tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051788844360970822024-03-13T10:19:41.548-07:00Science at Sea with Mr.CSharing my experiences as a participant aboard the R/V Melville.
Researching the impact of ocean acidification in the northern Pacific Ocean. Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-11291725626570471312014-06-25T11:52:00.002-07:002014-06-26T11:23:06.208-07:00Reflection<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As we were approaching the University<br />
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Some time has passed since we departed the R/V <i>Melville. </i>Some of the scientists headed home to be with their families, while others have moved on to their next scientific opportunity. I decided to stay in Seattle for five days to spend time with my wife in one of our favorite cities in the United States. Unlike in my previous research trips, we were able to meet up with some cruise colleagues before we headed back to Houston. The weather was perfect for our stay with air temperatures in the mid-70s and cool winds at night. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Hannah Glover (UW/NOAA-PMEL), Rachel Vander<br />
Giessen (UW-APL), Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU),<br />
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So now that I'm back home, where do I go from here? During the summer, I will clean up and hopefully improve some of my blog entries. I look forward to taking a few hours a day to read them, just as many of you have done. I'll start to think of ways to incorporate my experiences in my chemistry lessons. As important as the science was, I want my students to really understand how critical good teamwork is in order to meet a scientific goal. We had a really good team that worked hard, but also enjoyed the journey along the way.</div>
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As time passes, more information about our research will become available to the public. I plan to link reports of the research to my blog. I hope that teachers, students and all concerned stakeholders, will continue to use my entries as a means to understand the challenges that our world ocean faces. Please feel free to contact me via this blog and on Twitter.</div>
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As an educator, I can say that blog writing has been a great experience as a means of reflection. The process was not easy at first, but after a few days it became much more routine for me. When we started our cruise, I would rely on first taking pictures, asking questions to the scientists, then framing the events of the day into the story. After the experiments started and were well on their way, I wanted to shift my focus on the people working on the research. Very rarely, does the public get to see experiments take place. I wanted to present them in a way that was accurate in terms of the science, but I also felt that is was important to show the fun involved in such time-sensitive, and sometimes physically demanding work.</div>
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The most challenging aspect of blog writing while on the R/V <i>Melville</i>, was our very slow Internet connection. For reasons unknown, we had spotty connections at best. Trey and I would attempt to snap photos, and compress them for upload throughout the day. We tried our best to sit down and write in between our sampling stations, sometimes only to find that the Internet was not working. The ship's crew was nice enough to stay off the Internet from 19:00 to midnight, giving us more bandwidth to work with. Even then, it could take hours to type, insert photos, format, edit, and finally post. It was hard to deal with in the beginning, but as the cruise carried on, Trey and I managed to adapt and plan. As teachers, that's what we do... I remember someone once told me that teaching comprised of 25% planning and 75% improvisation. I believe that improvisation is what made the stories so much fun to write about.</div>
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I've been fortunate to been able to meet and talk with reporters from Houston, San Francisco and Seattle. Since returning home, I've have been invited to take part in a panel discussion with my school district, our local junior college system, and Texas A&M, about research trips and practices. I am very excited to share my experiences with them. We will meet on October 30th.</div>
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I encourage educators to look for field work experiences. The best type of professional development is working in the field. There are opportunities out there, waiting to be claimed. I recommend attending conferences and networking -- there are lots of research projects that often need an outreach component. Teachers serve as that link to the classroom, to their communities and to the general public.<br />
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I would like to once again thank all of you for your interest and support during this research project. I hope that you will continue to check back as I may be adding additional information and resources as they arise. Until then, I wish you all fair winds and following seas...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the R/V <i>Melville</i> from Interstate 5, Seattle, Washington.</td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-52375080135751377852014-06-06T16:38:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:25:50.632-07:00And It Was Over, Just Like That...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sunrise at 04:45.</span></td></tr>
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I woke up at 04:15, unable to sleep any longer. I had been through the Ballard Locks before, so I thought that I would just sleep through our passage scheduled for 05:00, but I just couldn't do it. I have never through the Locks at sunrise, so I walked out on deck in my shorts and t-shirt, and saw an orange glow over the horizon and decided that I was up for the day. I went back down, put on my shoes, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed back on deck. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Waiting at the Locks.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Securing the R/V <i>Melville </i>at the Ballard Locks</span>.<br />
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Going through the Ballard Locks is necessary because we are passing from the salt water of Puget Sound, into Portage Bay's fresh water. Built into the Locks is a salmon ladder, which allow the fish to pass between fresh and salt water. Lined below the salmon ladder, are glass panels which allow visitors the opportunity to witness the fish navigate the Locks.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rachel Vander Giessen's </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine),</span></div>
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Most of the scientists gathered on the 02 deck to watch the operation take place between the ship's crew and the workers on the Locks. As we pulled in, large doors closed behind the R/V <i>Melville. </i>Water began to fill the space occupied by the ship until it rose to the same level as the freshwater side. Once we reached the same height, the doors in front of the vessel, giving us passage into Portage Bay. </div>
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As we slowly steamed toward the University of Washington, we sailed under several drawbridges. Drivers temporarily unable to complete their morning commute, got out of their cars, and watched us pass underneath them. We waved back at each other as the R/V <i>Melville</i> continued toward the UW dock.</div>
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Also joining us were several university crew teams, rowing alongside us. Several recreation rowers inadvertently cruised into our path, inciting a blast from the ship's foghorn. I nearly spilled my coffee from the loud warnings...</div>
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When we finally reached the docked, we were greeted by Dr. Jan Newton (Univ. of Washington-APL) along with employees from the university. Once the gangway was lowered, several scientists made their way off the vessel, receiving handshakes and hugs after setting foot again on soil.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tying up to the dock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Deploying the gangplank.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Getting ready to set foot back on land.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We are docked at the </span></div>
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Within the next hour and a half, we managed to move almost all of containers off of the ship. The sun was now much hotter than at any other time during the cruise. </div>
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Julian Herndon was on the dock, tying knots onto boxes that were set to be picked up by a shipping company. The NOAA group started shuttling their items from the ship to their offices, just a short distance away. Everybody pitched in with cleaning and returning the R/V <i>Melville's </i>lab to an empty space, ready for the next science group set to board on Sunday.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Offloading equipment from the R/V <i>Melville.</i></span><br />
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By 14:00, some of us headed up to a local restaurant so we could enjoy a small bit of normalcy. Even though we were excited to be off of the ship, we couldn't help but shift our conversation toward the work did in the past 25 days. We were reminiscent of the first days. We exchanged stories, shared a few laughs and talked about the future. </div>
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We returned back to the ship an hour later. There were still files to copy and transfer, as well as more cleaning to be done. Some of us will take a nap, resting up for our gathering at our favorite local pizzeria. There's comfort in going back to where we've ended our previous cruises. There we will sit together, one last time as a team, to celebrate a successful research cruise.</div>
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Thanks again for reading. I will write one last post after I return to Houston. I hope that you will share my experience. We are all connected by our world ocean. We have a responsibility to protect it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View of Seattle.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">R/V <i>Melville</i> - Salty since 1969.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFTCgay3W9w/U5IHy4qsgBI/AAAAAAAABDc/kNje6pFUMOI/s1600/IMG_4279b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFTCgay3W9w/U5IHy4qsgBI/AAAAAAAABDc/kNje6pFUMOI/s1600/IMG_4279b.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is for my former USC classmate, Titi Dang. "Wish you were here." Trojans forever.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-35195284024989286422014-06-05T21:44:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:26:10.992-07:00100th Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fl4Dv6h8-Lw/U5EssrqOjUI/AAAAAAAABBQ/msR2LH3mEw8/s1600/IMG_4126b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fl4Dv6h8-Lw/U5EssrqOjUI/AAAAAAAABBQ/msR2LH3mEw8/s1600/IMG_4126b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last night's sunset off the coast of Washington.</td></tr>
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We finished our sampling with two final CTD casts. The weather inside Puget Sound was perfect: air temperatures in the high 60s with a slight breeze, accompanied by abundant sunshine. This was ideal for our other big task for the day--packing up. Starting at 08:00, we began to break down equipment, clear the work benches, and wash down our white storage containers with fresh water. They had accumulated a lot of salt from being on deck throughout the cruise. Like worker ants, we moved in and out of the lab to shuttle our stuff onto the back deck of the R/V <i>Melville. </i>By 15:00, we moved most of our lab equipment and supplied moved into their containers. During the day, I completed another few rounds of reading chlorophyll samples, followed by an impromptu tearing down ceremony of my dark room. It was like taking down a Christmas tree after the holidays--it all came down a lot faster than it went up.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bSxjnBz63qo/U5Esz_AiZ2I/AAAAAAAABBo/cDaAseVBSI0/s1600/IMG_4155b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bSxjnBz63qo/U5Esz_AiZ2I/AAAAAAAABBo/cDaAseVBSI0/s1600/IMG_4155b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view of the lab in the </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">morning.</span></td></tr>
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At the moment, most scientists are backing up their files, cleaning their rooms, and making final arrangements for arriving in Seattle. After passing through the Ballard Locks at 05:00 tomorrow morning, we will slowly steam to the University of Washington where we will unload. This process will take most of day and will conclude by 17:00. After that time, some scientists will head home (in Seattle). Others, will head to a hotel. The rest will stay on the ship for at least another night. </div>
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Trey and I are packing up as we get ready to disembark tomorrow. I will try to write a post early tomorrow before leaving the ship. I will be staying in Seattle for a few days...looking forward to my wife joining me this weekend. I really appreciate all that she as done for me so that I could take part in this experience. </div>
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Today is a milestone for me, as it marks my 100th day as a teacher at sea. As my fourth research cruise draws to a close, I would like to extend my thanks to our principal investigators for having Trey and I out to sea. Dr. Vera Trainer, Dr. Charles Trick, Dr. Mark Wells, and Dr. William Cochlan are world class scientists. I have learned so much from each of them and wish them well as they begin the next phase in this project -- putting it all together.</div>
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This is the best professional development a science teacher can receive. I cannot wait to share my experience with my colleagues and students. I believe that every science teacher should have opportunities like I have had.</div>
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Here are some photos from throughout the day. Enjoy! It's time for bed, Seattle awaits us.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is where we will be at 05:00, tomorrow morning.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Packing up on deck.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">In 25 days, I read over 1,100 chlorophyll samples on this fluorometer.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last CTD cast of cruise 1403.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view of Puget Sound.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nwjr-PCHmc/U5Es9QD94DI/AAAAAAAABCQ/armnVbL7PDc/s1600/IMG_4175b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nwjr-PCHmc/U5Es9QD94DI/AAAAAAAABCQ/armnVbL7PDc/s1600/IMG_4175b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Almost all packed up.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pBvxq-tbK4/U5EtB9tHRZI/AAAAAAAABCg/V3pMnfJ2624/s1600/IMG_4194b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pBvxq-tbK4/U5EtB9tHRZI/AAAAAAAABCg/V3pMnfJ2624/s1600/IMG_4194b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view inside the lab after supper.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb72bo6X0HA/U5EtAc--n5I/AAAAAAAABCY/eiVUPcqJhmQ/s1600/IMG_4184b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb72bo6X0HA/U5EtAc--n5I/AAAAAAAABCY/eiVUPcqJhmQ/s1600/IMG_4184b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">It's hard to be serious when we are being photobombed by Captain Wes Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-19759008949895613262014-06-04T20:04:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:26:26.198-07:00Sacrifice<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MgeVX4C9kxQ/U4-dMCvDAwI/AAAAAAAAA_o/Wty6UHY9F34/s1600/IMG_4083b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MgeVX4C9kxQ/U4-dMCvDAwI/AAAAAAAAA_o/Wty6UHY9F34/s1600/IMG_4083b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Happy 5th birthday Kai! Love, Dad."<br />Julian Herndon, RTC-SFSU</span></td></tr>
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Over the past few days, I've been able to catch up with my old friend, Julian Herndon. Although Julian and I attended USC as undergraduate students, it wasn't until our 2004 cruise on the R/V <i>Kilo Moana, </i>that we really got to know each other and became good friends. We had some of the same classes together while we were in college, but ironically our paths never crossed. He's has a great sense of humor and some of the best stories I've ever heard. He's lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Costa Rica, and has set foot on every continent except for Africa. After his time at USC, he followed Dr. Cochlan up to San Francisco State University, where he earned his Masters degree in marine biology and went on to become Dr. Cochlan's research technician and associate. The two of them remain very close as colleagues and friends, with Dr. Cochlan being Julian's son's Godfather. Today is Kai's 5th birthday, and all of us want to wish the little guy a great day. Kai, your dad misses you very much and is very excited to see you, your sisters, and your mom. You have a great dad.</div>
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I've been thinking about writing this for the past few days... As Julian and I caught up on in each other's lives, I began to realize the sacrifice that is made by these researchers and their families. While this is part of the job, as it is the case with many other professions, it can take a toll on everyone involved. Sometimes, experiments can run into and through weekends (and sometimes holidays). Birthdays and graduations are missed, yet the families of these researchers remain strong and understanding through it all. </div>
