I make art about science and my work takes me out of the studio to places like this:  a ship at sea for three weeks where scientists worked round the clock to uncover the mysteries of the ocean sound scape using acoustics.   And I want to explain it—through art.

Art and science are deeply human endeavors. How scientific research is communicated to the public needs imaginative, creative storytellers who connect scientific discoveries to human experience. I work to create engaging art that helps the public approach an intimidating subject: scientific research.

Lindsay Olson Science Crew Aboard the R. V. Endeavor

On a muggy day in June of 2018, after two and a half weeks at sea, the ADEON II crew and science team pulled into our last study site off the coast of Virginia. The weather was warm and overcast: the sea state calm. Dr. Miksis-Olds had just given the word to “pop the lander” and all us scanned the immediate vicinity, searching for the orange floats attached to the hydrophones and data collection equipment. This 20-minute journey to the surface was a waiting game we had performed successfully 6 other times…siting and retrieving the lander, downloading the data and plunging the equipment back to the ocean floor to continue collecting data.

Lindsay Olson: Preparing Equipment to be Deployed Off The Back Deck

Lindsay Olson water sampling equipment preparation for deployment

But this time, as soon as Jen gave the word to release the lander, everything changed. The wind shifted, the sea state kicked up, a heavy rain drenched us, and a curtain of fog descended.  All of this made finding the equipment a huge challenge.

This is science at sea: unpredictable, challenging, nerve wracking and exciting.

For many people, science seems like an insurmountable subject. One of those people included me, but this changed when I realized I could use my training as an artist to learn scientific concepts.

Earlier in my career, I had been painting idealized views of the Chicago area waterways, but I had been editing out the built environment. My husband and I purchased a canoe and as often as I could get away with it, I’d be painting in the bow while Craig was paddling.

One day while canoeing on the Cal Sag Canal in Chicago, we passed a beautiful, engineered water fountain.  This did not look like any ordinary water structure I had ever seen.  The structure nagged at me and I wanted to know more about it.

The process of finding out who built this structure and why led me to the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant in Stickney, Ill. After months of interviewing engineers, talking to scientists, attending workshops and lectures, I realized I could learn enough engineering to create artwork that tells the real story of water in a dense urban area.

This will sound strange, but I actually fell in love with science in the middle of a wastewater treatment plant. 

Lindsay Olson: “Rhythmic Sound: Active Acoustics” 36” x 48” Cotton, beads, collage on dupioni silk (photo credit Cindy Trim)

Lindsay Olson: Detail of “Rhythmic Sound: Active Acoustics” in process

Working on the wastewater treatment project gave me the courage to work on other science-based projects after a stint as Fermilab’s first artist in residence and other science related projects, I was ready to return to my watery roots.

During a conversation with my son Dr. Derek Olson, who is an ocean acoustician, he mentioned that a friend of his was organizing a trip on the Atlantic Ocean and was looking for an artist. (How rare is that!?) Derek introduced me to Dr. Jen Miksis Olds, and she invited me on a research residency.

Lindsay Olson: Detail of “Rhythmic Sound: Active Acoustics” zooplankton close up

Why use ocean acoustics to study marine environments?

We are visual creatures. But at sea, light only penetrates a few hundred meters under water. Visibility falls off dramatically in deeper water so the kinds of visual observations that biologists use to study terrestrial ecosystems is not particularly illuminating. Studying what is happening under the ocean requires a different approach. Ocean Acoustics uses sound to describe what’s happening in the ocean soundscape.

Land ecologists study landscape, geology, and weather.  Ocean acousticians talk about soundscapes. A sound scape is just like a landscape…it’s a picture of what’s happening in the ocean environment using sound instead of images to describe the ecosystem. Scientists collect sounds from biologic life, humans sound (shipping) and abiotic sounds like wind, waves, ice, and seismic activity.

The project I worked with, the ADEON project (Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network) used both passive and active acoustics. This natural divide inspired me to create two large scale textile pieces.

Active acoustics uses sound to visualize what life forms inhabit the water column. A ping of sound is transmitted down from the ship and those sound waves collide into the life forms that inhabit the water column. The returning echoes (sound waves) – help define the life forms found in a particular layer of the ocean.

On the Active Acoustics artwork, I’ve included the echosounders ping and returning sound waves here. You can see the orderly waves emanating from the equipment and radiating down into the water column. In an echogram, you can see what happens to the energy waves bumping into the organisms and creating a unique sonic signature.

Here is an example of what the data looks like. This is an echogram recorded by Dr. Warren’s night crew. You can see why I was inspired by images like these. This data right here fascinated me.

