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Tampa Bay welcomed us with whistling dolphins as we were piloted into the port. Most of our morning consisted of scanning the horizon for wildlife and barrier islands until the R/V Atlantis was docked and cleared customs. As soon as we got the signal from the bridge, we headed off the ship. But before we left, we met one of the scientist leading expedition AT 50-45 on the R/V Atlantis, the expedition prior to our arrival. Their mission was to collect samples from a recent submarine eruption using the Jason ROV. This eruption occurred on April 28th and 29th, 2025 on the East Pacific Rise. The samples consisted of some of the youngest glassy basalt on the planet. He explained the samples got their texture from the almost instantaneous cooling the erupting lava was subjected to. To top it off, we were offered some small pieces of sample rock the science team collected which was very exciting for STEMSEAS’ participants and mentors.
Pretty quickly after, were back on land for the first time in seven days. The plan was to go to Weedon Island Preserve, which is a protected natural area of St. Petersburg, FL. We rented kayaks and explored mangrove forests for about two hours. Mangroves are an integral part of the Florida coastal ecosystem and environment. They serve several purposes including carbon storage and sequestration, coastal barrier protection, and act as a nursery habitat for aquatic species and birds. Mangroves’ also have a unique root system that are adapted to their specific environment which is subject to flooding and is often salty, low in oxygen and high in organic matter. This root system generally comprises of areal and prop roots meant for gas uptake and stabilization. We saw some of this in action, as we made our way through narrows with mangroves to each side and overhead. Clear patches with stocky, conical roots jutting from the silt and mud interrupted the otherwise teeming forest. Outside of the confines of the mangrove forest, several of us spotted rays, a shark, fish and birds which just validated how rich this environment was.
Our last full day staying on the R/V Atlantis could be described as one unexpected highlight after another and it’s hard to choose whether dolphins off the bow, glassy basalt from a submarine eruption, or mangrove forests were my favorite.
