By Naomi Krauzig (GEOMAR)
As the research vessel METEOR heads north toward Germany, the CTD Lab has become quiet.
For the past four weeks, the CTD rosette (named after the three core variables it measures: conductivity, temperature, and depth) has been one of the busiest instruments on board. Day and night, it disappeared beneath the waves and returned with information about the entire water column.
Now the final station has been completed and the CTD rosette has been stored away for the last time. It feels like the right moment to reflect on a tool that has accompanied generations of oceanographers -and on a ship that has done the same.
Introduced in the 1970s, Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) systems revolutionized ocean observation by providing continuous measurements throughout the water column. When METEOR III entered service in 1986, the CTD was already the workhorse of physical oceanography. In the 1990s, it gained a trusted companion: the Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (LADCP), capable of measuring ocean currents from the surface to the seafloor.
Aboard METEOR, the CTD rosette now also carries a suite of additional sensors measuring oxygen, chlorophyll, turbidity, photosynthetically active radiation, nitrate, and even particles and plankton through an Underwater Vision Profiler. At the same time, its Niskin bottles collect seawater samples for analyses of oxygen, nutrients, salinity, and other properties, providing a detailed picture of the water column.
During M219, this classic CTD/LADCP system helped us reveal some of the hidden “highways” of the tropical Atlantic. Along the 11°S section off Brazil, a key location for monitoring the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, CTD measurements identified distinct water masses through their temperature, salinity, and oxygen signatures. At the same time, the LADCPs captured the currents carrying them: the warm, northward-flowing North Brazil Undercurrent in the upper ocean and the colder, southward-flowing Deep Western Boundary Current nearly two kilometers below.
Further north, along 23°W, we crossed the equator and encountered one of the strongest subsurface currents in the world ocean: the Equatorial Undercurrent. Hidden just beneath the surface, this powerful eastward-flowing jet transports enormous amounts of water, heat, oxygen, nutrients, and carbon across the Atlantic: roughly one hundred times the discharge of the Amazon River!
While these observations allow us to investigate water masses, currents, and the circulation of the tropical Atlantic, they also carried an additional meaning for many on board.
For four decades, CTD rosettes have been lowered from the deck of METEOR III in every ocean of the world, helping scientists understand complex ocean processes, monitor changes, and train generations of oceanographers. During more than 11,940 days at sea, thousands of stations have been completed from her deck. Countless students, technicians, crew members, and scientists have contributed to these observations, and many have built their careers around the data collected aboard this vessel.
To take part in the final cruise -and the final CTD cast- of METEOR III was a privilege. Over the course of this voyage, it became impossible not to notice the connection many people have with this vessel. For some, METEOR has been a second home for years. Colleagues became lifelong friends, sometimes even family, and countless memories were made during deployments, watches, and transits at sea. The research vessel, the discoveries, and even the familiar CTD rosette hold a special place in many hearts.
As we pack the last equipment and the laboratories become emptier, it is difficult not to wonder what comes next. METEOR IV will soon continue the tradition, equipped with new capabilities and ready to tackle the scientific questions of the coming decades. New technologies will undoubtedly expand how we observe the ocean, yet some traditions are likely to endure.
https://www.oceanblogs.org/m219/2026/06/27/no-cruise-without-a-ctd/
This fall, Ocean Conservancy is celebrating its 41st annual International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC), once again bringing together volunteers to protect the beaches and waterways we all love. Ocean Conservancy recently hosted flagship events in Long Beach and Washington, D.C. that celebrated this global movement close to home.
Over the past four decades, nearly 20 million volunteers have rolled up their sleeves to remove more than 405 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways around the world. And their impact extends far beyond what they collect. ICC volunteers have documented nearly 440 million individual items, creating the world’s largest marine debris database and providing invaluable information that helps Ocean Conservancy and others better understand—and tackle—ocean plastic pollution.
This year’s celebration continued that incredible legacy. At Alamitos Beach in Southern California, more than 150 volunteers gathered on September 19 and removed 1,109 pounds of trash, alongside members of Team USA Artistic Swimming and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. In Washington, D.C., 439 volunteers gathered on September 26 to remove 2,182 pounds of trash from Anacostia Park along the Anacostia River.
“I am so grateful to all of the volunteers who came out today for our ocean—and every volunteer who has made the last 41 years of impact possible,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Conservation Cleanups, Allison Schutes. “Every piece of plastic collected helps protect marine animals and habitats and contributes to research and advocacy.”
And the impact doesn’t stop when the cleanup ends. During International Coastal Cleanup events, volunteers do more than remove trash: They document what they find, helping build a clearer picture of the plastic pollution threatening our waterways and wildlife. Through the Clean Swell® app or paper data sheets, ICC volunteers contribute to Ocean Conservancy’s online, open-access database, the world’s largest repository of marine debris data. These records help scientists, conservation groups and governments understand pollution trends and identify solutions.
That data can also drive meaningful policy change. ICC data were recently used in a peer-reviewed study showing that plastic bag bans lead to reduced plastic bag pollution. The data have also helped advance policies ranging from California’s SB 54 to Florida’s balloon release ban and the federal Farewell to Foam Act. From a neighborhood cleanup to statewide action, every piece of documented trash helps build the evidence needed to tackle plastic pollution at its source.
Get Ocean Updates in Your Inbox
Sign up with your email and never miss an update.
Want to get involved?
Whether you join a local cleanup, record the trash you find using the Clean Swell app, or take action to reduce plastic pollution, you can be part of this incredible collective effort to protect our ocean. Here are a few ways to make an impact:
- Find a cleanup near you.
- Download our Clean Swell app to easily record the trash you collect.
- Take action to reduce plastic pollution.
- Explore our Wildlife Impact Calculator to estimate the potential benefits of your cleanup for marine wildlife.
- Donate today to Ocean Conservancy to help us fight plastic pollution for years to come!
The post Celebrating 41 Years of the International Coastal Cleanup® appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
For generations, stories of people being swallowed by enormous sea creatures have painted awe-inspiring tales of human survival and perseverance. From the biblical account of Jonah to the legendary battle of Hercules and Cetus to the timeless story of Pinocchio, these legendary tales have captivated people since time immemorial.
But all these stories raise the question: Could someone really be swallowed by a whale? With the premiere of the film Whalefall on October 16, 2026, you may find yourself in conversations about this very situation. Based on the bestselling 2023 thriller authored by Daniel Kraus, the film tells the story of a scuba diver who is accidentally gobbled up by a sperm whale while searching for the remains of his late father. With only an hour of oxygen left in his tank, the diver must fight to escape the whale’s gut before time runs out.
The answer to whether it’s anatomically possible for a whale to swallow a person is actually a bit more complicated than you might think.
Get Ocean Updates in Your Inbox
Sign up with your email and never miss an update.