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CBS News
3 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Cicadas emerge on Cape Cod after 17 years underground. Why researchers test them for mercury.
After 17 years underground, cicadas are emerging on Cape Cod. The noisy bugs will spend the next four to six weeks above ground as part of their life cycle. When underground, they feed on nutrients and pollutants from nearby trees. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is capturing the insects to test them for heightened mercury levels. "We are looking at the base of the tree to see any if cicadas are climbing up from the bottom," said Corinne Richard, a WHOI research assistant. "The first thing we need to do is find a tree with holes around the bottom." Mercury levels in cicadas Mercury is everywhere from the ground to the air to the ocean. Scientists at WHOI want to see if the mercury levels in the bugs are getting higher, and how much of it is natural versus manmade. Assistant Scientist Laura Motta is out collecting cicadas, but typically she is working on zooplankton in the ocean. She calls them the bugs of the sea. Often, she sees mercury in plankton as well as the fish we eat. Cicada on Cape Cod CBS Boston "The cicadas are a cool analogue of what happens out in the ocean," said Motta. "What we are trying to figure out is how they get it, through time and anthropogenic emissions increases? How are we polluting our forest?" Motta and Richard have been collecting cicadas as well as their molts and the leaves they are near. When the molts land on the ground, they will decompose and potentially reintroduce that mercury to the soil. The mercury can also be passed onto their offspring. "What we are trying to figure out is where does it end up, and how does it accumulate and become a public health problem?" said Motta. The insects are placed into bags depending on their gender. It's easy to figure out which one is a female. "They don't have the ability to sing," said Motta, putting a live cicada up to her ear and shaking it. "If you get really close, you'll be able to tell female or male." How cicadas are tested After they collect a cicada, they give them a quick bath with a water bottle to clean off any excess mercury on their body. The bugs are later frozen at extremely cold temperatures before they are freeze dried and smashed into a powder. The powder is then tested for the mercury levels. "A few years ago, someone did a study to show that cicadas have quite a bit of mercury," said Motta. Now, researchers at WHOI will compare the new data with the study from 17 years ago to see if the mercury levels are rising.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Haunting Deep-Sea Footage Reveals U.S. Submarine Lost During WWI
On December 17, 1917, the U.S. Navy submarine USS F-1, crashed off the coast of San Diego. Now, more than a century later, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) have collected the first high-definition visuals of the wreckage. During a series of seven dives conducted earlier this year, researchers employed the crewed underwater vehicle Alvin and autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry, both based on the WHOI research ship Atlantis, to snap close-ups of the sunken submarine. Since 1917, F-1 has been resting approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) underwater. A Navy underwater vehicle located it by accident in the 1970s, but this expedition is the first to capture detailed images of the lost sub. The F-1 was built in 1901 and launched in 1911. The crash occurred during a training mission, during which the F-1 collided with another submarine, sinking in mere seconds. Nineteen crew members lost their lives, but five escaped and survived. By the time of the 1917 crash, the U.S. had been at war with the Central powers for seven months. 'Advanced ocean technology and simple teamwork played a big part in delivering these new images,' Bruce Strickrott, manager of the Alvin Group at WHOI and the sub's senior pilot who helped lead the expedition, said in a statement. 'Once we identified the wreck and determined it was safe to dive, we were able to capture never-before-seen perspectives of the sub.' The team used multi-beam sonar systems on Atlantis and Sentry to produce maps of the F-1 and surrounding areas. Then, high-resolution cameras on Alvin picked up photos and videos of the wreck. The researchers stitched these images together to create detailed 3D photogrammetric models. The images showed that the F-1 is lying on the seafloor on its starboard (right) side, facing northwest, and is 'remarkably intact,' Strickrott told Live Science. The researchers left the war grave site untouched, however, 'to preserve its condition and be respectful of its legacy,' Bradley Krueger, an underwater archaeologist for the Naval History and Heritage Command who participated in some of the dives, told Live Science. During the series of dives, the researchers also surveyed a Navy torpedo bomber training aircraft that crashed nearby in 1950. The dives were part of a training and engineering mission to provide the Alvin pilots with experience controlling the submersible and employing deep-sea imaging technologies. The research was conducted as a collaboration between the U.S. National Science Foundation, University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System and the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research and Naval History and Heritage Command. After the dives, the researchers held a remembrance ceremony aboard the Atlantis, ringing a bell 19 times, once for each of the F-1's crew members who died in the crash. 'As a U.S. Navy veteran, it was a profound honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our ONR and NHHC colleagues aboard Alvin,' Strickrott said in a statement.