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Oceanographic research is not easy. Once a project is funded, it may take months to plan the trip. Chemicals must be ordered and equipment packed. Experimental techniques are performed in the lab before going to sea. Bills must be scheduled for payment, mail put on hold, and pets looked after. While at sea, there is a disconnect. Life cannot be dealt with quickly -- rather, life is put on hold. Added responsibilities often fall on the families at home. After the trip, there's many more months of data crunching and writing reports on their findings, yet the families remain supportive.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Joyner (NPMM), </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ResTech </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Keith Shadle, and</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hannah </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Glover </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NOAA-PMEL).</span></div>
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I want to tell you about my colleague and fellow teacher at sea, Trey Joyner... He has a wonderful wife, and four young kids waiting for him at home (along with a new pooch, named Archie). Every day as we sit next to each other to discuss what to write in our blogs, pictures of his kids crawl across his laptop. Some of those pictures show Trey and his family during last summer's RV trip across the U.S. One day, he showed me a video clip of him and his family on a cliff at Tower Rock in Washington. His wife Laura, can be seen, protectively putting her arms around one of the kids, making sure that he was safe. She's back home in Tennessee, (I'm sure) ready to welcome home Trey with open arms. He misses all of you, too.</div>
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The Herndon and Joyner families are just two examples of the support we all need to conduct this research. Without our families, where would we be? We are so thankful for their support and understanding while we are away at sea. We look forward to being home with you soon. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Laura Filliger of URI is packing <br />up for the end of the cruise. </span></td></tr>
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Today has been a day of breaking down equipment and packing up. The incubators have been washed down and are currently drying on the deck. Filtration racks are being dismantled as I am tying this post. Bottles used in the experiments are being rinsed with acid for storage. The radiation van is cleaned up and the white boxes on deck are being loaded up with instruments. Today, we also sampled for the last time, water from the Terminator and from the domoic acid experiment. It's a bittersweet feeling.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N__HhckSgeQ/U4-e1B2MJ0I/AAAAAAAAA_4/dW4ui8UzHWc/s1600/IMG_4089b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N__HhckSgeQ/U4-e1B2MJ0I/AAAAAAAAA_4/dW4ui8UzHWc/s1600/IMG_4089b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Charles Wingert of RTC-SFSU is seen <br />here packing equipment in the rad van.</span></td></tr>
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We are currently continuing our cruise through the Strait toward Seattle. We are steaming slowly and will reach our last two stations in the morning. Tomorrow will see our last CTD casts take place. After lunch, we will pack up more equipment--probably working late into the evening, so that we can unload once we dock at the University of Washington.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Empty incubators drying on <br />the deck of the R/V <i>Melville.</i></span></td></tr>
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Thank you again for reading. We certainly appreciate your visits to my blog. <br />
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I'll do my best to get an entry in tomorrow as we transform the lab back into an empty space...for the next group to sail on the "Salty Ship."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">R/V <i>Melville </i>Cruise 1403 - Ocean Acidification Research Team,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">May - June 2014.</span></td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-30146136087704240692014-06-03T21:20:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:26:54.373-07:00Splitting the Strait<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">View of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington state.<br />Tatoosh Island is on the right.</span><br />
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We woke up to stillness. As luck would have it, we missed the anticipated bad weather as it stayed offshore. The R/V <i>Melville </i>slowly sailed on the glass-like Strait of Juan de Fuca. Washington state was on the starboard side, while Vancouver Island was on our port side, blanketed in mist. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Joselynn Wallace (URI), Rachel Vander Giessen (UW-APL)<br />and Hannah Glover (NOAA-PMEL) are processing their collections.</span><br />
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We were on station for our one and only CTD cast of the day at 08:00. As the Rosette was cast over the side, many scientists inside of the lab used the time to get caught up with their data. Everywhere I looked, it seemed like someone was transferring data from a notebook onto a laptop. During a cruise, most of the collected data is recorded into lab notebooks. Due to the attention devoted to running the experiments, there's not a lot of time to transfer the data into spreadsheets and other data processing programs. Sometimes, usually late at night, I might find someone entering data into their computers. When I say at night, I mean at 22:00 to 00:00...after the normal 14 to 16 hour work day. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5d4VVHAi_c/U44F8kEJYUI/AAAAAAAAA-A/OOi5MEN453k/s1600/IMG_3967b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5d4VVHAi_c/U44F8kEJYUI/AAAAAAAAA-A/OOi5MEN453k/s1600/IMG_3967b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Andrew Schellenbach is inputting</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">data from the "FIRe" Fluorometer.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZh8kzWmNvk/U44F-DxLR0I/AAAAAAAAA-I/AiFwFm1ihoo/s1600/IMG_3968b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZh8kzWmNvk/U44F-DxLR0I/AAAAAAAAA-I/AiFwFm1ihoo/s1600/IMG_3968b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU) is</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">reviewing data from her plastic </span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">pollution experiment.</span></div>
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Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU) was up early this morning to run his LACHAT nutrient analyzer. Even though the CTD casts are winding down, he was still running samples. He spent most of his day, monitoring the robotic siphon that drew and deposited fluids into channels that process and reveal the nutrient concentrations of each sample. Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU) assisted Julian by making the solutions required for the analyzer. This is a time consuming process, which requires steady hands and a lot of patience. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XOzoKyWJL4Y/U44F-bhb-NI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/Bk_fQXFzwQ4/s1600/IMG_3971b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XOzoKyWJL4Y/U44F-bhb-NI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/Bk_fQXFzwQ4/s1600/IMG_3971b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU) </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">analyzes </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">samples </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">or nutrient concentrations.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6hzTZ82HmE/U44F-4H6qhI/AAAAAAAAA-U/hNNl8e-4Yeo/s1600/IMG_3977b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6hzTZ82HmE/U44F-4H6qhI/AAAAAAAAA-U/hNNl8e-4Yeo/s1600/IMG_3977b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">prepares solutions for</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">nutrient analysis.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BD4kcesBhMI/U451VG42p2I/AAAAAAAAA_A/sAupu6QBxEo/s1600/IMG_4032b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BD4kcesBhMI/U451VG42p2I/AAAAAAAAA_A/sAupu6QBxEo/s1600/IMG_4032b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: Dr. Charles Trick (Western Univ.), <br />Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) and<br />Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU). <br />Vancouver Island is in the background.</span></td></tr>
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Today was also the last day for our third acidification batch collection. By the time Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU), along with Maribel Albarran, and Dr. Charles Trick (Western Univ.) gathered around the on-deck incubator, the morning haze burned off and fully revealed the sun for the fist time in days. There was a sense of relief as they removed the experimental water from the incubator one last time. As I mentioned in a previous post, this has never been done at sea. Even though it will take months before all of the data can be processed, the hard part was done. The final samples were taken inside where Trey (Normal Park Museum Magnet) filtered them, while I read chlorophyll samples from the previous day. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNvc5k1cHa8/U451VBe2QZI/AAAAAAAAA-4/anW19v3E_To/s1600/IMG_4012b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNvc5k1cHa8/U451VBe2QZI/AAAAAAAAA-4/anW19v3E_To/s1600/IMG_4012b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The last time I get to don<br />the life vest.</span></td></tr>
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We had our last fire drill at 12:30. Unlike the last time the bells sounded, there was relief in knowing that this was just a drill. We mustered in the main lab as the R/V <i>Melville's </i>ResTech, Keith Shadle, reminded us to stay safe and remain aware of the dangers that still exist while working on a ship. Even though we are near the end, most accidents tend to happen when people are tired. While we were all gathered in the same spot and time, Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) took the opportunity to let the group know that we will disembark in Seattle only after the ship's cabins and lab spaces were left cleaner than when we found them. After the all clear was sounded (three straight bells), Chris Ikeda and Dr. Trick headed back out on the aft deck to start emptying and cleaning the incubator.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c3MDaZCNcRA/U451XsIhVPI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/fXlKfYdWQ0k/s1600/IMG_4047b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c3MDaZCNcRA/U451XsIhVPI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/fXlKfYdWQ0k/s1600/IMG_4047b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: Keith Shadle (R/V <i>Melville),</i><br />Dr. Wells (Univ of Maine) and<br />Trey Joyner (NPMM).</span></td></tr>
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With some extra time to spare, Dr. Wells (Univ. of Maine) and Trey decided to send his GoPro camera down the GoFlo's line. By then, water was clear and the sun was almost overhead -- a perfect time to try to film the process of deploying a messenger weight down the line. They sent his camera down twice... The first time, the camera was attached directly to the weight, the second time, Trey and Dr. Wells attached an L-shaped frame to the GoFlo bottle for a side shot video. Keith Shadle was there to help with the process while I operated the A-frame. According to Trey, he was pleased with the footage that was recorded. I hope to link his videos to my blog after we return to shore--most likely during the summer.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KtpyE1dcwI/U451ZiPemrI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/DcOUB_tMDCs/s1600/IMG_4057b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KtpyE1dcwI/U451ZiPemrI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/DcOUB_tMDCs/s1600/IMG_4057b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) is<br />filtering for lipids.</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the evening draws to a close, there is still a lot of action going on inside the lab. Dr. Cochlan has been filtering for lipids for the past two hours. Brian Bill has been filtering for carbon and nitrogen for more than an hour. Alongside Brian, is Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU), who is filtering for domoic acid, saxitoxin, and okadaic acid. Dr. Wells is back at his laptop, where he was earlier this morning, entering data. Julian Herndon is still running nutrient samples on his analyzer and Rachel Vander Giessen (UW-APL) is in front of the CTD computer, reviewing cast data, planning for tomorrow. Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU) is checking on the beads of her plastic pollution experiment while Trey is sitting beside me, going through thousands of movie and picture files. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vpUuSu6vG2k/U44F_kp5qLI/AAAAAAAAA-k/4jKdni5ocNo/s1600/IMG_3978b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vpUuSu6vG2k/U44F_kp5qLI/AAAAAAAAA-k/4jKdni5ocNo/s1600/IMG_3978b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Wells (Univ. of Maine) is</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">reviewing his data.</span></div>
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The plan for tomorrow has yet to go up on the board. As we continue into the Strait, we will start to clean and pack equipment for unloading on Friday. Even though I find it hard to believe that the cruise is almost over, I find it even harder to believe the amount of time that will be spent after the cruise--processing data, inventorying chemicals, and returning lab equipment back to their respective homes in California, Maine and Ontario. Somehow in all of that happening, time is also needed to piece all the data together, to help us better understand what is happening to our ocean. </div>
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Thanks for reading. We hope to have you come back tomorrow! </div>
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Three more days until we reach Seattle! </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cz6IiPeabno/U44F7fTIKMI/AAAAAAAAA9k/tDhgXlZnSRI/s1600/IMG_3958b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cz6IiPeabno/U44F7fTIKMI/AAAAAAAAA9k/tDhgXlZnSRI/s1600/IMG_3958b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: center;">Chief scientist Dr. William Cochlan </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">and his research associate Julian </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Herndon (RTC-SFSU)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0ImzN4XIKA/U451U5zZ5SI/AAAAAAAAA-8/dHa_N5d_o8o/s1600/IMG_4008b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0ImzN4XIKA/U451U5zZ5SI/AAAAAAAAA-8/dHa_N5d_o8o/s1600/IMG_4008b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU) and <br />Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU)<br />on the deck of the R/V <i>Melville.</i></span></td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-37239834912500908192014-06-02T22:15:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:27:32.884-07:00Rolling Seas<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RHhiXcfjeH0/U4yczYUw3AI/AAAAAAAAA8M/w3H3YsVCqqU/s1600/IMG_3898b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RHhiXcfjeH0/U4yczYUw3AI/AAAAAAAAA8M/w3H3YsVCqqU/s1600/IMG_3898b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Our transect line for the day.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5IMN-XatwXs/U4yc00fEFmI/AAAAAAAAA8U/OWWOhAjRieA/s1600/IMG_3900b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5IMN-XatwXs/U4yc00fEFmI/AAAAAAAAA8U/OWWOhAjRieA/s1600/IMG_3900b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hannah Glover </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NOAA-PMEL)</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is seen here sampling from </span></div>
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The R/V <i>Melville </i>was on station before 06:00. The ship was rocking in the water, the sun was out, and the wind started to pick up. I turned on my laptop, opened up my programs, and put on some music. <i>Concerto in B Minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104 </i>played softly as scientists slowly started to emerge from their cabins. By 06:30, the CTD was over the side and on its way down into the cold, dark North Pacific Ocean. This was the first of six stations that we would be sampling today. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kit Angeloff </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NOAA-PMEL volunteer) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is preparing</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">amples on deck for </span></div>
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Today's transect line included stations near Capt Flattery, Washington. At every stop, we dropped the CTD over the side, collected our abiotic data and processed our biotic samples. The transit to each station was accompanied by constant rolling waves, causing the R/V <i>Melville</i> to toss about like a toy boat in a bathtub. Without any warning, small pieces of equipment shifted, desk drawers flew open, and some of us found ourselves leaning over our work stations. For the first time during this cruise, I was feeling uneasy. I've never really experienced seasickness...but I think that today, I was getting to that point. Around 10:15, I took a Dramamine, went below deck to my room and slept for about three hours. Trey came in to wake me up when it was time for me to take care of extracted chlorophyll readings. I felt groggy, but I was much better than earlier in the mornings, and the samples weren't going to read themselves. We've had several people on board with lingering seasickness, but they continue with their science activities. We continued on with our transect stations until we completed them all just after supper around 18:00. Just like yesterday, it was a steady day. At this point, we are allowing the final experiments to run their course, and will start breaking them down on Thursday. </div>
