Creep into the Deep Scientist Bio: Raymond Boland

Creep into the Deep^{™

Virtual Research Mission to the Deep-Sea}

Hey Kids,

Jake, the SeaDog here, deep-sea scientist and explorer, Dr. Raymond Boland is a Research Biologist with NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center. Here's what I learned about this awesome scientist...
What are your favorite animals? I love my dog and cats. Underwater I like to watch octopus. Sharks astound me with their grace. Recently I have rediscovered the zoo, I think I have been looking underwater for too long! But I think people are my most favorite animal.

What do you study in the deep? Presently I study the fish communities within various habitats at mesophotic depths.
How did you get interested in the deep-sea? After my first research cruise when the depths I was working at were deeper than 100 feet. Past 100 feet it was different. Then one day I went past 130 feet, 140, 150. At 180 feet, I knew that was where I wanted to work.
What's your most amazing experience with an ocean animal? There are so many. Rescuing a Hawaiian monk seal pup from a tangle of nets in the ocean is one. Having a humpback whale swim right over me while we were diving is another; I have never felt so small. Recently on my birthday I was surrounded by over 80 curious sharks while diving.
What is/are the coolest animals you've seen in the deep-sea? Some of the fish are so crazy looking, and I’ve seen some weird squid too. But one of the most amazing animals is the Gold Coral, they are so long lived, hundreds of years or maybe even millennia! Think of a coral that was around for our nation’s birthday or even when Columbus reached the Americas!
What are two things do you do in your home to help the environment? We recycle everything and anything we can, our actual trash can is usually only half full while our recycle can is overflowing. We’ve recently switched to solar for water heating. Whenever I go SCUBA diving, I pick up whatever trash I find. It doesn't take much to help the environment, if everyone in America picked up a single piece of trash on one day, that would be 304 million pieces of trash removed.
What are you hoping to learn/discover on this research cruise? I am hoping to find out which fish populate which habitats at mesophotic depths and whether or not these are the same fish on shallower reefs.
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