Members of the URI Astrobiology Team often participate in field expeditions, such as cruises to study life deep beneath the seafloor.  Some of these expeditions are scheduled with astrobiology studies as their primary objective [such as Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 201].  Other expeditions (such as ODP Legs 185, 190 and 207) serve as “expeditions of opportunity”; they are scheduled with other primary objectives but provide a great opportunity for astrobiology research.

Recent Expeditions

2005

29 Apr-30 May—       Team member Arthur Spivack (URI) sailed as a biogeochemist on Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Leg 308 (Porcupine Basin, northeastern Atlantic). Further information regarding the cruise is available at http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/exp308.html

1-13 March—             Team member Bruno Soffientino (URI) participated in an expedition to the Lupin gold mine (Canadian Arctic). This expedition was led by Tullis Onstott of the Indiana-Princeton-Tennessee NASA Astrobiology Institute team.

2004

13 Aug-8 Sept —        David C. Smith (URI) sailed as the microbiologist on Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Leg 302 (Lomonosov Ridge, to 88°N). This cruise was the first scientific drilling expedition to the Arctic Ocean. Further information regarding the cruise is available at http://www.ecord.org/acex/acex.html

27 June-21 Aug —      Team member Mark Lever (UNC) sailed as a microbiologist on Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Leg 301 (eastern Pacific Juan de Fuca Ridge). Team member Steven D’Hondt was a proponent of the cruise.This cruise was the first IODP expedition. Further information regarding the cruise is available at http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/exp301.html

2003

13 Jan-8 March —      Team member Helen Sturt (WHOI) sailed as a microbiologist on Ocean Drilling Program Leg 207 (Western Atlantic Demerara Rise).  Further information regarding the cruise is available at http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/leg_ndx/207ndex.htm

2002

15 - 22 Nov —            Team members Steven D’Hondt (URI) and Edward Roggenstein (URI) sailed on the R/V Atlantis (Cruise 07-25) to sample the life in hot (60°-70°C) fluid that flows through basalt deep beneath the seafloor.  The fluid was taken from a CORK hydrological observatory at ODP Hole 896A (Costa Rica Rift) by the manned submersible Alvin, under the direction of Chief Scientist Keir Becker (University of Miami).

27 Jan - 29 March —  Team members Steven D’Hondt (URI), Kai-Uwe Hinrichs (WHOI), David C. Smith (URI), Arthur Spivack (URI), and Andreas Teske (UNC – Chapel Hill) sailed on Ocean Drilling Program Leg 201 (Peru Margin and Equatorial Pacific).  This was the first drilling expedition ever dedicated to the study of life deep beneath the seafloor.  The expedition was proposed and led by URI Astrobiology Team members.  Further information regarding the cruise is available at http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/leg_ndx/201ndex.htm

2000

23 May - 16 July —    Team members David C. Smith (URI) and Arthur Spivack (URI) respectively sailed as a microbiologist and a biogeochemist on Ocean Drilling Program Leg 190 (Western Pacific Nankai Trough).  Further information regarding the cruise is available at http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/leg_ndx/190ndex.htm

13 - 22 May —            Team member Andreas Teske (UNC—Chapel Hill) sailed on the drillship JOIDES Resolution (Transit T190, Australia/Guam) to set up and outfit a shipboard microbiology laboratory for all future ODP cruises.  Principal laboratory instruments were provided by a grant to our team from the US National Science Foundation Life in Extreme Environments Program (NSF-LEXEN 9978310). Information about the laboratory is available at http://www-odp.tamu.edu/sciops/labs/microbiol

1999

12 April - 14 June —  Team members David C. Smith (URI) and Arthur Spivack (URI) respectively sailed as a microbiologist and a biogeochemist on Ocean Drilling Program Leg 185 (Western Pacific Izu-Mariana Margin).  Further information regarding the cruise is available at http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/leg_ndx/185ndex.htm

Ocean Drilling Cruise Opportunities

Many of the above expeditions are ocean-drilling cruises. Through September, 2003, scientific ocean drilling was undertaken by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). Since June, 2004, scientific ocean drilling cruises have been undertaken by a greatly expanded successor program, the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).
For more information about IODP and its expeditions, visit http://www.isas-office.jp/