Dia 27 di augustus, e team cientifico y e ekipo a subi e boto di investigacion R/V Hydra, maneha pa Inkfish, un organisacion filantropico dedica na amplia conocemento cientifico di lama door di investigacion. Hunto cu nan ta Arubianonan Harold Kelly, arkeologo di Museo Arqueologico Nacional Aruba y Oriana Wouters, ecologo di IDNOVA.
R/V Hydra ta un plataforma flotador cientifico cu ta carga un ekipo multidisciplinario di aproximadamente 48 miembro: cientifico, tecnico, y specialista. Lider di e expedicion Matt Carter y e ekipo tin experticio cu ta cubri ciencia marino, investigacion geospacial, sambuyamento tecnico, y otro disciplinanan cientifico.
E miembronan Arubiano di e ekipo y nan insititucion ta sostene Inkfish cu conocemento local, literatura, y perspectivanan tocante e sitionan, yudando asina e ekipo di Inkfish pa tuma decisionnan ora di planea sondeo y sambuyamento. Cartografia a demostra algun anomalia, e ekipo di Inkfish ta desaroya interpretacionnan posibel basa riba data, mientras informacion cu e ekipo Arubano a provee a yuda verifica varios di e teorianan aki. Simultaneamente, e ekipo Arubano ta siña di e ekipo di e laboratorio, hayando conocemento practico di colecta y prepara muestranan di ‘environmental DNA’ (eDNA). E intercambio aki entre experticio tecnico y conocemento local ya a demostra di ta valioso.
Hydra a traha mapa di areanan cerca y leu di costa west di Aruba. Un di e resultadonan mas excitante ta cu den solamente 4 dia, R/V Hydra a detecta leu di costa barconan cu a sink asocia cu sitionan conoci como tambe sitionan anteriormente no identifica. Mientrastanto, e boto di investigacion Skye a ser desplega pa areanan cerca di Aruba su costa na banda Zuid.
Despues di dos sambuyamento di test na e sitionan Jane Sea y avionnan Arashi, e ekipo a sondea e sitio di Antilla. Akinan a colecta imagen uzando scooternan bou awa ekipa cu camera, hunto cu muestranan di awa pa analisa eDNA, pa provee conocemento di pisca y biodiversidad di  invertebrados, y tambe di e presencia di patogenas asocia cu rif.
Durante e prome anochi, a traha un modelo virtual 3D di ES Antilla. Mientrastanto, R/V Hydra a continua pa traha mapa leu di costa, permitiendo e ekipo pa evalua e modelo liher, identifica unda falta informacion den e imagennan y determina si mester organisa un sambuyamento mas pa cubri esaki y pa haci evaluacionnan ecologico, incluyendo observacionnan di e estado di deterioriacion di ES Antilla.
Durante e siguiente dos simannan, e ekipo di Inkfish y e botonan di investigacion lo continua pa traha hunto cu Museo Arqueologico Nacional Aruba (MANA) pa explora, identifica y documenta Aruba su Herencia Cultural Bou Awa, ampliando loke nos sa relaciona cu e paisahe y storianan bou di nos awanan teritorial.
R/V Hydra in Aruba: expanding local knowledge of what lies beneath
On 27 August, the science team and crew boarded the research vessel R/V Hydra, operated by Inkfish, a philanthropic organization dedicated to expanding scientific knowledge of the sea through research. Joining them are Arubans Harold Kelly, archaeologist of the National Archaeology Museum Aruba and Oriana Wouters, ecologist of IDNOVA.
R/V Hydra is a floating scientific platform that carries a multidisciplinary team of approximately 48 crew members: scientists, technicians, and specialists. Expedition leader Matt Carter and the team bring expertise covering marine science, geospatial research, technical diving, and other scientific disciplines.
The Aruban team members and their institutions support Inkfish by sharing local knowledge, literature, and insights about the sites, helping the Inkfish team make informed decisions when planning surveys and dives. When the mapping revealed anomalies, the Inkfish team developed possible interpretations based on the data, while information provided by the Aruban team help verify several of these theories. Simultaneously, the Aruban team shadows the laboratory team, gaining hands-on insight into eDNA collection and sample preparation. This exchange between technical expertise and local knowledge is already proving valuable.
Hydra has been mapping nearshore and offshore areas along Aruba’s western coast. One of the most exciting results is that in only four days, R/V Hydra detected wrecks associated with both known and previously unidentified offshore sites. Meanwhile, the research boat Skye was deployed to map nearshore areas along Aruba’s southern coast.
After two test dives at Jane Sea and Arashi airplanes, the team surveyed the SS Antilla wreck. Here images were collected using underwater scooters fitted with camera mounts, along with water samples for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, to provide insights into fish and invertebrate biodiversity, as well as the presence of reef-associated pathogens.
Overnight, a 3D virtual model of the SS Antilla was built. Meanwhile, R/V Hydra continued mapping offshore, allowing the team to quickly evaluate the model, identify gaps in the imagery, and determine whether to carry out a second dive to fill them and conduct ecological assessments, including observations of the wreck’s state of deterioration.
Over the next two weeks, the Inkfish team and research vessels will continue working alongside the National Archaeological Museum of Aruba (MANA) to explore, identify and document Aruba’s underwater cultural heritage, expanding what we know about the landscape and stories that lie beneath our territorial waters.