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Just before I went below deck, Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) and Rachel Vander Giessen (UW-APL) spent some time with Captain Wes Hill to discuss the plan for the rest of cruise. After today, we will begin working inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where we will have to contend with active shipping traffic. They also talked about where we should situate ourselves for the rest of the evening. We are expecting some changes in the weather, which will bring some rough sea. We will most likely rest somewhere inside the Strait, hugging the Washington coast.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sj6BCT-H-2M/U4yc5FIIhJI/AAAAAAAAA8s/xNQfJBxW3PE/s1600/IMG_3926b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sj6BCT-H-2M/U4yc5FIIhJI/AAAAAAAAA8s/xNQfJBxW3PE/s1600/IMG_3926b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chief Scientist, Dr. William Cochlan (RTC-SFSU), Rachel<br />Vander Giessen (UW-APL) and Captain Wes Hill discuss plans<br />for the remaining days of the cruise</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine) and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Richard</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(RTC-SFSU) are </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">seen here having a conversation</span></div>
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One interesting conversation I overheard today took place between Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine) and Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU). They were discussing the statistical analysis of data (and correlations) when the topic shifted toward the accuracy and precision of measurements. I enjoyed hearing them talk about this because this is a topic that I cover in my chemistry classes, over and over again. Heather was intently watching Dr. Wells as he used his hands to point out data "here" and data "there." Measurements made with precision are those that are made with the same repeated results. If you think of it this way, it would be like hitting a dartboard in the same spot, each time. If my goal was to hit the 20, but I instead hit the 18 each time in the same spot, I would be inaccurate, but precise. I would be "precisely inaccurate." To be accurate is to hit the intended target (or in the case of measurement, measure correctly). If my intent was to hit the 20, and did so each time, I would be accurate. If I did so but in three different spots, I would be accurate and not precise. When making measurements, we want (and need to be) both accurate and precise. We need to make our measurements the same way each time. If not, we will likely end up with relatively large error estimates in our measurements, making it more difficult to discern trends and show statistically significant differences between experimental treatments.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dT6j98wkTcI/U40Syiyek-I/AAAAAAAAA88/v3kBKwJMjvU/s1600/IMG_3938b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dT6j98wkTcI/U40Syiyek-I/AAAAAAAAA88/v3kBKwJMjvU/s1600/IMG_3938b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This video screen shows the Rosette swinging back over the R/V<br /><i>Melville's </i>deck. The rough sea caused the ship to rock back and <br />forth during the cast. Oceanographic research is dangerous work.</span></td></tr>
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Tomorrow we will sample from our batch experiments with the plan to be done with them by Wednesday. After the experiments are complete, we will start to load up our instruments for our Friday arrival in Seattle. We will spend the remaining days or the cruise in calmer waters, making it easier to pack up. The overall feeling is that this has been a successful cruise with the principal investigators seem pleased with the way things have gone so far. </div>
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As the evening is winding down, Dr. Wells is sharing his photos from his Antarctic expedition -- researching nitrification on a frozen lake. I am in awe of what I am seeing. Some of his pictures include a visit to what remains of Robert Falcon Scott's cabin. In one picture, a dead penguin lay intact, frozen on a table. Robert Falcon Scott never returned to his cabin, dying while exploring Antarctica in 1912. I can't even fathom the sacrifices made by early explorers just to perform science... I feel so fortunate to be able to take part in oceanographic research. </div>
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Four more days... Keep checking back for more updates as we begin to wind down our research cruise.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HeyBf2VcWsM/U405HQY65XI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/-OXG3OiGibw/s1600/IMG_3945b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HeyBf2VcWsM/U405HQY65XI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/-OXG3OiGibw/s1600/IMG_3945b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitchhiking seagulls, interested in our research.</td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-17147418737868061942014-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:27:48.465-07:00Fire Alarms!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M5tnrz8gWJQ/U4u7s05TDdI/AAAAAAAAA78/31P_Gwxaiys/s1600/IMG_3887b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M5tnrz8gWJQ/U4u7s05TDdI/AAAAAAAAA78/31P_Gwxaiys/s1600/IMG_3887b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A view from inside the lab in between stations.</span></td></tr>
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Today, we completed our second transect line by starting offshore at 08:00, and ending with our sixth and last station near Coplalis Head, Washington. In between our stations, we filtered and analyzed samples from the previous day. Our workload was steady, but not as busy as our the transect line two days earlier. We took inventory of our remaining supplies and made sure that we will be able to complete all tasks before reaching Seattle on Friday morning.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPVObse57Z8/U4tvjV98jeI/AAAAAAAAA7M/WI-GbjFvIH4/s1600/IMG_3847b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPVObse57Z8/U4tvjV98jeI/AAAAAAAAA7M/WI-GbjFvIH4/s1600/IMG_3847b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rachel Vander Giessen (UW-APL) is seen here<br />titrating for iodine which will be used to <br />determine the concentration of dissolved<br />oxygen in her seawater samples.</span></td></tr>
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To pass the time, Trey conducted the commonly performed chemical demonstration of dehydrating sugar with concentrated sulfuric acid. We gathered on the fan tail as he donned a white lab coat and safety glasses. He slowly poured the sulfuric acid into a large beaker filled with sugar. Within minutes, the sugar turned brown and eventually black as the sugar was converted into black, solid carbon, a stench that was dissipated by the wind. Crew members joked that if they had teachers like Trey, that they might have paid more attention during their science classes. The large carbon snake that was left in the beaker was taken by Julian Herndon to be disposed of properly, but not before we snapped some pictures.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLdmUsHT5GE/U4u7p5sig7I/AAAAAAAAA7k/iQ5-gBugV8s/s1600/IMG_3880b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLdmUsHT5GE/U4u7p5sig7I/AAAAAAAAA7k/iQ5-gBugV8s/s1600/IMG_3880b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey Joyner (Normal Park Museum Magnet) demonstrates what happens<br />when hydrochloric acid combines with sugar.</span></td></tr>
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Fifteen minutes after Trey's demonstration, a fire alarm sounded off. This was not a drill One long bell rang out as we froze, stopped the science, and rushed to our state rooms to grab our life vests, survival suits and "go bags" filled with water and food. Luckily, it turned out to be a false alarm, and everybody calmly returned their items back to their rooms. Five minutes later, it happened again. Another false alarm! I can say with absolutely certainty, that we were ready--although while it was happening, all voices become hushed, silencing the lab.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRJIBGhBLuE/U4u7qylTZeI/AAAAAAAAA7s/3815g3bc3Yw/s1600/IMG_3883b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRJIBGhBLuE/U4u7qylTZeI/AAAAAAAAA7s/3815g3bc3Yw/s1600/IMG_3883b.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU) shows off the carbon left<br />behind from Trey's demonstration.</span></td></tr>
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I would like to use this post to profile a fellow researcher. Kathleen Thornton joined us midway into the cruise and is a marine chemist from the University of Maine's Darling Marine Center. She has been on many cruises -- or as Kathleen puts it, too many to count. Her experience makes her a veteran in conducting research at sea. She is participating in this cruise because of her expertise in trace metal analysis. This is the third cruise in which I have worked with her.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kathleen Thornton (Univ. on Maine) is a marine chemist.</span></div>
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She tells me that while she enjoyed biology, geology and physics in high school, her favorite subjects were biology, poetry and creative writing. Her interest in science was fostered by her father, who has a never ending curiosity about life. He was interested in astronomy when she was growing up, and encouraged Kathleen and her brother to ask questions. He pushed them to find their own answers through research and observation.</div>
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I asked her about her feelings on the role of women today in science, to which she says that women can have successful and satisfying careers in science. "Today, there are many research projects that are large collaborations between multiple institutions. Many women prefer a team building approach at work, and this fits well with the direction that scientific research is heading," she says.</div>
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Kathleen would like to share some advice with high school students reading this post: "I now use a lot of the math that we think we will never use when teachers make us learn it in high school. Learn how to communicate effectively. Learn to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database software." </div>
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Besides being a scientist, Kathleen is also an accomplished artist. You should check out her paintings at <a href="http://www.kathleenthornton.net/" target="_blank">www.kathleenthornton.net</a>. She resides in Union, Maine, and has two cats, two dogs and a turtle. </div>
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Tomorrow, we will start our morning sampling at 06:30. This will be the earliest start for sampling on this cruise. Everything is secured and prepped for a long day ahead of us. The scuttlebutt circulating around the ship is that bad weather is heading out way. We will aim to get our work done early, before the sea gets rough. It is now 19:15, and most of us are done for the evening. Perhaps, time for a movie in the lounge... Or better yet, going to bed early!</div>
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Thank you again for visiting my blog--I hope that you have enjoyed this post. Please come back again tomorrow for more updates. Be sure to also check out Trey's blog: <a href="http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Science Shorts II</a>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjhECaLMDqE/U4u7ryjaWnI/AAAAAAAAA70/hCoZS__mQgs/s1600/IMG_3884b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjhECaLMDqE/U4u7ryjaWnI/AAAAAAAAA70/hCoZS__mQgs/s1600/IMG_3884b.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Can you spot the jelly on this filter? <br />Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) did.<br />The green residue is phytoplankton!</span></td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-50697019841767452492014-05-31T23:59:00.000-07:002015-03-13T14:15:28.731-07:00The Salty Ship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our wake up call! <br />
A humpback whale breaching on the port side of the R/V <i>Melville.</i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xSVhbTHA7oQ/U4rIM3FY6UI/AAAAAAAAA6g/CvL0advsOlM/s1600/IMG_3865b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xSVhbTHA7oQ/U4rIM3FY6UI/AAAAAAAAA6g/CvL0advsOlM/s1600/IMG_3865b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey Joyner's video of the playful sea lion pup.</span></div>
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The day started with a humpback whale breaching off the port side of the R/V <i>Melville. </i>We were now far offshore from Washington. The skies were grey and cool -- the waves were rolling, making it challenging to walk across the deck. Throughout the day, we got work to get caught up on reading samples and entering data. Shortly after dinner, we saw a sea lion pup showing off its acrobatic swimming skills Trey Joyner used a pole to lower his Go Pro into the water to get some video of the playful pinniped. During this chance encounter, we believe the pup may have hit the camera, causing the housing to take in water. While we are not sure if the camera is still usable, we were able to get the video off of the it and onto a computer. There we stood in the lab, watching the sea lion bounding about in water no deeper than three meters.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rear Admiral George Wallace Meville, USN<br />Namesake of the R/V <i>Melville</i></span></td></tr>
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As the oldest and longest operating research ship in the UNOLS fleet, the R/V <i>Melville </i>is the current holder of Order of the Ancient Albatross. A Scripps Institution of Oceanography-UCSD vessel, it is based out of San Diego, California. With only three more cruises until it is retired, it is a well traveled vessel, having conducted hundreds of research cruises since 1969. There have been many mariners that have worked the deck of the R/V <i>Melville. </i> Unfortunately, most people will never get the opportunity to live or work on a ship and experience the adventure that comes with being at sea. I would like to use this post to recognize the hard work and dedication of the "Salty Ship's" crew.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Portrait of the R/V <i>Melville </i></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">in the ship's library.</span></td></tr>
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Not only is the R/V <i>Melville </i>a research vessel, it is also home to her crew for months at a time. Crew members may work two or more cruises in a row before they are able to return home to their family and friends. <i> </i>It is not an easy job, and in most cases it can be very dangerous. They operate heavy equipment such as winches and booms, all while contending with an unforgiving sea<i>. </i>They get us to where we need to be, feed us three times a day (very well I might add) and help us carry out the science. They are just as important as the scientists when is comes to successfully completing a scientific mission. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3kuup22HYE/U4rIMNFGvUI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/j00Pqn1yT6g/s1600/IMG_3845b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3kuup22HYE/U4rIMNFGvUI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/j00Pqn1yT6g/s1600/IMG_3845b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Supper time.</span></td></tr>
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When the crew members are not involved in helping the science party, they are operating the ship, maintaining the vessel, and repairing equipment. They work in four hour shifts (four hours on, four hours off). During their off hours, they try to get caught up on personal matters such as getting rest, doing laundry, or paying bills. Others may decide to work out at "Steel Beach," a small gym on the upper deck. Crew members meet there in the early morning to lift, exercise, and bond. If you thought working out in a gym was tough, try bench pressing while the ship is moving. As a runner, I have already felt a difference in my body from not running for more than three weeks. It is simply too dangerous to try to run on the deck of a moving vessel and is not permitted. For cardio workouts, crew members will either ride the stationary bike or walk around the deck and climb its stairs. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The laundry room.</span></td></tr>
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Daily tasks that you might do at home are done differently on a ship. <i> </i>Laundry can be taken care of at any time, but we must keep in mind that there are 33 crew members (in addition to 21 scientists). There are only two washers and dryers aboard<i>. </i> </div>
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During chow time, we have to keep in mind that they need to get in and get out to their jobs. The crew will mix in with the science party to find out more about our backgrounds and what we are trying to accomplish. We try not to "sit on our plates" when we are done with our meals. When they are not preparing meals, the R/V <i>Melville's </i>cooks, Bob Seeley and Mark Smith, are cleaning the mess hall and going over future menus. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">OS Paul Martin and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hannah Glover (NOAA-PMEL)</span></div>
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At the end of the day, some members of the crew will congregate in the mess hall for a friendly game of poker. Others may join the scientists in watching a late night movie in the lounge. There is also a community guitar for anyone to play. Rob Ball is a musician and when not working on a ship plays in bands. He owns ten guitars and is an Iron Maiden fan. </div>
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I got the opportunity to talk with several members of the crew, to get their perspectives on working and living at sea. All five of these members represent a crew that<i> </i>is by far, the best that I have ever had the privilege of working with. The crew of the R/V <i>Melville's</i> are personable, hard working, and exhibit the highest level of professionalism. Here's a little background on some of the people I get to interact with on a daily basis.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ResTech Keith Shadle and Oiler Tom Brown.</span></td></tr>