Lindsay Olson: Echogram of data for the daily migration of zooplankton (illustrated on the “Rhythmic Sound: Active Acoustics” piece

One example of how active acoustics illuminates ocean life is how it describes a particularly dramatic event. The deep scattering layer (several meters below the surface) is a mix of tiny life forms: zooplankton, small fish, and squids. Zooplankton and small fish form the foundation of the ocean food chain, but this also means, they themselves are food for many predators. They travel a daily migration route to the surface of the ocean at sunset where they feed all night. At dawn, they scoot back down to the gloom a few hundred meters down to hide from predators. This is a very cleaver survival strategy because in the open ocean, there is nowhere to hide.

In addition to the active acoustics data collected on our trip, the night crew also cast nets behind the ship hundreds of meters deep to collect samples of these organisms. Data from the net tows was compared with the data collected from the echosounder. Comparing these two data sets is called “ground truthing”. Ground truthing is important to ocean scientists because different variables like organisms or turbulence in the water, could cause similar patterns to show up in the data. Without an independent verification, it is difficult to say anything specific about the environment with acoustic data alone.

Studying these vital organisms helps scientists discover the health and vitality of ocean ecosystems.

The species of zooplankton netted by our night crew was filled with a rich array of organisms that form the foundation of the ocean food chain. The second part of my art project, “Plankton: Living in Light and Dark” was inspired by this work.

Lindsay Olson: Bothus

Bothus larvae are temporary denizens of the plankton. As soon as they can swim against the ocean current, they become bottom feeders and eventually both eyes are situated on one side of their bodies. You might know them as flounder.

Copepods are aquatic crustaceans and are one of the most abundant, permanent organisms in the plankton. They use a luminescent trail secreted from their hindquarters to distract potential predators.

Lindsay Olson: Copepods

One of the reasons I loved working with the ADEON project data was its wide scope. Not only was the project designed to collect both active and passive acoustics data, but Jen wanted to collect NASA satellite data of seasonal phytoplankton blooms and compare them with other data in the study area. This is a spring bloom as seen from space.

Lindsay Olson: NASA satellite image of phytoplankton bloom

I’ve embroidered a few species of phytoplankton on the Active Acoustics artwork.

Phytoplankton supply half our planet’s oxygen and sequester tons of carbon dioxide. (This is not hyperbole.) They are also the foundation of the entire ocean food chain. Very little is known about their life cycles but as oceans warm and ocean acidification rises, these foundational organisms are increasingly imperiled.  Their fate is intimately tied with the fate of all organisms in the ocean.

Correlating the acoustics data, the net tows of organisms found in the water column and the NASA images of seasonal phytoplankton blooms, gives a comprehensive view of marine life in the study area.

Studio process

Although I keep a conventional paper bound sketchbook, my textile sketches are a parallel form of ideations.  I limited my pallet to mono chromatic tones of teal in both the silk background and the cotton threads I used. Limiting the number of stitches used in the piece created a more unified surface.

Most of the stitching I used on these pieces were various kind of couching, (Bokhara, Romanian and regular) but I also used padded satin stitch, intentionally sloppy French knots and wrapped back stitches for the equations. Simplifying some elements in the artwork allowed me to focus on the content of the work.

Lindsay Olson Studio: Preparing the bias strips with embroidered equations

Lindsay Olson Studio: Sample stitches and materials for “Rhythmic Sound: Active Acoustics”

My aim is to pack as much science information into the work as I can but develop the art in such a way that it stands on its own — even if someone is not interested in the science. I knew early on that I wanted to work with silk dupioni. This fabric has a pronounced grain line, and I exploited this characteristic   so that the surface of the art would shimmer like the light on the ocean surface.

Historically, heavily embroidered, and beaded clothing would have been created as a sign of social status. By using these labor-intensive processes and materials, I am creating a visual link that helps to elevate the status of the science content I’m illuminating.

The second part of this project captures the power of passive acoustics to advance our understanding of the ocean soundscape.

Lindsay Olson: “Circular Sound: Passive Acoustics”; 36” x 36” Cotton, beads, collage on dupioni silk (photo credit Cindy Trim)

Because of limited visibility, marine mammals and fish are highly adapted to producing and perceiving sound in the ocean. Animals rely on sound for many purposes such as navigation, maintaining social interactions, finding food, and attracting a mate. Passive acoustics uses underwater microphones called hydrophones to collect data. The equipment collects information in all directions and listens in on marine life: including sounds generated by marine mammals, sounds of human activity, seismic activity and abiotic sounds like wind ice and waves.

I’ve interpreted the hydrophone data here and here using embroidery and beading. The ocean is a noisy environment and I’ve included the ambient sound in an all-over stitching pattern.  The middle of the artwork is a stand in for the equipment that housed the hydrophones.

Included in this piece are data collected from humpback whales, a seismic event and a sound scientist have yet to identify.

