We are all connected, wherever we are on the planet, by the seas that encircle us. They cover 71% of our planet, extend to a depth of up to 10km, and act as the Earth’s heart – and yet we still don’t fully understand what goes on under the waves. Since 2010, the Geotraces programme has been filling some of the gaps in our knowledge. Funded by the International Science Council, and involving 36 countries and 153 research cruises over fourteen years (so far), it is perhaps the longest, biggest, most complex, most important international research programme you’ve never heard of.
Geotraces M206
In December, a top team of international scientists will join the ship RV Meteor to investigate the area around the mouth of the amazing Amazon river. With a highly-experienced crew of 33, the RV Meteor is a well-known German research vessel that has journeyed around the planet many times. Geotraces research cruise M206 sets off from the Brazilian port of Fortaleza and will work its way north along the coast to the mouth of the Amazon, where sampling will begin.
You can follow the progress of the cruise here, where we will be posting about various aspect of the programme, including:
- The RV Meteor – all about the ship and life aboard her.
- The GEOTRACES Programme – what it is, and the role it plays
- M206: the people, the places, the organisation
- Research: aims, activities, processes, results
- Geosciences and their importance
- Education – facts and figures, projects, information, lesson plans
