The Ocean Study

A group of ocean scientists are working on a yearlong study. They are studying the types of fish and plants that live in a particular area of the ocean. Each week they board a submarine that descends deep into the ocean. They spend two days observing the fish, the underwater life, and collecting various samples of plants before resurfacing. 

The group of ocean scientists are a relatively new team, and for many them, the study represents their first underwater exploration. They are getting used to what it takes to navigate a submarine, and for the first few months, the primary purpose of each journey is to get used to descending deep into the ocean, and resurfacing.

Once they have spent several months learning what it takes to work on the submarine, they turn their attention to observing the fish and underwater life. Once they make the descent deep into the ocean, they spend several hours observing the schools of fish and their patterns of eating behavior. They count the fish and make detailed descriptions of their physical characteristics. They are working on developing a categorization of all the fish and underwater life that exists in that area of the ocean.

In the area where they tend to observe, there is a small sunken piece from a boat that sits at the bottom of the ocean. On one trip, a new scientist that has joined the group notices it and says, “Did you see that? It looks like a small piece from a boat.”

Another scientist answers, “It’s been down here since we started.”

The scientists spend some time discussing what they should do, and decide to do some follow-up once they resurface as they are not sure what can be done to collect the fallen piece. They learn it is not an easy task to retrieve fallen objects that make their way to the ocean floor, and for the time being, they should take pictures and make detailed descriptions of the items they find.

During one staff meeting, the lead scientist mentions that there has been a response to their inquiry about the fallen boat piece and a meeting has been set-up for the following week to discuss the situation.

The following week arrives and they meet to discuss the fallen object. A specialist has been asked to attend the meeting and explains that there is interest in retrieving the small object. The specialist explains that the submarine can be provided a piece of special equipment that can be used to grab hold of the fallen object. A metal arm can be released from a hole on the side of the submarine and grab onto the fallen object with a specially designed tool at the end of the arm. Once attached, the fallen object can be pulled along as the submarine resurfaces, and placed onto a ship where it will eventually be restored.

The specialist joins the team on their next scheduled trip, and at the end of the trip, helps the team attach the small piece of the fallen boat using the metal arm. They make their way back to the surface of the ocean, and wait for a ship to arrive that will be used to retrieve the fallen object.

A few months later, the group of scientists notice a large anchor that has made its way to the bottom of the ocean. They take pictures and make a detailed description of the anchor. After they resurface, they make another inquiry as to whether or not the item should be retrieved. A few weeks go by and they learn that once again the specialist will join them on their next trip to help them retrieve the fallen anchor.

The scientists make biweekly trips on the submarine for observation. After every third or fourth trip, they tend to come across a sunken object. It tends to be a small piece from a boat or anchor, but they have also come across fragments from cars, motorcycles, and even bicycles.

They have learned to take pictures of the objects and write a detailed description. They then follow-up as to whether or not they should retrieve it. Over time, the scientists have become familiar with using the special metal arm. If they come across an object, they attach it at the end of the trip and pull it along where it will be placed on a ship once they resurface.

After they come across another car fragment on one trip, one of the scientists says, “It seems that all the objects we find tend to be metal objects. They are not very large, but it’s almost like someone placed them there.”

Once they resurface, the scientist spends some time writing a report detailing the objects they have found. He distributes the report to provide information, and also makes some observatory remarks about the type of objects they tend to find.

The scientist receives an e-mail message that mentions that they would like to forward the report to another group of researchers that have been studying the electric charges in the ocean.

The report is forwarded and a special meeting between the ocean scientists and the group of researchers is set-up to discuss the report. The researchers are very interested in the information as it provides information to the type of information that they are studying about the ocean. They have a theory that there is some type of electric charge in that part of the ocean, and the fact that the objects they have come across tend to be metal helps confirm it. The group of researchers explain that the fallen objects they have come across are most likely objects that have fallen from ferries, and over time, made their way to that part of the ocean floor.

By now, the yearlong study has come to an end, but there is interest in extending the study to continue their observations. The study will also be expanded to include some experiments with the group of researchers to help confirm whether or not that part of the ocean has electric charges that may be drawing metal objects towards it.

The researchers spend several months designing and creating different types of anchors. The anchors will be designed so they are the same weight, but they will be made out of different materials with varying levels of metal including some that do not contain any metal. 

As part of the experiments, the anchors will be released from the submarine one at a time and tracked. They will be observed and the scientists will wait a few months to see where they eventually land and record their exact location.

The information from the experiments will be used to help determine if there is some type of electric charge that is causing metal objects to be drawn to it. If the theory holds, the objects that have a higher amount of metal will be more likely to be found in that area of the ocean.

The ocean scientists never expected that their explorations of the ocean would also include fallen metal objects that they refer to as “ocean magnets”, but the group of researchers are glad they did.