Around the edges of the piece, I wanted to represent a dramatic feature of the ocean soundscape. The SOFAR channel. (SOFAR stands for SOund Fixing and Ranging transmission)

Lindsay Olson Studio: Sample stitches and notes for “Circular Sound: Passive Acoustics”

How far can sound travel underwater?

The Ocean is divided into horizontal layers in which the speed of sound is influenced by temperature (warmer in upper layers) and pressure in the deeper layers. As the temperature decreases lower down in the water column, the speed of sound decreases. But as pressure increases (the lower down you go) the speed of sound increases. The SOFAR channel is a sweet spot where low frequency sounds travel in an optimal layer over vast distances. The sound bends up and down between warmer areas and areas of greater pressure. Because the SOFAR channel is influenced by temperature and pressure, this horizontal sweet spot shifts depending on conditions.  Marine mammals like whales exploit the SOFAR channel to communicate across oceans. Low frequency whale songs (Like those of the Humpback whale) can travel from Florida to Nova Scotia.

In the border around this artwork, I’ve included a math equation that is a reference to ocean acidification. A proper PH balance is crucial to the survival of marine life. When carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean, it changes the chemistry of the water. As our planet warms, the rise in CO2 levels contribute to increases in ocean acidity.   This rise in acidity means less calcium carbonate is available to organisms for building shells and skeletons. Changes in Ph impact ocean acoustics as well but this is not fully understood.  These are only two examples, among many of the consequences of increasing acidity in the ocean.

Dr. Olson helped me understand the value of the one equation, like Tolkien’s One Ring, that describes waves: light waves, as well as sound waves. This equation is the mathematics behind oscillations that move in space, as well as in time. This equation is also the link between the environment (temperature, pH salinity and pressure), and acoustic data that allows scientists to make conclusions based on acoustic measurements.

I’ve placed those equations in the “prime” real-estate are of the artwork: in the middle.

Science at Sea

As an artist, I’m always interested in what science looks like. I’ve worked with scientists in a number of terrestrial labs. But science at sea poses some unique challenges. Two teams worked round the clock to collect water sampling data, deploy equipment and log measurements from instruments.

One of the biggest challenges is that heavy equipment is deployed and retrieved by cranes on a constantly rolling, heaving surface. Every member of our ships compliment needed to stay alert. Every time we stepped on the deck to accomplish a task, we needed to remember our safety training. I never forgot that the ocean is a hostile environment for humans.

One of the things that impressed me the most was how well the ship’s crew, the science crew, the equipment and even the ship itself, functioned like a highly choreographed marine ballet in the service of science.  Working at sea requires teamwork, patience, and generosity among crew mates.

Lindsay Olson Studio: A selection of bias tape makers in various widths

Amidst our 12-hour shifts were moments of grace: Like the time a pod of pilot whales followed us though out the day, the stunning sunsets and sunrises every day and  the joyful welcome we received when a pod of 100 dolphins surrounded us as we pulled in to the Virginia study site.  We worked hard but were surrounded by a majestic beauty every day.

There are strict rules that define what activities get to be called scientific.  A scientist must be able to objectively look at the data without overlaying her own opinions and feelings so that she can examine it empirically.

But before an experiment begins and after the data has been analyzed, there is plenty of room to connect science with human experience.  Art has the ability connects us with our human nature…flawed, messy, and emotional. The goal of this project is to lure in science-phobic people with handsome art and blow their minds with cool ocean science.

Going to sea with the RV endeavor crew not only inspired me to make art about ocean science, but it also permanently altered my view of our planet. Much like astronauts viewing the earth from space for the first time, experiencing the vastness of the ocean and my own tiny presence made me appreciate just how dependent we are on our fragile planet. Our oceans are mighty yet fragile and deserve our care and attention.  I’ve created textile art that celebrates textile art and informs the public about ocean research.

Now I want others to understand what I have learned:  that you don’t need a Ph.D. to fall in love with science.

Lindsay Olson: Explaining the art and science to a visitor at the University of New Hampshire’s Ocean Discovery Day

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Special thanks to Dr. Jen Miksis-Olds, University of New Hampshire, the ADEON project, the Center for Acoustics Research and Education.

Project collaborators

Dr. Jennifer Miksis-Olds-Research Professor, School of Marine Science and Engineering and Director of the Centre for Acoustic Research and Education, University of New Hampshire.

Dr. Joseph D. Warren-Associate Professor, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stonybrook University.

Dr. Derek Olson-Assistant Professor, Naval Postgraduate School

Dr. Sebastian Velez- International Law Enforcement Analyst, NOAA

Special thanks to the University of New Hampshire and the Centre for Acoustic Research and Education for their support.

The Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network (ADEON)

The Art Institute of Chicago Textile Department

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www.lindsayolsonart.com

Art, Creativity, Ecology, Environment, Science, Sound, Technology