The scientific plan was developed by the German oceanographer Alfred Merz. It was commanded by Captain F. Spiess. The crew numbered 123, including 10 officers, 29 petty officers, 78 ratings, and 6 civilians.
The most important innovation was the use of an echo sounder. An echo sounder is a device that bounces sound waves off of the ocean floor to study the depth and contours of the seafloor. With this device, they were able to map the seafloor which was the main purpose of this expedition.