Gulf of Alaska Seamounts 2019

Mission Overview

From July 21 – August 3, 2019, a multi-disciplinary and international team of scientists and media personnel sailed from Seward, Alaska, to the Gulf of Alaska Seamounts region onboard R/V Sikuliaq. This expedition employed an ecosystem perspective to investigate microbial communities in seawater and seafloor environments surrounding the seamounts; water column (planktonic) organisms; and invertebrate and fish benthic (seafloor) communities on and off the seamounts. The team also conducted observations of seabirds and marine mammals. This work will help us better understand the diversity of marine life in this underexplored region of economic importance that is also poised to undergo unprecedented change.