On this expedition, we are conducted research to relate material organization accomplished by energy flow across different scales. This will inform our understandings of how geochemical and biological processes interact and co-evolve. With a multidisciplinary and international project team, we conducted the first comprehensive work to relate geochemistry, microbiology, and evolution at this unique location.

This site is singular amongst hydrothermal vents in the world - it is the only large chimney forming structure known which can be accessed by scuba divers. This accessibility greatly enhances the ability to take samples, and the unique chemistry of this location creates an outstanding opportunity to investigate interactions between the geosphere and the biosphere, with a relevance to the origin of life which may have occurred at a similar type of structure long ago.

Stay tuned for results from the lab!

Science lead of the expedition: Shawn McGlynn

Science team:
Katrina Twing: University of Utah
Billy Brazelton: University of Utah
Ryuhei Nakamura: ELSI
Lewis Ward: ELSI
Katrina Twing: University of Utah
Roy Price: Stony Brook
Masahiro Yamamoto: Jamstec

Photos by Donato Giovannelli / @d_giovannelli

Funding: The EON Project

Twitter: #StrytanExpedition