Zooplankton Data Collection Aboard Perola do Mar: Interview with Marine Biologist Marta Musso
Collecting zooplankton data while sailing the Atlantic.
Marta Musso on research, sailing, and jelly-like creatures.
Marta Musso on research, sailing, and jelly-like creatures.
Xploration Digital Team talked to Marta Musso, a marine biologist, sailor, and illustrator, about her research on gelatinous zooplankton aboard Perola do Mar. She shares how she joined the expedition, collected data while sailing, and adapted her research to life on a moving vessel.
Illustration by Marta Musso
Could you tell a bit about yourself and your work?
I’m a marine biologist, sailor and illustrator with a strong passion for plankton. I work in ocean literacy and science communication sharing my knowledge on the marine microcosm and the beauty and diversity of these ocean drifters. I work with the youth but also collaborate in Art &Science projects on the topic.
I have just jumped back in research starting a master’s in Ocean Engineering MSc at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) where I also work as a research assistant on zooplankton and jellyfish distribution in the Baltic Sea.
How did you join Xploration, and what was the goal of the trip?
I joined Xploration sailing in December 2023 by pure chance as a friend (and now one of the captains of Perola do Mar for next season, Francesco) tagged me in a Facebook post and since I can never say no to a good adventure, I joined onboard!
We sailed from Tenerife to Gambia river as an exploration expedition of the area together with another marine biologist (friend and colleague), an ornithologist and other crew member in the media and communication sector. I didn’t really bring a scientific project with me as there was not enough time to prepare but I took my Curiosity Microscope and camera to record videos and photos of microorganisms and other marine creatures.
I have just jumped back in research starting a master’s in Ocean Engineering MSc at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) where I also work as a research assistant on zooplankton and jellyfish distribution in the Baltic Sea.
How did you join Xploration, and what was the goal of the trip?
I joined Xploration sailing in December 2023 by pure chance as a friend (and now one of the captains of Perola do Mar for next season, Francesco) tagged me in a Facebook post and since I can never say no to a good adventure, I joined onboard!
We sailed from Tenerife to Gambia river as an exploration expedition of the area together with another marine biologist (friend and colleague), an ornithologist and other crew member in the media and communication sector. I didn’t really bring a scientific project with me as there was not enough time to prepare but I took my Curiosity Microscope and camera to record videos and photos of microorganisms and other marine creatures.
Marta Musso and Francesсo Dellanoce, captain of Perola do Mar
It was an incredible experience and when Mitya (captain of Perola do Mar) asked if I wanted to join again this November, I immediately said yes. We sailed from Tenerife to A Coruna (Galicia, North Spain) and stopped briefly in Madeira.
This time I wrote a little research project to bring onboard. Looking at gelatinous zooplankton distribution along the transect and assessing the feasibility of collecting data while transferring the boat - which is not ideal as science usually needs more time but, it was really interesting, and I got something out of it together with the excitement of designing my own small research project which counted as a ‘special course’ at my university, Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
This time I wrote a little research project to bring onboard. Looking at gelatinous zooplankton distribution along the transect and assessing the feasibility of collecting data while transferring the boat - which is not ideal as science usually needs more time but, it was really interesting, and I got something out of it together with the excitement of designing my own small research project which counted as a ‘special course’ at my university, Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
What kind of research did you conduct, and why was collecting this data important?
I collected gelatinous zooplankton samples along the route both during the day and nighttime using the time of my shift between 9-12 am and 9-12 pm.
At DTU you can create a course from scratch if you have a supervisor’s approval, strong background information, and clear learning objectives. So, I decided to design a small research project looking at gelatinous organisms along the transect. Jellies and gelatinous organisms are very poorly studied in general because of their delicate bodies that often get destroyed in the nets and maybe because of a lack of interest as we don’t eat them.
At DTU you can create a course from scratch if you have a supervisor’s approval, strong background information, and clear learning objectives. So, I decided to design a small research project looking at gelatinous organisms along the transect. Jellies and gelatinous organisms are very poorly studied in general because of their delicate bodies that often get destroyed in the nets and maybe because of a lack of interest as we don’t eat them.
For me it was also interesting to see how hard and if it is even possible to collect data while transferring the boat and how to minimize the amount of gear to bring onboard as it is not a research vessel. Plus, I was flying there with only a small backpack.
How did your research fit into daily life on the yacht?
I carried out the sampling during my shift and I was helped by the crew especially Francesco (one of Perola’s captains) and Giuditta (a friend and fellow marine biologist) who helped a lot in recording data and deploying the net. They also made it much more fun! I am also very grateful to Mitya for allowing me to slow down the boat every now and then to deploy the net and for supporting the project from the beginning.
What tools and equipment did you use to gather data?
As I said before I tried to keep the gear as simple and essential as possible because of the limited space. I brought a plankton net with a large mesh size (to collect mainly gelatinous zooplankton), some bottles to store all the samples and bring them back to the lab, ethanol to conserve the samples, a squeeze bottle, fennel, I also made a small light table to look at the jellies onboard but since it was quite wavy, I saved the sample for the laboratory on land.
What happened with the results? Were they useful for any ongoing studies?
I presented my results as part of the course assessment in a report and a presentation which I am happy to share if anyone is interested.
It is not ‘proper’ research as it doesn’t have enough data points, but it was really interesting for me to see differences in species along the way and how some were present in certain areas and completely absent in others. It would be very interesting to learn more about these beautiful creatures. Especially siphonophores and pelagic tunicates (Salps and Doliolids), about which I’ve learned a lot during this course onboard!
It is not ‘proper’ research as it doesn’t have enough data points, but it was really interesting for me to see differences in species along the way and how some were present in certain areas and completely absent in others. It would be very interesting to learn more about these beautiful creatures. Especially siphonophores and pelagic tunicates (Salps and Doliolids), about which I’ve learned a lot during this course onboard!
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