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Keith Shadle is the R/V <i>Melville's </i>ResTech. He serves as the liaison between the ship and the science party. His job includes assisting with cruise planning and overside deployment of scientific equipment. Originally from Indiana, he now lives in San Diego. After graduating from college, he started working on vessels and has continued to do so for the past 11 years. He describes "deck experience, problem solving and the ability to work well with groups of all backgrounds" as requirements to successfully execute his duties. </div>
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Thomas Brown is an oiler in the engine department and works as a winch operator during the deployment of scientific equipment. He is 25 years old and resides in San Diego. He finds traditional work to be boring and would rather work at sea where he is able to save money for his extended vacation times on land. When on land, Thomas enjoys riding his motorcycle and spending time with his girlfriend. A good natured guy, he often talks about Southern California sports with me.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IhXuNtblpZs/U4pDUyhYEeI/AAAAAAAAA34/M-Z6_040CJM/s1600/2ndMateb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IhXuNtblpZs/U4pDUyhYEeI/AAAAAAAAA34/M-Z6_040CJM/s1600/2ndMateb.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2nd Mate, Heather Galiher.</span></div>
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Paul Martin is also 25 years old, and hails from Maine. As an Ordinary Seaman, he takes care of day maintenance and takes part in small boat operations. He describes the R/V <i>Melville's </i>crew to be a tight community. He says that unlike being on land, it is not possible to separate home and work while being at sea. "Being on land is our vacation." He adds, "Working here is about a lot more than just doing the job. It's about exploring the world and being a part of many interesting projects that take place on board."</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a_vFvL3lnpM/U4rISTo2iQI/AAAAAAAAA6o/d-UUix2HOMI/s1600/IMG_3868b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a_vFvL3lnpM/U4rISTo2iQI/AAAAAAAAA6o/d-UUix2HOMI/s1600/IMG_3868b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey Joyner shows AS Cletus W. Finnell his<br />sea lion video.</span></td></tr>
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Heather Galiher is the R/V <i>Melville's </i>2nd Mate and is from Chicago, Illinois. After taking a trip to sea while in high school, she knew that she wanted to travel the world. While visiting with her today during her watch on the bridge, she shared with me some images on her cell phone of a recent to trip to Papua New Guinea. In one photo, she is standing beside the stern of the R/V <i>Melville </i>with an erupting volcano behind her in the background. She finds commanding the vessel at night "calm and relaxing." </div>
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Cletus W. Finnell is an Able Seaman from Kansas City, Missouri. His responsibilities include keeping the ship clean and safe, and keeping a lookout for floating objects and ships in distress. He finds life at sea to be peaceful and a time for reflection. He's traveled all of over the world and speaks Spanish and a little Japanese. He enjoys spending time with his wife, kids, and grandchildren. His favorite hobby is dancing.</div>
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Having traveled the world, they've seen places that we could only dream of. They were kind enough to share some words of wisdom for high school kids that might be reading this.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m4cKedjF1YM/U4pDbrIU6LI/AAAAAAAAA4o/kMnrBPzw2qc/s1600/IMG_3112b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m4cKedjF1YM/U4pDbrIU6LI/AAAAAAAAA4o/kMnrBPzw2qc/s1600/IMG_3112b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">ResTech Keith Shadle assisting </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">with the deployment of the </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Go Flo </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">bottle.</span></div>
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"Don't let school get in the way of your education. You don't have to go into science to go to sea." -Keith Shadle, ResTech</div>
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"Pay attention, stay in school and listen to your parents. It takes you far in life." -Thomas Brown, Oiler</div>
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"Some lessons that you are taught today might not seem useful or important. But today, I use many of the skills I learned in high school." -Paul Martin, Ordinary Seaman </div>
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"Learn as much as you can and never be afraid to do something that is difficult. Practice makes perfect and it's worth it." -Cletus W. Finnell, Able Seaman</div>
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I hope that you enjoyed this small insight to life at sea with the crew of the R/V <i>Melville. </i>Kids...they are always looking for hard workers! They are a great group of people, and I thank them for their time and hospitality. You can follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/SaltyShip" target="_blank">"Salty Ship"</a> on Twitter. Below are some extra photos of the ship and her crew from this cruise.</div>
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Check back tomorrow for more updates! Six more days to go...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MvuSloj-tgM/U4pDXwxWZdI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/88beTYfA5aI/s1600/IMG_2843b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MvuSloj-tgM/U4pDXwxWZdI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/88beTYfA5aI/s1600/IMG_2843b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chief Engineer Alex Rodriguez <br />grilling steaks for dinner.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KKQcHVbwWk/U4pDYwSCsaI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/oSKlnoR0VKc/s1600/IMG_3014b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KKQcHVbwWk/U4pDYwSCsaI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/oSKlnoR0VKc/s1600/IMG_3014b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bud Hale is the R/V <i>Melville's </i><br />computer tech.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KKQcHVbwWk/U4pDYwSCsaI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/oSKlnoR0VKc/s1600/IMG_3014b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_KKQcHVbwWk/U4pDYwSCsaI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/oSKlnoR0VKc/s1600/IMG_3014b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9fx5qFmfE08/U4oUuETQqDI/AAAAAAAAA3g/iyBcgaVBjWA/s1600/IMG_3813b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9fx5qFmfE08/U4oUuETQqDI/AAAAAAAAA3g/iyBcgaVBjWA/s1600/IMG_3813b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2nd A/E Rob Ball (far right) of the R/V <i>Melville</i>, </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8AedqI51sg/U4pDekkJHoI/AAAAAAAAA44/Nd10kZbTngo/s1600/IMG_3414b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8AedqI51sg/U4pDekkJHoI/AAAAAAAAA44/Nd10kZbTngo/s1600/IMG_3414b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ResTech Keith Shadle secures the Rosette<br />for the evening.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4xEA2Mk3f0/U4pDarszVoI/AAAAAAAAA4g/g1cCD_xvREU/s1600/IMG_3070b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4xEA2Mk3f0/U4pDarszVoI/AAAAAAAAA4g/g1cCD_xvREU/s1600/IMG_3070b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Captain Wes Hill enjoys watching the science take place. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">He is seen in the center, wearing a green jacket.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SbgJQqHZvjI/U4pDVh24E4I/AAAAAAAAA4A/GZp_ZQAjYaQ/s1600/IMG_2491b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SbgJQqHZvjI/U4pDVh24E4I/AAAAAAAAA4A/GZp_ZQAjYaQ/s1600/IMG_2491b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">An example of a shower on the R/V <i>Melville.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ICA0NeGkyzc/U4pDWl-840I/AAAAAAAAA4I/_JDb-GSjREk/s1600/IMG_2492b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ICA0NeGkyzc/U4pDWl-840I/AAAAAAAAA4I/_JDb-GSjREk/s1600/IMG_2492b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Some of you have asked, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">so here it is,an example </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">of a "head" on the ship.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g87yHsNzRo4/U4rNL_VmJEI/AAAAAAAAA68/kBQVRgUQUZs/s1600/IMG_3836b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g87yHsNzRo4/U4rNL_VmJEI/AAAAAAAAA68/kBQVRgUQUZs/s1600/IMG_3836b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view of the bridge.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVg31OqX-q4/U4rNGaqwSgI/AAAAAAAAA60/8ZmRoThUdQ8/s1600/IMG_3670b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVg31OqX-q4/U4rNGaqwSgI/AAAAAAAAA60/8ZmRoThUdQ8/s1600/IMG_3670b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A hallway on the berthing level.</span><br />
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-48282648367462220662014-05-30T23:56:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:28:38.975-07:00Aloha Friday<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6jelx_WDAY/U4k1eXFIJtI/AAAAAAAAA2A/Th-QgrvbVxw/s1600/IMG_3722b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6jelx_WDAY/U4k1eXFIJtI/AAAAAAAAA2A/Th-QgrvbVxw/s1600/IMG_3722b.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo was taken by Andrew Kalmbach (RTC-SFSU) from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.<br />
Andrew snapped this photo as we sailed under the bridge on May 13th. </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s1gShjrcLJc/U4k1Xf0BifI/AAAAAAAAA1g/AmbcxjTpmT0/s1600/IMG_3691b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s1gShjrcLJc/U4k1Xf0BifI/AAAAAAAAA1g/AmbcxjTpmT0/s1600/IMG_3691b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU)<br />and Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maine) are looking at her plastic <br />pollution experiment.</span></td></tr>
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It is now 21:46, and I have finally sat down to write my entry for today. Today is Aloha Friday, a celebrated by wearing Hawaiian shirts. I started the day wearing my old long sleeve University of Hawaii shirt. Chris Ikeda offered up a shirt for me to join in on the aloha. I am still wearing a green Hawaiian shirt with pride. </div>
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Today marked a change in our normal schedule. The day started off with our routine CTD profile cast at 08:00, followed by a transect line starting near the mouth of the Columbia River. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvpDNarTs_U/U4k1Za_CHnI/AAAAAAAAA1o/nld2dadJyJU/s1600/IMG_3699b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvpDNarTs_U/U4k1Za_CHnI/AAAAAAAAA1o/nld2dadJyJU/s1600/IMG_3699b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey Joyner and Charles Wingert<br />(RTC-SFSU) talk about ocean<br />acidification.</span></td></tr>
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As the day progressed, we moved away from shore into deeper water. By the end of the day (around 20:00), we conducted six CTD casts at five different stations. For each cast, Trey and I collected and filtered water samples. In between casts, I slipped into the dark room to read chlorophylls from the previous day; Trey remained on deck for most of the day. In addition to the day's CTD casts, Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine) collected water (from a depth of seven meters) for trace metal analysis. Dr. Charles Trick (Western Univ.) also assisted Dr. Wells in collecting samples from the Terminator's continuous growth experiment.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qV4WdVnz77s/U4k1dIpUAGI/AAAAAAAAA14/2TUkykhYSD4/s1600/IMG_3721b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qV4WdVnz77s/U4k1dIpUAGI/AAAAAAAAA14/2TUkykhYSD4/s1600/IMG_3721b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: Andrew Shellenbach (Western </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Univ.),</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU), </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian Bill </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NOAA-NWFSC) and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kathryn Ferguson </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NOAA-NWFSC/FSU) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">discuss what they found </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">in the seawater </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">near the Columbia River.</span></div>
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After today, we will conduct four more transect lines before reaching Seattle on June 6th. The purpose for conducting the transect lines is to monitor areas for hypoxia, which occurs when low oxygen concentrations are present in seawater. Hypoxia leads to massive crab and fish kills. This condition occurs when organic matter , such as phytoplankton, sinks in the water column and is decomposed by bacteria. When decomposition occurs, oxygen is consumed, leaving very little of it left dissolved in the water. While hypoxia can be a natural, seasonal event--it seems to be happening more often, and closer to shore. Our transect lines are designed to gather data to help better understand why this is happening. Could there be a link to ocean acidification? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsWy_8AxQKg/U4k1g1YqfmI/AAAAAAAAA2I/FhCK7yqAdYk/s1600/IMG_3723b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsWy_8AxQKg/U4k1g1YqfmI/AAAAAAAAA2I/FhCK7yqAdYk/s1600/IMG_3723b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The deck crew is set<br />to deploy the CTD.</span></td></tr>
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Another reason for conducting transects is to collect carbon samples for NOAA. They are interested in amount of carbon available in seawater. Ocean acidification presents a specific problem to marine organisms that rely on carbon, especially in carbonate ions. "Calcifiers" are organisms that make shells or skeletons from calcium carbonate. With increased ocean acidification, there will be a reduction in the availability of carbonate ions, creating calcification problems. The effects of ocean acidification on calcifiers has not been studied in detail, which is why we are out here conducting this research. Calcifiers include clams, crabs, snails, larval organisms, and coccolithophores -- organisms that leave fossilized scales of chalk, such as those found on the "White Cliffs of Dover." A reduction in available carbonate ions will result in weakened shell (and structural) development. How do you think this might affect marine food webs.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GigiPdWj9GI/U4k1iVkhdfI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/t5V0aQkUnqE/s1600/IMG_3739b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GigiPdWj9GI/U4k1iVkhdfI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/t5V0aQkUnqE/s1600/IMG_3739b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Your teachers at sea.</span></td></tr>
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Our last CTD cast was a deep one: 1,250 meters. Prior to leaving Houston, my wife and I, had our students sign their names on sixteen ounce styrofoam cups. Julian had his son, Kai, do the same thing on a Styrofoam head. We packed our styrofoam objects into small nets and secured them to the Rosette's metal frame. The Rosette was dropped just above the seafloor and was brought back up to the surface after Rachel Vander Geissen (UW-APL) fired the bottles. We gathered around the Rosette after it was secured on the deck to check out the effects of pressure on our styrofoam. Pressure increases by one atmosphere (14.7 pounds per square inch) for every 10 meters (33 feet) of water. Including an atmospheric pressure of about one atmosphere, the styrofoam was subjected to almost 39 atmospheres of pressure. That's almost 573 pounds per square inch! What do you think would happen if we sent you down on the Rosette? It's amazing to think that there are creatures that live at those depths!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pG9UbCDtUE/U4k1j3IoZLI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/zkXpH-Tmb14/s1600/IMG_3748b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pG9UbCDtUE/U4k1j3IoZLI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/zkXpH-Tmb14/s1600/IMG_3748b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hannah Glover (NOAA-PMEL)<br />is taking samples from a<br />Niskin bottle.</span></td></tr>
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It is now about 23:00. Dr. Wells, Julian Herndon, Andrew Shellenbach, and Charles Wingert have been working with Rob Ball of the R/V <i>Melville </i>to try to fix a broken chiller. A chiller is used to regulate water temperature in our radioactive experiments. At the moment, it does not look like it can be fixed. It remains to be seen what this means for the rest of the cruise.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5KhpMh2I-s/U4lNs2lW1gI/AAAAAAAAA2o/zCmaSUJnN4A/s1600/IMG_3758b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5KhpMh2I-s/U4lNs2lW1gI/AAAAAAAAA2o/zCmaSUJnN4A/s1600/IMG_3758b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) and <br />Dr. William Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) <br />are inspecting the algal growth in <br />the domoic acid experiment.</span></td></tr>
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Tomorrow's plan will include a CTD cast at 08:00, followed by an acidification experiment sampling. With all of the CTD casts perfomed today, I will have a busy day reading chlorophylls. With six days remaining, we are all working as a team to make sure that all work is completed before we enter Seattle's Ballard Locks, next Friday at 05:00.</div>
