast of Chile.  The best group of Navigators will be able to find locations on a map; be able to locate and explain the importance of the Gulf Stream and Loop Currents; and share information about the Panama Canal and why it is important to modern-day sea travelers.

Last updated on:

Thursday, February 14, 2008 1:26 PM

Sunset off the stern of the Ronald H. Brown

A perigrine falcon joined us for a day of our journey

A hopeful pelican at the fish market in the Galapagos

A lizard basking on the rocks in Darwin Station

An iquana hiding in the bushes on the road to Darwin Station