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Deep-sea technology captures images of WWI submarine, 100 years after it sank near San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A team of researchers captured high-definition pictures of a sunken World War I-era U.S. Navy submarine off the coast of San Diego, over a century after it was lost at sea. The USS F-1 was involved in a training accident eight days before Christmas Day in 1917, which killed all 19 crew members on board. Three La Jolla homes designated 'historic' by San Diego board With the help of advanced deep-sea imaging technology, researchers were able to capture high-quality images of the submarine's wreckage, discovered more than 1,300 feet under the ocean's surface just west of San Diego. Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) dispatched a human-operated submersible called Alvin and another underwater vehicle called Sentry, both belonging to the National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF), to capture the images. (See images below) 'While these depths were well within the dive capability for Alvin and Sentry, they were technical dives requiring specialized expertise and equipment,' said Anna Michel, co-lead of the expedition and NDSF chief scientist. The team conducted surveys of the submarine using sonar systems on Sentry and a research vessel, Atlantis. They also surveyed the wreckage of a Navy Avenger torpedo bomber that crashed near the area where the USS F-1 sank. 'We were careful and methodical in surveying these historical sites so that we could share these stunning images, while also maintaining the reverence these sites deserve,' Michel stated. A remembrance ceremony later took place onboard Atlantis to commemorate the lives lost during the submersible's training accident 100 years ago. A bell was rung 19 times in honor of each crew member lost at sea, according to a news release by the institution. 'As a Navy veteran, making this dive—together with another Navy veteran and a Navy historian—was a solemn privilege,' said ONR Program Officer Rob Sparrock, who was among those on board the Alvin. 'Lasting nearly eight hours, there was time to contemplate the risks that all mariners, past and present, face.' The surveys and high-definition images of the USS F-1 were gathered with the assistance of the Office of Naval Research, the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System, Naval History and Heritage Command and WHOI. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Lost for over 100 years, World War 1 era US submarine found along with bomber that sank in same area in 1950
Live Events USS F-1 Tragedy (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a historic deep-sea expedition off the coast of San Diego, researchers have captured stunning, never-before-seen imagery of the U.S. Navy submarine USS F-1 , which sank on December 17, 1917, following a fatal collision during a training exercise. The accident claimed the lives of 19 crew members, whose final resting place has now been thoroughly surveyed and documented using state-of-the-art underwater high-resolution images of the World War I-era submarine were taken during a joint research expedition conducted from February 24 to March 4, 2025, by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and several interagency partners, including the U.S. Navy, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).Using advanced deep-sea imaging tools such as the human-occupied vehicle (HOV) Alvin and the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry, researchers successfully located the submarine more than 1,300 feet (400 meters) below the mission also captured detailed imagery of a U.S. Navy Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber that crashed nearby during a training flight in 1950.'Advanced ocean technology and simple teamwork played a big part in delivering these new images,' said Bruce Strickrott, senior pilot of Alvin and manager of WHOI's Alvin Group. 'As a U.S. Navy veteran, it was a profound honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our ONR and NHHC colleagues aboard Alvin.'The discoveries were made during a scheduled training and engineering dive intended to test equipment and develop new deep-sea research techniques. Alongside the technology trials, the expedition served as a somber reminder of the risks faced by sailors past and present.'It was an incredibly exciting and humbling experience to visit these historically significant wrecks and to honor the sacrifice of these brave American Sailors,' said Brad Krueger, underwater archaeologist for the NHHC, who completed his first dive aboard Alvin to visit the F-1 USS F-1, originally conducting a 48-hour performance test, was lost when it collided with the USS F-3 in dense fog. Only three crew members survived. More than a century later, the wreck has been found lying intact on its starboard side, remarkably preserved by the deep-sea honor the fallen, a remembrance ceremony was held aboard the research vessel Atlantis, where the names of the 19 lost sailors were read aloud, and a bell rang 19 times—once for each life lost.'The Navy has a solemn responsibility to ensure the legacies of its lost Sailors are remembered,' said Krueger. 'History and archaeology are all about people, and we felt it was important to read their names aloud.'Advanced imaging tools, including multi-beam sonar and high-resolution cameras, enabled the creation of 3D photogrammetric models of the submarine and bomber wrecks. These reconstructions provide not only educational and historical value but also serve as crucial training assets for future oceanographic missions.'We were careful and methodical in surveying these historical sites so that we could share these stunning images, while also maintaining the reverence these sites deserve,' said Anna Michel, NDSF chief scientist and co-lead of the expedition.
