Yesterday morning (22 June), the German research vessel RV Sonne left port in Emden, Germany to spend the next 5 weeks exploring the ecosystems and habitats in the Atlantic Ocean around Iceland.
The IceAGE3 expedition, carried out as part of the IceAGE project, will use the latest marine technology to explore, map and sample a variety of deep-sea ecosystems, ranging from spectacular cold-water coral gardens on the Icelandic shelf, to the chemical-dependent fauna of hydrothermal vents at the mid-Atlantic ridge, and the myriad of creatures that are adapted to inhabit the deep ocean. The overall aim is to understand better the connections between the different habitats and ecosystems found within the Atlantic around Iceland – each so varied and distinct, and yet all interconnected.
iAtlantic is very excited to be part of this expedition, led by Senckenberg Institute’s Dr Saskia Brix, which will contribute important information to our understanding of Atlantic ecosystem dynamics and connectivity. We are also very excited to be working in partnership with IceAGE to bring you regular updates of life on board ship via a blog written by the team on RV Sonne, including the scientific work, sneak peeks into their discoveries and (we hope!) footage from their ROV dives.
The expedition team will be sending back regular updates, photos, videos and stories to our expedition blog, which is now up and running. You can also follow the Sonne‘s progress via Twitter (@IceAGE_RR), Instagram and Facebook (both @SenckenbergWorld) – or of course via the iAtlantic social media accounts.
