Sampling mission at Panarea - 23 April/3 May 2013


Francesca Gizzi and Erik Caroselli (University of Bologna) went to Panarea for additional sampling along a pH gradient inside an underwater volcano crater, for studying the effects of ocean acidification on Mediterranean corals.

Watch the video of the crater!

 

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Francesco (owner of the diving center) and Francesca are very happy for the first dive of the mission.

 

Boat loaded and ready to unmoor. The underwater thermometers were still in place and have been removed and replaced to download the data.

 

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A Scorpion Fish is guarding the thermometers.

 

Minor logistic problems before re-entering the boat.

 

Erik is connecting the cable of the multiparametric probe...
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...to the datalogger case.

 

Francesca, don't worry, it's the last dive of the day.

 

Francesca ready to bring the multiparametric probe underwater.

 

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Preparing samples for alkalinity analyses.

 

First you drop the poison inside the bottle... ...then you fill it with the sample and seal the bottle.
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Panarea as seen from the experimental field.

 

In the distance, the volcano of Stromboli. Bottaro, the experimental field, as seen from the surface.
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Francesca is emerging after the multiparametric sonde task.

 

Erik, Francesca, and "The Bandit", who provide us the boat.

 

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Francesca fixes some samples of Balanophyllia europaea in formalin for hystological analyses.

 

The Ape Car, one of the most important scientific tools on the island.

 

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Room mate.

 

Francesca before sampling  the gas bubbling from the sea floor...

 

...and after the sampling.
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Captain Erik.

 

The boat loaded with scientific equipment. Captain Francesca.
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Which one is the scientists' boat?

 

Ready for the last dive of the mission. Erik goes for pictures to quadrats.