Strickrott enlisted in the US Navy in 1986 and after completing recruit training in San Diego, California, he was transferred to Naval Station Great Lakes where he qualified as a Fire Control technician.

[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] In August 2004, during an Alvin dive series along the Gulf of Alaska seamounts, Strickrott collected a very large new species of bamboo coral[10][11].

The expedition discovered numerous pristine deep sea coral reefs in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Strickrott found a new species of deep sea hagfish in March of 2005, during Alvin dive number 4089 along the southern East Pacific Rise.

[23][24][25] Strickrott helped discover a new species of deep sea polychaete worm During his dives in 2009 and 2018, near Methane Seeps in the Pacific Ocean off Costa Rica.