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Here are some pictures from our deep cast...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fWXZG8o4Nw/U4lNvRsxfpI/AAAAAAAAA24/cUQD8DtKNtc/s1600/IMG_3766b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fWXZG8o4Nw/U4lNvRsxfpI/AAAAAAAAA24/cUQD8DtKNtc/s1600/IMG_3766b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Styrofoam cups from Cypress Lakes<br />High School students (Katy, TX)<br />before they were sent down to a<br />depth of 1,250 meters.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Db01wPi2Zg/U4lNx03fThI/AAAAAAAAA3I/ifva8bZ6F9g/s1600/IMG_3802b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Db01wPi2Zg/U4lNx03fThI/AAAAAAAAA3I/ifva8bZ6F9g/s1600/IMG_3802b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The same Styrofoam cups <i>after </i>they were<br />sent down to a depth of 1,250 meters.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V7B25H_RtRk/U4lNw8a3Q9I/AAAAAAAAA3A/03AlsuGB7Rw/s1600/IMG_3799b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V7B25H_RtRk/U4lNw8a3Q9I/AAAAAAAAA3A/03AlsuGB7Rw/s1600/IMG_3799b.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU) and I after our styrofoam souvenirs were retrieved from the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">deep cast. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Julian and I attended USC as undergraduate students. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Be sure to check back again tomorrow as we start sampling from our last acidification experiment. Also check out Trey Joyner's blog: <a href="http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Science Shorts II</a>. Keep visiting our blogs -- all on board the R/V <i>Melville </i> appreciate it!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eE535hn71V0/U4lNuA_ZRVI/AAAAAAAAA2w/qT9JfvxVSac/s1600/IMG_3764b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eE535hn71V0/U4lNuA_ZRVI/AAAAAAAAA2w/qT9JfvxVSac/s1600/IMG_3764b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Aloha Friday with my mentor and former USC professor, Dr. William Cochlan.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-35772872295592713252014-05-29T22:15:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:28:57.004-07:00Then and Now<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1w6HEddG6FU/U4dvpID14wI/AAAAAAAAAzc/zpwjqDtYJPU/s1600/IMG_3605b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1w6HEddG6FU/U4dvpID14wI/AAAAAAAAAzc/zpwjqDtYJPU/s1600/IMG_3605b.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: Bud Hale (R/V <i>Melville computer tech),</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rachel Vander Giessen (UW-APL), Keith Shadle (R/V <i>Melville </i>Res Tech),</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Joselynn Wallace (URI) and Laura Filliger (URI).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fcyLrvUVN-k/U4dvrHsNWCI/AAAAAAAAAzk/Ep2jhVg19uM/s1600/IMG_3612b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fcyLrvUVN-k/U4dvrHsNWCI/AAAAAAAAAzk/Ep2jhVg19uM/s1600/IMG_3612b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julia Matheson (Western Univ.) is processing<br />data from the flow cytometer.</span></td></tr>
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After our morning CTD profile, the water collection began. With the fish over the side of the R/V <i>Melville</i>, we started pumping into the clean room. Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine) was busy treating the water for our third and final experiment of the cruise. Unlike the two previous batch water collections, this one contained phytoplankton cells that were stressed. Nutrient levels were low and the pH was higher that we desired. Due to the lack of upwelling in this area, we will lower the pH and add nutrients to see what happens in our batch "grow out." While this was taking place, Julia Matheson and Brian Bill continued to run their samples to determine which types of phytoplankton were in the water. By using the flow cytometer, Julia was able to catalogue the number and sizes of the cells collected, while Brian used his microscope to look for toxic diatoms and dinoflagellates. The good news for Brian was that his analysis revealed a large population of toxic dinoflagellates. Earlier in the cruise Brian tested for and found toxic diatoms, now he had dinoflagellates. One area for future concern lies with the dinoflagellates. Would their populations increase with acidification? If so, how would this affect marine food chains?<br />
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I often think back to the first research cruise I participated in. It was a 42 day cruise aboard the R/V <i>Kilo Moana, </i>in 2004.<i> </i>We sailed from Honolulu Hawaii, toward the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula, where we spent over four weeks conducting iron enrichment experiments in the subarctic waters of the North Pacific, in a collaborative project with scientists from Canada and Japan. During that experience, I documented my observations in a leather bound journal--not sure if I would ever have another opportunity to go back out to sea. Luckily, I have been able to take part in two more cruises. In 2005, I was selected to be a part of the ARMADA Project, a teacher at sea program supervised by the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography. I documented my experience and wrote a journal that was published after the cruise's completion aboard the R/V <i>Atlantis</i>. My 2006 cruise aboard the R/V <i>Thomas G. Thompson, </i>also involved journal writing, but this time my work was uploaded in the evening by a NOAA's Sheryl Day. Unlike my three previous cruises, I am writing this blog in real time. I used to have to wait until 21:00 to sit down and gather my thoughts, now I jot down ideas and snap photos when events take place. Even though I am able write throughout the day, I have to remain flexible. There are times in which as soon as I sit down, there is a call for "chlorophylls." I make notes of my thoughts, swing my chair around, and filter the samples.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WyeD68oloVQ/U4dvoPedGjI/AAAAAAAAAzU/MxqmUrO_ngo/s1600/IMG_3600b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WyeD68oloVQ/U4dvoPedGjI/AAAAAAAAAzU/MxqmUrO_ngo/s1600/IMG_3600b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Trick (Western Univ.) and<br />Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) have<br />collaborated on multiple research<br />projects. </span></td></tr>
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This refection has me thinking about how much has changed in oceanographic research. As I look around the lab, there are laptops on almost every table. They allow for scientists to readily input data into spreadsheets, revealing trends that they would otherwise have to graph by hand. While laptops have made data input much faster, that doesn't mean that the data is not recorded in other places. All qualitative and quantitative data is recorded in a lab notebook or binder. Should a hard drive crash or a file becomes corrupted, we are sure to till have the data we need in a safe place. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PVbSQeVsvY/U4dvtRJUVMI/AAAAAAAAAzs/G3NKps1Bxcg/s1600/IMG_3614b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PVbSQeVsvY/U4dvtRJUVMI/AAAAAAAAAzs/G3NKps1Bxcg/s1600/IMG_3614b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine) is<br />preparing water for our last set of<br />experiments.</span></td></tr>
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Satellite imagery is used aboard research vessels to help scientists see the ocean's 'big picture.' Whether it's salinity, temperature, or chlorophyll concentration, satellites provide the data needed to make quick decisions. Prior to the use of satellites, oceanographers had to rely on predicted patterns and data from previous research to make decisions. The use of prior knowledge is still important, especially when they are not able to readily access satellite imagery due to very slow Internet access. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3w5BViTrOY/U4dvnJysJII/AAAAAAAAAzM/vTXZKXBw9Wo/s1600/IMG_3599b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3w5BViTrOY/U4dvnJysJII/AAAAAAAAAzM/vTXZKXBw9Wo/s1600/IMG_3599b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julian Herndon and Maribel<br />Albarran (RTC-SFSU) are prepaing<br />for nutrient analysis.</span></td></tr>
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Internet access is something that most of us rely on a daily basis. As sea, it is necessary to access data, web-based email, pay bills, and especially in my case--blogging. During the 2004 cruise, we had email messages sent to a satellite, twice a day. After messages were composed, they would be stored within the ship's server, and later launched into space. There have been times on this cruise, in which Internet access has either been down, or too slow to access information. It can be frustrating to those that have set aside specific times to accomplish certain web-based tasks. In contrast to the Internet, newspaper and magazines still attract the interest of readers, even if it's over a week old. Dr. Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC) brought a copy of the New York Times when she came aboard. That one newspaper made its way around the lab in just a day. Imagine what it would be like if you did not have Internet access. Some people might feel that could be a good thing--if anything, an escape from the buzz of daily life. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1xTx-8ZYKs/U4dvwHZC6AI/AAAAAAAAAz0/p4snd-OHGq0/s1600/IMG_3617b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1xTx-8ZYKs/U4dvwHZC6AI/AAAAAAAAAz0/p4snd-OHGq0/s1600/IMG_3617b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Vera Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">and Joselynn</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Wallace (URI) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">are discussing post-lab logistics.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">
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Cell phones work well when we are near land, but even then they are not reliable. Cell phone calls do not work well inside of the ship, therefore we have to make calls on the fan tail. Sometimes, because calls can be lost due to the design of the ship, it is necessary to find the right spot on the ship. Before personal cell phones were made available for the general public use, satellite telephones were utilized to make emergency phone calls. They are reserved for when someone needs emergency transport, either from a ship at sea, or when a ship comes to port. How would you feel if you were not able to use your cell phone for an extended period of time? </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4enNTlsB5U/U4fYJQYvxBI/AAAAAAAAA0k/GWxtthdooag/s1600/IMG_3635b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4enNTlsB5U/U4fYJQYvxBI/AAAAAAAAA0k/GWxtthdooag/s1600/IMG_3635b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Navigational displays <br />aboard the R/V <i>Melville</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XFOHQfHp4Kk/U4fYHciqNQI/AAAAAAAAA0c/dLw0x26pL8E/s1600/IMG_3636b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XFOHQfHp4Kk/U4fYHciqNQI/AAAAAAAAA0c/dLw0x26pL8E/s1600/IMG_3636b.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A monitor showing Dr. Trick <br />(Western Univ.) on deck.</span></td></tr>
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Even with a full navigational displays available, oceanographers still rely on charts. They reveal depths, landmarks, and hazards in the water and is a classic seafaring tool. Modern oceanography is now supported by multiple computer displays which shows maps, depths, latitude and longitude as well as other information in real time. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqBS1GeoYBo/U4fYF_eerDI/AAAAAAAAA0U/FulvBWp4RpM/s1600/IMG_3633b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqBS1GeoYBo/U4fYF_eerDI/AAAAAAAAA0U/FulvBWp4RpM/s1600/IMG_3633b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqBS1GeoYBo/U4fYF_eerDI/AAAAAAAAA0U/FulvBWp4RpM/s1600/IMG_3633b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">An eye-test would reveal a high<br />amount of phytoplankton biomass<br />on this filter.</span></td></tr>
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Machines like autoanalyzers, are now used to run nutrient samples. They allow scientists to run multiple samples at a time, which makes data processing at sea more efficient. In the past, samples had to be run through a spectrophotometer. Samples were placed into the spectrophotometer, measured for absorbance, from which concentrations could then be determined. Fluorometers are used to determine the fluorescence levels in chlorophyll samples, although an eye-test of a filter can reveal high, low, or no phytoplankton biomass. Prior to the use of the instruments, samples would be collected and brought back to a lab onshore for further analysis. Can you imagine trying to conduct science at sea during the early 20th century? How different do you think it was in the 19th and 18th centuries? What will the future hold for oceanographical techniques?</div>
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~~~~~~~</div>
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After dinner, we had another brief meeting with Dr. Cochlan. He announced that we will now head toward the Oregon/Washington border. He reminded us to secure all lost equipment because the water in that area can be rough. Tomorrow, we will start a transect at the Columbia River with CTD casts for profiles. With the experiments now set up, we are in the home stretch with one week left. He also added that tomorrow is Aloha Friday. As you can see, we are a happy group of scientists.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Cochlan, chief scientists<br />
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-19391471585366210492014-05-28T11:58:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:29:21.507-07:00We Are All In...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julia Matheson and Andrew Schellenbach of Western University,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">London, Ontario, Canada.</span></td></tr>
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I had a hard time falling asleep last night. Heavy rain was falling in the Houston area, causing the bayous to fill up. In some cases, up to capacity. I thought about my family and friends...hoping that everyone was safe. I also thought about my students... I hope that they are doing well and studying hard. My mind wandered around for awhile until I finally fell asleep around 01:15.</div>
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I woke up just after 07:15, got dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, and headed above deck by 07:30. Just like other mornings, I decided to check out the weather on the fan tail. It was grey, cloudy, and rainy. This is the first time in our cruise that we were getting some rainfall. I stood on the deck with Heather Richard, and just enjoyed it. There was something soothing about just feeling the rain come down. After a few minutes, we headed back inside--it was time for breakfast. I could hear the clamoring of forks and knives in the mess hall. The smell of pancakes, eggs, and fresh coffee filled the air. Conversations were light hearted and a little louder than usual. Breakfast was calm and there was no urgency. We were still transiting toward Cape Kiwanda at full speed. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view of Julia Matheson's computer monitor.</span></td></tr>
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After breakfast, most of the scientists gathered in the lab, waiting for the arrival at our station. Some contemplated heading below deck to get another hour of sleep. Julian Herndon and Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU) were busy preparing for nutrient analysis runs and Julia Matheson (Western Univ.) entered data from her flow cytometer runs. Sitting next to her was Andrew Shellenbach -- also from Western University. Andrew is an avid Toronto Blue Jays fan and is always interested in talking baseball. Should he decide not to continue on with oceanography, I imagine that he could make it as a professional baseball scout. I find his knowledge of Major League baseball farm teams to be remarkable.</div>
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A few minutes later, Captain Wes Hill entered the main lab. He's a good natured guy, with a spontaneous sense of humor. He sarcastically asked how the science was going, and then announced to that there were dolphins riding the wake of the bow. He invited us inside the bow so we could look at them through the windows of the hull. Three at a time we went, and climbed down a narrow ladder into the belly of the ship. The space was cold and small, but tall enough for to stand up in. Beeping in the background was the multibeam sounder. Just inches on the other side of the hull was the cold water, rushing past us. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Always smiling, Capt. Wes<br />Hill of the R/V <i>Melville.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">My view before decending into<br />the hull of the R/V <i>Melville.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU)<br />and Kit Angeloff (NOAA-PMEL)<br />are watching Pacific whiteside </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">dolphins ride the ship's bow wake.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A still shot of Pacific<br />whitesided dolphins.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Pacific whitesided dolphins outside<br />
of the R/V <i>Melville.</i></td></tr>
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There were four, small circular windows, revealing the greenish waters of the Pacific. Every few seconds, grey flashes would dart around the windows. Kit Angeloff, Chris Ikdea, and I peered through the windows with wonderment. Dolphins have always fascinated me, but I've never seen them quite like this. I didn't want to be selfish, as there were others two levels above, waiting for their opportunity to come down. I could have stayed there for the rest of the morning. We climbed back up and the others shuttled downward Trey had his Go Pro camera ready to take pictures, but by the time he got down to the bow, they were no longer there. Luckily, I was able to capture this on my iPhone. This happened in a span of 15 minutes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) is seen</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">here drying cabled to the pH</span><br />
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As I entered the lab area, I saw Chris rushing back out to the deck. He noticed that there was some moisture inside the dry incubator that housed the pH probe interfaces. Even though it was covered, the moisture threatened the integrity of the interfaces. Chris and Trey quickly removed the lid, wiped off the moisture and dried off all of the contacts. Crisis averted.<br />
