Dr. Robert Ballard and his 211-foot scientific research vessel Nautilus will explore the Quinault Canyon seafloor, off Washington’s Pacific Coast, August 21 to September 3, in association with the Quinault Nation.
The mission: map the terrain of the ocean floor, sample for harmful algal blooms, check oxygen levels, investigate ocean acidification, and map the habitats that support many of the Quinault Nation’s treaty fisheries.
Ballard—an ocean explorer who discovered the resting places of the RMS Titanic in 1985 and the German battleship Bismarck in 1989—created the Ocean Exploration Trust with a goal of making scientific expeditions accessible to anyone with an Internet hookup.
People in Taholah and other communities will have an opportunity to talk directly with onboard scientists and staff via video link, while the research is underway.
The Nautilus has two Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), an onboard laboratory, and a large control room for running the ROVs. Nautilus can berth 48 people.
“Quinault Nation is very pleased to be associated with this project,” Quinault President Fawn Sharp said in an announcement of the exploration. “Our marine resources scientist will be managing our coordination with the ship, and using [Nautilus’] research in his own research in the Quinault Treaty Area,” she said.
There is strong evidence that ocean conditions caused by climate change has caused diminished returns of salmon to coastal rivers, Sharp said.
“It is one of our top goals to restore our salmon, especially the blueback, a sockeye subspecies unique to our Quinault River. Quinault Nation has been working hard to assure salmon have a good home to come back to in our rivers. It’s just as important for them to have favorable conditions when they are in their ocean voyage stage. This kind of research is an important part of that effort, and we greatly appreciate the work the scientists are doing.”