Business Mayor
24-05-2025
- General
- Business Mayor
Lost WWI submarine captured in never-before-seen images off the California coast
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US A World War I submarine wreck off the coast of Southern California has been captured for the first time in new video and images made possible using advanced deep-sea imaging technology. The sunken U.S. Navy vessel now resting on the San Diego seafloor is known as the USS F-1. F-class submarines were based in the Pacific, serving at Hawaii and off California. The F-1 was lost at sea following an accidental collision on December 17, 1917, resulting in the death of 19 crew members. While others were rescued, the submarine sank in just 10 seconds. It was found again nearly 60 years later, according to the Submarine Force Library and Museum Association. The high-definition images of the over a century-old submarine were taken in February and March, when researchers at the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution used a human-occupied vehicle called 'Alvin' and the autonomous underwater vehicle named 'Sentry' to travel down 1,300 feet below the surface of the Pacific waters. A photogrammetric reconstruction shows the USS F-1 submarine on the San Diego, California, seafloor. New images and video of the sunken vessel were released this week (Image by Zoe Daheron, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) 'Once we identified the wreck and determined it was safe to dive, we were able to capture never-before-seen perspectives of the sub,' WHOI's Bruce Strickrott, manager of the Alvin Group at WHOI and the sub's senior pilot, said in a statement. 'As a U.S. Navy veteran, it was a profound honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our ONR and NHHC colleagues aboard Alvin.' The mission also included team members from the Navy, the Naval History and Heritage Command, and the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation completed surveys of the submarine using video cameras, imaging systems on Alvin, as well as sonar systems on Sentry and the research vessel Atlantis. They also examined a Navy torpedo bomber training aircraft that crashed near the same location in 1950. Scientists also surveyed the wreckage of a World War II-era torpedo bomber that crashed in the ocean off the coast of southern California during a training flight. They used advanced ocean technology (Image courtesy of Anna Michel, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; NSF GEO; ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) The sonar on Atlantic and Sentry was used to produce maps of the wreck and seafloor, while Alvin's cameras captured images of the wreck that was stitched into models capable of measuring the sub and the marine life it now supports. Researchers were also able to reconstruct the F-1 and create a three-dimensional model. The dives were part of a previously planned training and engineering mission to give pilots-in-training time to hone their skills and to allow for the development of new technology. 'While these depths were well within the dive capability for Alvin and Sentry, they were technical dives requiring specialized expertise and equipment,' Anna Michel, the co-lead of the expedition, said. 'We were careful and methodical in surveying these historical sites so that we could share these stunning images, while also maintaining the reverence these sites deserve.' Following the dives to USS-F1, the expedition members held a remembrance ceremony for the service members who were lost at sea. There were 19 people who died aboard the submarine (Image by Zoe Daheron, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) Following the dives, they held a remembrance ceremony on Atlantic, ringing a bell for each of the service members lost at sea. Read More Revisited: Secrets of the gut microbiome – podcast 'History and archaeology are all about people and we felt it was important to read their names aloud,' said Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archaeologist Brad Krueger. It was his first in-person dive on a historical wreck site. 'The Navy has a solemn responsibility to ensure the legacies of its lost Sailors are remembered.'