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When we finally reached our station off of Cape Kiwanda, we lowered the fish over the side and started to draw water into the R/V <i>Melville. </i>Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) deployed a plankton net to sample for potentially toxic diatoms. Within minutes, he had the sample under his microscope, and begun identifying the cells.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view of the fish being towed<br />alongside the R/V <i>Melville.</i></span></td></tr>
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Looking for the water we want is tricky.<br />
Ideally we would like to have recently upwelled water, that is low in pH. In recent days, we haven't experienced the winds needed for upwelling to occur. When it does happen, cold, nutrient rich water is brought to the surface. This water is low in pH and ideal for phytoplankton growth. During our survey, the clouds began to recede, revealing the sun for the first time today. We gathered on the deck to take pictures of the beautiful Oregon coast. Dr. Vera Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC) pointed out toward the water near shore and said emphatically, "This <i>is </i>our job." We get up every morning, to work, and take the pulse of the ocean. Every sample we take, every test we run, gives us a physical exam of the ocean. As of this morning, I have read about 625 chorophyll samples. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our view of Oregon after the<br />clouds cleared.</span></td></tr>
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By 13:00, we took samples from our domoic acid and acidification batch experiments. Trey filtered all of the water while I assisted by adding the acetone needed for chorophyll extraction. Once I capped and placed the test tubes into the freezer, I walked over to the log book to find out which samples needed to be taken out for analysis. This is the daily cycle that I am proud to be a part of. </div>
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By supper, I read most of the samples, and finished the rest after 18:00. Trey and I cleaned up our filtration stations and started working on our blog entries for the day. Tonight, Trey wrote a very nice post on Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC). Brian is usually up late and is early to rise each morning. I asked him earlier today, if he thought that when he was a kid, that he would become a scientist some day. He said that he's always been interested in science and that he's very happy working for NOAA. I've known Brian for almost nine years--he's always been very meticulous and clean with his work. He's definitely one of the best scientists conducting research on toxic algae. I respect him as a researcher and colleague.</div>
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Now that the day's sampling is complete, the second set-up of the experiments have been broken down. Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) and Dr. Trick (Western Univ.) removed the old samples, cleaned out the incubators, to prepare them for the final run. At 08:00 tomorrow morning, we will start with our routine CTD casts and then "fish" for our experiments. We expect this water to be "spent" of its nutrients, so we will manipulate the pH and add nutrients to simulate the conditions we want. Then the new batch experiment begins. At this point, we cannot keep searching. With the final days ahead of us, we need to eventually move toward Washington. The decision was made -- we are all in...</div>
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Be sure to check back tomorrow for more updates. Also check out Trey's story on Brian Bill on <a href="http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">his blog</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My office at sea. </td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-19818992229823962852014-05-27T23:33:00.001-07:002014-05-28T11:01:53.220-07:00In Search of...Water<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wish you were here."</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KU-8-5dAl8k/U4VOOYl8sVI/AAAAAAAAAuM/xEN7EeCa54g/s1600/IMG_3487b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Another beautiful morning off the coast of Oregon. The plan for today: search for water the is high in phytoplankton biomass and low in pH. To do this, the iron fish was deployed over the starboard side of the R/V <i>Melville. </i>At this stage in the cruise, deploying equipment over the side has become routine. Once the fish was deployed, the R/V <i>Melville</i> sailed slowly, allowing the fish to pump water onboard. As the water reaches the lab, it is immediately checked for nutrients, pH, and iron concentration. We are expecting water that is high in phytoplankton biomass and low in pH. By analyzing the nutrients in the water, we can determine of the phytoplankton has taken them in. If the nutrient levels are low, that could possibly mean that they have taken in their "food," and that their early stages of growth have passed. So as the day carried on, so did the "fishing." When Dr. Wells walks through the lab and says "fish time," we know it's time to grab a life vest and helmet. We are proud to get dirty and wet.</div>
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To deploy the fish, we need at least five people on deck, and one person (from the R/V <i>Melville, </i>operating the ship's boom)<i>. </i>The restech, Keith Shadle, communicates with boom operator and the bridge by using hand signals and a radio. Dr. Wells and I lower the fish over the side, hand over hand.(which is a difficult task due to the drag caused by the currents). Dr. Wells enjoys yelling "shoulder workout" as we let out the line. The fish is a hosed-vane, that pumps water back to the ship. Keeping the fish vertical, is a weight that resembles a torpedo, and hangs below the vane. It's very heavy and awkward to handle, especially when the ship is tossing. Two other people on deck serve as our safeties, holding onto the line in case one of us slips, and lose grip of the fish. When the time comes to retrieve the fish, we end up wet and smelling like...fish. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The fish is towed alongside<br />the R/V <i>Melville. </i>The white hose<br />carries water onto the ship's lab.</span></td></tr>
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As the R/V <i>Melville </i>searched for the right kind of water, we got caught up on things inside the lab. I read chlophyll samples in the dark room while Trey filtered samples for Brian Bill's domoic acid experiment. We also took samples from the "Terminator," a large incubator that allows us to continually culture phytoplankton on deck. Unlike the other incubators in which the sampled water is kept within bottles, the water in the Terminator is free to move around. The capsules inside rock back and forth to continually agitate the cultured cells with water pumped in, maintaining a constant temperature. I enjoy filtering and processing these samples because it gives me an opportunity to see how quickly phytoplankton can grow. Next time someone says something to you about seawater being green, tell them it's a good thing--it's algae!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr, Wells, Dr. Trick, Dr. Cochlan, and Dr. Trainer.</span></td></tr>
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Other than sampling, we used today to calibrate our gauges and equipment. The PIs spent most of late afternoon up until suppertime to decide what to do next. We were not able to find the water we needed. Instead, we were in water that was moderate in phytoplankton biomass and at a slightly higher pH than we wanted. Trey and I ended the day by preparing for tomorrow and getting caught up on our blog writing. The Internet out here has been slow and spotty at times, which makes writing in between sampling a challenge. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Getting work done before the end of the evening.</span></td></tr>
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We are currently steaming north at full speed toward Cape Kiwanda. Unlike other nights, the sea is calm, making our transit so far, very smooth. After breakfast, we will once again deploy the fish to survey for the water we are looking for We will also sample all of our cultures, break down experiments and plan to start all over again for one more experimental run before reaching Seattle. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. We are ready! </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Happy birthday Rachel Carson.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"> Working at sea - in your memory.</span></div>
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-6925528442039152472014-05-26T23:30:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:30:13.012-07:00Neptune's Daughters<div style="text-align: justify;">
Stillness and sunny skies greeted us as we rose to start the day. The R/V <i>Melville </i>was floating near Heceta Bank, not far off of the Oregon coast. We could see a silhouette of the shore, tucked under a thin sheet of clouds in the distance.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Rosette's Niskin bottles <br />are ready for another round of sampling.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine)<br />is taking samples into the lab<br />for analysis.</span></td></tr>
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After our morning CTD casts, we sampled from our second acidification batch and domoic acic experiments. A nutrient analysis from the batch experiment, revealed that the phytoplankton in the incubators were growing at a very rapid rate. With today's weather being optimal for phytoplankton growth, we decided to sample again at 18:00. Within the sample bottles, we could see patches of algae growing inside. We plan to sample the batch once again in two days, with time for a possible third acidification experiment. As I am typing at 11:28, the scientists have either retired for the evening or are in the lounge for a movie. This is the first time in three weeks, in which all operations have ended early. I think that we all needed some time to rest -- and it came at a good time.</div>
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With this being my fourth cruise as a teacher at sea, I have been fortunate to have been able to work with some great people. As cruises tend to go, we usually have scientists from several different universities or agencies working collaboratively. As time passes, the lines between these affiliations, tend to become blurred, as new long lasting friendships are formed. On this cruise, we have a tight group of female marine scientists that in some ways, have formed a strong sisterhood. Their educational background, ranges from undergraduate training to PhD level research positions, and they come from varied cultural backgrounds. Their sense of humor is infectious and their work ethic is top notch. When they are not sampling or casting the CTD, they are talking science, perfecting their knot tying, or helping others with their work. I can't help but think that not too long ago, they were sitting at a high school desk--they could have been my students. </div>
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I've been fascinated by their stories--of how they've reached this point in their educational careers. Since I cannot bring them to our classes, I've decided to bring them to high school students via my blog. I would like to share how they feel about science, tell you a little bit about their backgrounds, and share some of their wisdom to high school students everywhere.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Charles Trick and Julia Matheson <br />of Western Univ., London, Ontario, Canada.</span></td></tr>
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Julia Matheson, just completed her Masters degree in biology at Western University, at London, Ontario, Canada. Since she was a young girl, she always enjoyed "playing outside." She would spend her time watching the weather and trying to predict its patterns. When she entered high school, she had three science teachers that had an impact on her: Mr. Sitak (biology), Mr. Leedham (physics), and Mrs. Lowes (chemistry). She says that they were "great teachers" and that they influenced her to pursue a degree in science at her university. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) and Kathryn Ferguson<br />(NOAA-NWFSC/FSU).</span></td></tr>
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Kathryn Ferguson, is an undergraduate student from Florida State University and is a Hollings Scholar at NOAA-NWFSC this summer. She cites her middle school years as the foundation for her love of science. Kathryn was left an impression to preserve and protect the environment, after her 6th grade science teacher allowed Kathyrn's class to raise horseshoe crabs, and then release them into the Chesapeake Bay. She enjoyed high school and felt that while biology was easy for her, environmental science was the subject that has led her to where she is now.<br />
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Kit Angeloff took a different route to science. After working as an archaeological illustrator, she discovered she enjoyed being part of a scientific team, applied to be a volunteer with NOAA-PMEL, and as a result, is now part of this cruise. Kit intends to study marine geochemistry.<br />
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Rachel Vander Giessen is a University of Washington graduate, and works for the UW-Applied Physics Lab. She is the captain of all CTD casts and dissolved gas sampling. She decided to take part in our cruise because fieldwork is a large part of her job. She is fascinated by the natural world and credits her mother for encouraging her to get her hands dirty. "Don't miss out on opportunities because of fear," she advises. When she's not in the lab, Rachel pours pints at Hilliard's Beer, a local Seattle microbrewery in Ballard. Stop by for a cold one and sing a sea shanty with her. </div>
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Hannah Glover is a graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, and is working for NOAA-PMEL as Rachel's assistant. After volunteering in the Applied Physics Lab, she was invited to join this cruise. Hannah's sense of humor keeps the cruise lighthearted with her one-liners and other off-the-cuff quips. She was raised in a household where the natural sciences were held in high esteem. She loved chemistry in high school, but admits (with a smile) not so much in college. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: Kit Angeloff (NOAA-PMEL volunteer) Rachel Vander Giessen<br />(UW-APL), and Hannah Glover (UW/NOAA-PMEL)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Laura Filliger and Joselynn Wallace, University<br />of Rhode Island.</span></td></tr>
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Joselynn Wallace and Laura Filliger are PhD students from the University of Rhode Island. Joselynn is in her 3rd year of her degree and is interested in using molecular biology to look at phytoplankton diversity and gene expression. In her spare time, Joselynn plays bass in a punk band. Laura is a huge Los Angeles Kings fan, and is in charge of freezing phytoplankton biomass to be analyzed back at the URI lab. She is using this cruise (her first) to learn what is like to work and conduct science at sea. Her second cruise will take place this November, when she will take part in a cruise aboard the R/V <i>Palmer</i> to Antarctica. Both scientists have expressed that it was their hands-on lab experiences in school that got them turned onto science.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maribel Albarran of RTC-SFSU.</span></td></tr>
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Maribel Albarran is an undergraduate student at San Francisco State University. Starting off as a work study student in Dr. Cochlan's lab, and has since been accepted as a climate change scholar. With Dr. Cochlan as her mentor, she was brought on board, giving her the experience she needs to build her future in science. She hasn't always felt that science was easy for her, but she remained interested because it challenged her to think more critically than in her other classes. She enjoys playing guitar and is a fan of the San Francisco Giants.</div>
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Heather Richard is also a student from San Francisco State University. She enjoys mountain biking, photography, and songwriting (she has an amazing voice). As a ten year old girl, she had a desire to learn all of the plants in the forest, and how they were "connected to one another." She encourages students to, "Figure out who you are and what you are most passionate about. Follow your passions and be happy." Heather is currently working on her Masters degree and is conducting the plastic pollution experiment.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Martin (RTC-SFSU) and<br />Kathy Thornton (Univ. of Maine).</span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I think back to a career day was held at my previous school. Speakers would volunteer their time to talk with our students about career options. Students rotated through several sessions, listened to a brief presentation by each speaker, and were allowed to ask questions. One of the speakers was a good friend of mine that I've known since middle school. As a jet propulsion engineer, she encouraged our students to take more science courses and to take their chances. She then looked at our female students. "We need more women in science." Heather explained to me that are a lot of women in marine biology, but not in the higher positions. Maribel is excited to show the younger generation that great discoveries have been, and will continue to be made by female scientists. Laura feels that female representation in science is "skyrocketing." She told me that when she was an undergrad at Carnegie Mellon University, the school announced that it had reached 40:60 ratio of female to male students. It had previously been at 30:70. Aboard the R/V <i>Melville, </i>11 of our 21 scientists are female. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Vera Trainer, principal investigator,<br />NOAA-NWFSC.</span></td></tr>
