Deep Ocean: Scientists

“Getting in the sub and diving is an awe-inspiring experience,” says Dr. Michael Vecchione. “Every time we go down, we see something new.” A cephalopod biologist (squid expert), Dr. Vecchione has taken trips to the bottom of the sea and served as Chief Scientist on many deep ocean expeditions. On dry land, he serves as Director of the National Systematics Laboratory, a NOAA Fisheries lab located at the National Museum of Natural History. Recently, as a scientist on the core team for the museum’s new Sant Ocean Hall, he had a chance to share his lifelong fascination with the ocean. “The opportunity to educate six million visitors a year about the ocean was really important to me,” he says.