♪ >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD AROU YOU, DOES IT MATTER IF YOU UNDERSTAND IT?
IF I WOULD LOOK OUT AT THE WATER, HOW MUCH RICHER IS THAT EXPERIENCE BY UNDERSTANDING SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SYSTEM?
UR ABILITY TO PREDICT THE DETAILS AND UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF THE INTERACTIONS GOING ON IN THE OCEAN.
IT IS A PURSUIT THAT WILL LAST FOR HUMANITY.
WE WILL NEVER ANSWER IT ALL.
♪ >> THE OCEAN IS BOTH FIERCE AND FAMILIAR, YET WE KNOW RELATIVELY LITTLE ABOUT THE UNIVERSE THAT COVER 70% OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE.
IT IS THE LARGEST AND DEEPEST ECOSYSTEM ON THE PLANET.
WE ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT AT THE SURFACE.
THEN ONE TO GET PAST A FEW HUNDRED METERS, EVERYTHING CHANGES BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIGHT.
THEY LIVE IN PERPETUAL DARKNESS.
>> EVERY YEAR, SCIENTISTS LEAVE THE STABILITY OF THEIR LABS ON A QUEST FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SECRETS LOST IN THE DEPTHS O THE UNKNOWN.
CARRIED ON SHIPS LIKE THE ATLANTIS, OPERATED BY WOODS HOLE INSTITUTE.
>> I HAVE SPENT MANY YEA OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND.
THEY ARE THE BEST IN MY LIFE.
>> HE KNOWS MORE THAN MOST.
THIS NASA SCIENTIST, A PROFESSOR AT OREGON STAT UNIVERSITY, HE IS A RENOWNED LEADER IN OCEAN RESEARCH.
SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL THAT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD.
AND TO HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THA IS REALLY INTOXICATING.
NICOLE: IN MARCH O 2018, DR.
BARREN-FELD SET OUT ON THEIR FINAL MISSION, NAAMES.
AN ECOSYSTEM STUDY.
WE JOINED THEM FOR 30 DAY IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC TO RESEARCH THE COMPLEX CYCLE OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN THE OCEAN.
DR. BARREN-FELD: WE TRY TO CREATE SIMPLIFICATIONS OF THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL RULES NICOLE: GATHER THE BRIGHTEST MINDS TO STUDY PHYTOPLANKTON AND ITS CONNECTION TO OUR CLIMATE.
>> THEY ARE TINY PLANTS, MICROSCOPIC.
THEY ARE VASTLY IMPORTANT TO THE PLANET.
THEY SUPPORT FISHERIES, THEY SUCK UP CO FROM THE ATMOSPHERE, AND THEY GO THROUGH CYCLE IN RESPONSE TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTS.
IN THE WINTER, THEY ARE LOW IN CONCENTRATION.
AS YOU MOVE INTO SUMMER, THEY GET HOT.
NICOLE IT IS A CENTURIES OLD QUESTION ABOUT THESE TINY BU POWERFUL ORGANISMS THAT PRODUCE MORE OF THE OXYGEN WE NEED TO BREATHE THAN ALL OF THE TREES ON THE PLANET.
SO WHEN NASA TECHNOLOGY SPACE CHALLENGED THE WAY THAT SCIENTISTS UNDERSTOOD THE PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOM, SERIOUS QUESTIONS WERE RAISED.
DR. BARREN-FELD: ONCE WE STARTED MONITORING THE OCEAN GLOBALLY WITH SATELLITES, EVERY DAY, WE STARTED TO SEE PATTERNS THAT DID NOT FALL INTO OUR TRADITIONAL WAY OF THINKING.
AND HOW THAT CYCLE IS SENSITIVE TO CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
IF WE HAVE A STORMIER YEAR, A FORMER EARTH OR COOLER EARTH, HOW WILL INFLUENCE THE PHYTOPLANKTON?
HOW THAT INFLUENCE ALL THE OTHER THINGS, THE ROLES THAT THEY PLAY.
NICOLE: THEY MAY BE TOO TINY TO SEE WITH THE EYE, BUT THEY ARE THE MOST VITAL ORGANISMS FOR THE PLANET’S SURVIVAL.
SCIENTISTS, 30 CREW HEAD OUT ON BOARD THE R.V. ATLANTIS, A NEW BAY SHIP, A FLOATING S LAB ON A MISSION OF DISCOVERY.
SHAYNA: SCIENCE RESEARCH FUNDING IS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE.
DR. BARREN-FELD SAYS HE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF ADDING THE VARIOUS FIELDS OF STUDY TO THE MISSION.
THAT WAY, THIS SINGLE MISSION PACKS IN AS MUCH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AS POSSIBLE UP NEXT, UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF THE O