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One of our principal investigators is Dr. Vera Trainer of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center. She is well respected in the research of toxic algae. Besides being a PI, she is a morale booster and "integrator." Dr. Trainer credits her grandmother with having a great impact on her. As a child, she would hike with her family in the Alps. Her grandmother would share with her, the names of all of the flowers and mountains. Dr. Trainer is fluent in German and is a mother of two beautiful kids. </div>
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I asked these scientists, to imagine speaking to a group of high school students... If given the opportunity, I asked, "What would you tell them?" So students if you are reading this, these are their words of wisdom:<br />
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"Do what you love. Try everything. Travel when you can or talk to people about their adventures. " -Dr. Trainer<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kathryn Ferguson and Laura Filliger<br />sampling from the Rosette's Niskin<br />bottles.</span></td></tr>
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"Live sustainably as a way to preserve and restore our environment for future generations." -Kathryn Ferguson<br />
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"Figure out what you really want to do, learn and master time management strategies and don't be too hard on yourself." -Laura Filliger<br />
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"The most important thing you can do is figure out who you are and what you are passionate about." -Heather Richard<br />
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"Don't choose what to do with your life based on what you think you're capable of or naturally good at--base it on what you think is worth doing--the ability follows." -Kit Angeloff<br />
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"Talk with your teachers and professors. Meet them outside of class hours (or after class) to ask their opinions. They are people too!" -Julia Matheson<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">URI's Joselynn Wallace with the R/V <i>Melville's </i><br />1st Mate, John Jeskevicius. </span></td></tr>
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"Not getting a concept doesn't make you stupid, you just need to study it more..."<br />
-Joselynn Wallace<br />
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"Don't miss out on opportunities because of fear." -Rachel Vander Giessen<br />
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"Climate change is <u>the</u> problem their generation will face." -Hannah Glover<br />
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"Stay close to those who want to really teach you about something important. It does not have to be science, but dedication and positivity is key. Study, study, study, and don't procrastinate." -Maribel Albarran</div>
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I hope that enjoyed reading this as much I as did writing about it. We have a great group of scientists aboard the R/V <i>Melville. </i>They would love to hear your comments. </div>
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Please check back tomorrow for more updates on our scientific adventures!</div>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-45771386419317693052014-05-25T23:59:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:30:44.066-07:00Plastic Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello from the R/V <i>Melville. </i>Newport, Oregon.</td></tr>
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Just before breakfast, a slight haze hung over the mountains. It was a comfortable morning with the sun's light reflected on the water. In a pre-planned stop, a rescue boat was launched from the starboard side of the R/V <i>Melville</i> to pick up Dr. Vera Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC) and Kathy Thornton (Univ. of Maine) from the harbor. They will remain with us until the conclusion of the cruise on June 6th. I had the privilege of working with them on two previous cruises in 2005 and 2006, in which we studied harmful algal blooms in the Pacific northwest.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Vera Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC) meeting<br />Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kathy Thornton (Univ. of Maine) and<br />Dr. Vera Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC)<br />climb aboard the R/V <i>Melville </i>with assistance<br />from A/B Ed Keenan and OS Paul Martin.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exoEostmn8E/U4KrUkLKxvI/AAAAAAAAArQ/71XbRDFfGbE/s1600/IMG_3390b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exoEostmn8E/U4KrUkLKxvI/AAAAAAAAArQ/71XbRDFfGbE/s1600/IMG_3390b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey Joyner received a note from home.<br />It was brought on board by Dr. Trainer.</span></td></tr>
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There was a great deal of excitement for the arrival of Dr. Trainer and Kathy Thornton. Hugs were exchanged on deck, and introductions were made as they were shown around the ship. Known for packing goodies--Dr. Trainer brought a duffel bag filled with chocolate, phytoplankton flash cards, and a package for Trey. His package was mailed by his wife to Dr. Trainer's office in Seattle, and contained a dental appliance along with several messages from home. I was standing next to him when he opened it and I could tell that it meant the world to him.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Guitar jam with Maribel Albarran<br />and Heather Richard.<br />Both are from RTC-SFSU.</span></td></tr>
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I spoke this afternoon with Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU) to learn more about her plastic pollution experiment. Heather is interested in the interactions of plastic in the environment. Like other substrates in the ocean, plastic is known to attract the growth of organic matter, also known as biofilms. When plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, tiny ecosystems for microbial growth are created. While microbial growth is common in the marine environment, it is the attraction of potentially toxic metals to organic matter growing on plastic that has her interested. When plastic debris is eaten by organisms, the toxins are carried through the food chain, leading to biomagnification. While some toxins may sink and eventually become buried in the sediment on the seafloor, toxins bound to plastic will remain buoyant and will be carried along the surface by waves and currents. Birds and other animals may eat the contaminated plastic and take in the toxic metals. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Overhead view of Heather's<br />experiment in the incubator.</span></td></tr>
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We cannot forget that plastic alone is known to kill thousands of birds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather is showing me growth<br />within one of the bottles.</span></td></tr>
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Mistaking plastic for food, birds ingest the debris, causing digestive blockages which eventually lead to death. I recall a time when I took a class of students to the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, California. A volunteer at the center showed my class several x-rays of dead birds -- revealing a large amount of trash eaten by the birds. Plastic six-pack soda rings, fish hooks, and bottle caps were some of the items taken from inside the dead birds. Then the volunteer reached into a box, pulled out some of those items and held them up to the x-rays. This demonstration really got the attention of my students. One student asked, "All of that was eaten by those poor birds?"</div>
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Heather is using bottles inside the incubator to culture an organic sludge. This sticky organic biofilm, secretes a sugary type of mucous that will bind metals and other toxic materials (such as DDT). The sludge will then be introduced to 'virgin' plastic beads -- plastic that is free of dyes and additives. Some of the beads will be free of the sludge, making them the control for the experiment. After six days in the incubator, the samples will be spiked with heavy metals, to simulate the presence of metals in the environment. She will then use a dye and a microscope to inspect the surface of the beads. Half of the beads will be analyzed for the amount of accumulated biofilm by using a spectrophotometer. The other half will be put in acid, removing the metals from the beads. Using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, she will quantify how much iron was bound to the beads. This data can then be used to compare the relationship of iron bound to the biofilm. <br />
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Plastic is a long-term problem, especially when it comes to the cycling of metals in marine environments. Could there be a concern for the binding of metals in iron limited areas? If so, how would this affect the production of phytoplankton biomass? Could this affect marine food chains in the long run? How will this affect fisheries around the world? Recently, there has been concern over facial cleansing microbeads entering the ocean. Used as exfoliants, microbeads are washed down drains and end up in our ocean. Our clothing also contain many small plastic microfibers, that are removed when we wash our clothes. We are unknowingly adding plastic to the ocean.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-Mszl-5Jgs/U4OIkKt6b-I/AAAAAAAAAr8/nQIMHEo302o/s1600/gullb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-Mszl-5Jgs/U4OIkKt6b-I/AAAAAAAAAr8/nQIMHEo302o/s1600/gullb.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This seagull was perched on the R/V <i>Melville.</i><br />Notice the plastic tangled around it's head.<br />Photo taken by Heather Richard.</span></td></tr>
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I think back to when I lived in Long Beach, California. Our beaches were littered with plastic, cigarette butts, and other forms of trash. With every step I took, I felt something in the sand. I used to think of it as a nuisance -- something that I didn't like to see. I was aware of the problems that plastics cause to birds and other animals, but I never gave much thought to the impact that plastics have to binding heavy metals. Plastic will photodegrade much faster on land than in water--breaking up a into many smaller pieces, eventually ending up in our ocean by gusts of wind. We have to do a better job of keeping our beaches clean. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The temperatures have dropped off<br />the coast of Oregon, so Julia <br />Matheson (Western Univ.)<br />has bundled up.</span></td></tr>
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As the evening approached, the skies grew darker and the clouds rolled in. The temperatures dropped, as the setting sun peeked below the grey canopy. For most of the day, we collected water form the iron "fish," a pump that is towed alongside the ship. After the water collection, Rachel Vander Giessen (UW-APL), Chris, and I assisted Dr. Wells with retrieving the fish. The strong current and wet rope made it challenging to pull it back on deck, leaving my hands numb and my clothes smelling like a fish market. Meanwhile, Dr. Trick (Western Univ.) and Dr. Wells (Univ. of Maine) were checking sensors inside of an on-deck incubator. Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU), Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) and Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) were setting up their next experiment in the bay of the ship. </div>
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Overnight, we will head toward Haceta Bank. We expect the water to be high in iron concentration, but low in phytoplankton biomass. We will perform our usual CTD casts to profile the area before moving toward our next station along the Oregon coast. With twelve days left in the cruise, we know that it's going to get a lot busier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good night from the R/V <i>Melville.</i></td></tr>
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Thank you for reading. We hope that you continue to check in on our scientific adventures.<br />
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-42438473833570156472014-05-24T22:50:00.000-07:002015-03-13T14:03:38.513-07:00Food on the Table<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just like phytoplankton, Joselynn Wallace (Univ. of Rhode Island)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">L to R: Kathryn Ferguson <br />(NOAA-NWFSC/FSU),<br />Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU), <br />and Andrew Shellenbach <br />(Western Univ.).</span></td></tr>
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I want to start this post by saying thank you again for keeping up with our adventures. We all enjoy receiving feedback from interested citizens. Please feel free to continue sending me your comments and questions. The scientists on board are excited to know that you are interested in our science, and our day-to-day activities.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hannah Glover (UW/NOAA-PMEL), <br />Rachel Vander Giessen (UW-APL) <br />and Keith Shadle (R/V <i>Melville</i>) are <br />deploying the "iron" fish to collect water.</span></td></tr>
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By now, you should have an idea of our daily routines at sea. I would like to shift toward explaining more of the "what and why" of our research, and the scientific objectives of this research cruise. My primary scientific responsibility (which I share with my fellow teacher-at-sea) is providing the team with an estimate of phytoplankton biomass. We do this by collecting water samples from the depths of interest on specific pore-sized filters. These filters are subsequently analyzed for the concentration of the primary photosynthetic pigment - chlorophyll a. When conducting oceanographic studies, scientists need to accurately estimate the planktonic biomass in their water samples. A large amount of phytoplankton biomass per unit volume of water means that there's a lot of primary producers or "food" within a sampling area to support the growth of animals at higher levels of the marine food chain. In other words, I am responsible for providing an estimate of the concentration of the photosynthetic biomass in the waters we are studying. These photosynthetic organisms convert inorganic carbon into organic carbon (the biomass of algae) by utilizing the sun's energy, and thus are called photoautotrophs,..they are the base of the marine food chain.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Scientists like Julia Matheson <br />of Western Univ., try to work out when <br />there's a break in sampling</span>.</td></tr>
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Phytoplankton biomass is not easy to measure in the field, and requires specialized instrumentation to both accurately and precisely quantify this important base measure. Being at sea, we use chlorophyll as a proxy to estimate phytoplankton mass and measure this concentration with a fluorometer. Though the amount of chlorophyll in phytoplankton cells can vary depending on physiological conditions, this has been the standard measure of phytoplankton biomass for the past 60 to 70 years in oceanographic studies World-wide. It is quick, relatively simple, and provides us with a good estimate for which to plan experiments and further studies. Therefore, high concentrations of chlorophyll mean that there is a high concentration of phytoplankton biomass in the water. This ultimately provides us with a picture of how much food is "on the table." The next time you are at the beach or near a lake, take a look at the color of the water. Clear water generally contains very little biomass, whereas greenish or brownish water has lots of microalgae growing in it. You can make a quick visual comparison of the biomass in different places using your eyes. Generally speaking, the darker water supports a 'larger', or more productive food web, ultimately supporting more fish at the top of the aquatic food chain.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkG30VMwXgQ/U4FMSJZMyaI/AAAAAAAAAoE/UVlavkxzTLQ/s1600/IMG_3251b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkG30VMwXgQ/U4FMSJZMyaI/AAAAAAAAAoE/UVlavkxzTLQ/s1600/IMG_3251b.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Joselynn Wallace (Univ. of Rhode<br />Island) shows off the artistically designed<br />styrofoam head thatwill eventually<br />be sent to the depths of the Pacific,<br />to be shrunken by the water's pressure.</span></td></tr>
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Our experiments require a relatively large amount of biomass so that we can more accurately measure important biological parameters like photosynthetic efficiency and the lipid content of the phytoplankton cells. Lipids are water insoluble molecules that are used by phytoplankton as rich energy reserves or structural components (e.g., membranes) depending on whether they are neutral or polar lipids, respectively. Different growth conditions of the algae influence what types of compounds the cells make, such as essential fatty acids such as Omega-3--which are found in fish. However, the fish cannot make these Omega-3 fatty acids; they must obtain them from their diet, and ultimately phytoplankton.</div>
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Lipids are fats that are utilized as stored energy. When phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton (microscopic drifting animals), energy is transferred. Large zooplankton such as krill, are later eaten by larger organisms such as fish and humpback whales. Energy is required by organisms to reproduce. If phytoplankton are not able to make these lipids, then zooplankton and other organisms in a food web will be adversely affected. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chris Ikdea of RTC-SFSU is gearing up for his second acidification experiment.</span></td></tr>
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One of the major questions we are testing is how will lowered seawater pH (in other words higher acidity) affect the production of Omega-3 fatty acids? If production is affected, it will alter the overall nutrition of food webs. Phytoplankton may become less (or perhaps more) nutritious to their zooplankton predators. They won't receive the quality of nutrition they once had. How will the total amount and composition of food change? How might fisheries be affected by changes in the base of the food web--the phytoplankton? How might this affect the food on your table? Important and yet to be answered questions!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today, the ship's store was open. Only three<br />cruises remain for the "Salty Ship" before<br />she is retired.</span></td></tr>
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So as you can see, my job is to let the scientists know how much 'planktonic food' is in the water we are using for our deck-board experiments. If there is very little biomass in the water, the next question is why? Are there insufficient inorganic dissolved nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, silicate, iron) in the water to support the growth of the phytoplankton, is the water being too deeply mixed by the wind so there is insufficient sunlight for them to photosynthesize, or perhaps the relatively level of acidity (as measured by pH) is affecting the growth or physiology of the phytoplankton? These are some of the questions we are attempting to answer during this scientific mission.<br />
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We are now headed toward Newport, Oregon. The sun is out, and most of us are done for the day. We have started a new multi-day deckboard experiment, and look forward collecting more data. The lab is quiet as we get ready for a new day!<br />
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The scientists aboard are glad to hear that you are following us. Please continue to check in. You can also follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SoCalCostello" target="_blank">@SoCalCostello</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A picture from home.</span></span></td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-73725327057235078452014-05-23T22:22:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:31:18.085-07:00Controlled Chaos<br />
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I rose from my bed shortly after 07:15 this morning. I was up late, so I tried to squeeze in every last minute I could. I knew that I had to get on deck for the start of our day. I greeted Dr. Cochlan in the lab and asked him how he slept. "Great...until three o'clock in the morning." he said. That's when the fog horns started sounding off again--three powerful blasts, every two minutes. I heard the noise while in my state room--in the aft section of the R/V <i>Melville. </i>Dr. Cochlan's state room is located directly below the horns. We were obviously still covered in fog.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View of the main lab after breakfast.</span></td></tr>
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Shortly after breakfast, we got right to work. At this point, we have found our rhythm. The schedule for the day is always posted on the whiteboard next to the freezer. We check the board every morning to make sure that we are all on the same page. Tests tubes were set up, log books were updated, and sampling bottles were at the ready. Keith Shadle of the R/V <i>Melville</i>, passed through the lab shortly before 08:00. We knew what that meant--it was go time! The Rosette was going in the water.</div>
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Trey worked on deck with the CTD crew while I processed chlorophyll samples. Members of the CTD crew have to monitor the deployment of the Rosette. This requires two people on lines to keep the Rosette from swinging over the deck. Another person manages the A-frame which is used to raise the Rosette over the water. Keith communicates with the winch operator via hand signals. At this point in the cruise, the team is able to deploy and recover the Rosette at a moment's notice.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Batch sampling from a few days ago. Photo taken by</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Keith Shadle, R/V <i>Melville.</i> </span></td></tr>
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Heather Richard is still working with her biofilm/pollution experiment. She's up early and often stays up late. For the past few nights, I've watched Heather finish her work, only to get online and grade papers for a class she teaches at San Francisco State University. Hannah Glover (Univ. of Washington/NOAA-PMEL) has pitched in to help Heather with her work. It's not uncommon to see people help each other on cruises. We've all spent so much time around each other, that we have a good idea of how and where to assist. Sometimes, it's hard to tell which scientists are from the University of Rhode Island and which are from UW/NOAA-PMEL. Today, the UW/NOAA-PMEL group helped URI collect some samples for dissolved inorganic carbon, which they will take back to their lab for later analysis. It wasn't part of the original plan, but together they managed to get these samples, which can be later used in the project's final analysis. Being able to collect unexpected samples or data is always a plus. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU)<br />filters his N-15 samples.</span></td></tr>
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We had a brief meeting around 19:30. We gathered a tight circle in the lab as Dr. Cochlan gave us updates on the project. With two weeks left, we have completed the first at sea batch acidification experiment. Although there were some electronic glitches early on, Chris Ikeda was able to address them and perform a complete run of the experiment. Each group's contribution to the data analysis indicates that the experiment went well and that things went as expected. We will still have to wait for the copious amounts of data to be processed, which could take months. Chris has already started breaking down the OA experiment. I can tell that there's a sense of relief from Chris, although he knows that this process is about to start all over again tomorrow morning. Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) and Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU) will also start another domoic acid experiment. Dr. Cochlan concluded by expressing his appreciation for the collaborative effort and gave the science party the rest of the evening to retire after everything was prepared for the morning.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Xena watches over seafaring</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">scientists. She has been on many</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">on Julian's nutrient analyzer.</span></td></tr>
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More than a week ago, we were at Point Sur, CA -- an area with low iron and high biomass concentrations. In a few minutes we will cross into Oregon and head to an area that is iron stressed and high in biomass. We will start tomorrow at 08:00 for a fish deployment, and will slowly move toward shore to collect water. During that collection time, samples will be run simultaneously to confirm the area we want to be in. Once the conditions are confirmed, we will stop, and deploy the Rosette. We hope to complete our collection by noon so that we can steam toward Newport, Oregon. While in Newport, we will launch a small boat to pick up two additional scientists: Dr. Vera Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC) and Kathy Thornton (Univ. of Maine-Darling Marine Center). </div>
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Spirits are good here aboard the "salty ship." We all understand the importance of this project, and we have hit our stride. As I am wrapping up this entry, Julian is working at his nutrient station, singing along to Andrea Bocelli. Drs. Cochlan, Trick, and Wells are talking logistics. Others are watching movie, doing laundry, or reading a book. Today was a long day, and we are all tired. At times, it was quite chaotic, but it was always under control. We can pat ourselves on the back...today was a good day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The fog has cleared at the Oregon border.</span></td></tr>
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Thanks for stopping by again. All of us aboard the R/V <i>Melville </i>appreciate your interest in our scientific adventures. </div>
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Be sure to also check out Trey's blog at <a href="http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Science Shorts II</a>.</div>
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-7919398321791982542014-05-22T23:58:00.000-07:002015-02-09T17:03:50.047-08:00Fog Horns and Whales<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Greetings from the the California/Oregon border.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The deployment of the GoFlo. I'm on the winch (left) while Chris<br />Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) operated the A-frame (at right wearing black jacket).</span></td></tr>
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I woke up this morning, thinking about a conversation I had with Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) a couple of days ago...I mentioned to him, how amazed I was at the amount of non-science work put in before the start of a cruise. Shipping equipment to the port, packing glassware, ordering chemicals, and paperwork...lots and lot of paperwork. Incubators had to be sealed, and their wooden stands were refurbished. There was also a large pile of wood brought on board. While we were docked in San Francisco, there was a lot of cutting, sawing and nailing had done. From building walls within lab rooms, to designing frames for stabilizing equipment, this had to be done before hitting the seas. Then there's hoses and tubing... Like a circulatory system, is spans the work spaces of the R/V <i>Melville.</i> "We're not scientists," he said in his familiar laugh. "We're plumbers. We move water around." (Disclaimer: He said that he borrowed that comment from Julian Herndon, a colleague of his at RTC-SFSU.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Keith Shadle of the R/V <i>Melville</i><br />is seen here assisting with<br />the deployment of the GoFlo<br />botlle.</span></td></tr>
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To give you a feel for what timekeeping is like at sea, from now on I will use 24 hour time. This ensures that all of our record keeping will translate to other scientists after we complete our cruise. We record two different times, Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Currently, the time on the R/V <i>Melville </i>is 20:29, while GMT is May 23rd, 05:29. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Joselynn Wallace (Univ. of Rhode <br />Island) is collecting samples to take <br />back to URI for analysis.</span></td></tr>
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For most of the day, we were shrouded in a thick fog. The air was wet and cool--a perfect day for wearing warm head wear. My ears were chilled in a matter or minutes. The sea was calm and appeared blackish. </div>
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We started a transect near the California/Oregon border. During a transect, we sample from a line of stations near the coast. Aside from the normal sampling schedule (a full CTD cast profile, a CTD cast to five meters and a GoFlo collection at seven meters) we also collected water using the "fish." This instrument is towed alongside the R/V <i>Melville</i> and allows us to pump water on board. The water is then drawn into a clean room, where it can be prepared for experiments. The fish has been used on several previous cruises and is operated by Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">One of many samples<br />I filter each day.</span></td></tr>
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For today's GoFlo cast, Chris served as the A-frame operator while I worked the winch. When we have on deck operations, we communicate by utilizing hand signals. Sometimes, noises from the ship can make it difficult to hear each other, even when use raised voices. This was especially the case today. Due to the dense fog, the R/V <i>Melville </i>continually sounded off its fog horn every two minutes. This was done to let other vessels know that inside the white cloak of mist, was the R/V <i>Melville</i>. For someone not expecting this loud warning, it can be quite startling. I know this from first hand experience.</div>
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The lab was busy from 08:00 to 20:00. As a science party, we have found our rhythm. Like a hospital, we are constantly tending to various activities, delicately balancing our time sensitive tasks. There are times when an analysis may run into supper time. When that happens, there's always a person who will offer to put a plate aside. Tonight I continued to run samples, so Rachel Vander Giessen was nice enough to set aside a plate for me. When I was able to sit down in a quiet mess hall, I enjoyed my chicken with Thai peanut sauce and veggies. The food on the R/V <i>Melville </i>is exceptionally good. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julia Matheson (Western Univ.)<br />is reading pH measurements.</span></td></tr>
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The highlight of the day was a visit by two blue whales. As the word got out that they were traveling behind the R/V <i>Melville, </i>we rushed to the fan tail and gazed with amazement at these majestic leviathans. Thick sprays of mist marked where they surfaced. With every exhalation, we let out oohs and aahs. Even as large as they were, they too depend on the success of phytoplankton.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Tomorrow will be a very busy day. We will start with our usual casts, followed by another transect, offshore to onshore, and finish the day with more sampling from the batch experiment. Chris will have a very long day ahead and </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> will </span><span style="text-align: justify;">probably work late into the evening.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> After sampling the batch, he will break down that experiment, and set up a new one. For those long nights, there is always a pot of coffee at the ready.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The science party is on deck<br />to watch a pair of blue whales<br />pass behind the R/V </span><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Melville</span>.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU)<br />is scanning for cetaceans.</span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Black coffee--fuel for mariners. </span></div>
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Be sure to check back for more updates!</div>
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Maybe...we'll have more whale sightings. </div>
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Fog horns sounding off!</div>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-14328548904473043332014-05-21T23:36:00.000-07:002015-02-09T17:56:24.538-08:00Taking the Pulse of the Ocean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our morning gathering. After days of setting up, <br />
Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) is especially happy to sample<br />
from the ocean acidification experiment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">On deck sampling with Dr. Cochlan, <br />Maribel Albarran, Chris Ikeda, Charles Wingert <br />(RTC-SFSU) and Dr. Trick (Western Univ.).</span></td></tr>
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I started off this morning like a brand new person. Even though the ship tossed all night long, I actually slept well. To keep from rolling out of my bunk, I slipped my body into the empty space between the mattress and the wall of my state room. My room is located below deck, which means it's below the water line. The cold Pacific water keeps my room cool so it's hard to stay warm. Last night, I used three blankets and wore a pair of sweatpants. Still, my best night of sleep thus far.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU)</span><br />
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We gathered in the lab right after breakfast for a quick reminder of the day's schedule. Today we begin Day 1 of our ocean acidification "batch" experiment. A "batch" experiment is one in which we collect seawater, and then grow phytoplankton in an on-deck incubator. The incubator tank is pumped with seawater to maintain a steady temperature, and is protected against the sun's damaging rays by using filters. Although phytoplankton need sunlight to grow, ultraviolet radiation at the surface can still damage algal cells. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sampling the "batch."</td></tr>
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The acidification experiment involves the manipulation of several variables, most notably pH and the concentration of iron. Iron is a critical nutrient with a very short residence time--meaning that it is utilized quickly by organisms. We are trying to understand the relationship between the need and use of iron in phytoplankton. For example, imagine going to a buffet... Would you try to eat everything for fear that the food may run out, or do you say to yourself that there's plenty of food--there's no need to get stuffed? Or, imagine... You have a limited amount of food. Do you eat it all in one sitting, or would you ration it out over a long period of time? We are trying to understand how phytoplankton use iron in seawater, and how that use might be affected by ocean acidification. With atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on the rise, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which is highly reactive and reduces the concentration of the carbonate ion. It can affect shell formation for marine animals such as corals, plankton, and shellfish. So as Dr. Cochlan said to me, we are "taking the pulse of the ocean." </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine) and<br />Trey Joyner (Normal Park Museum Magnet)<br />have just recovered the GoFlo bottle.</span></td></tr>
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Almost all of the scientists gathered on the aft deck to watch the collection. Not much was going on at the time, and we couldn't do anything until each of us got some of the batch water. Once the bottles were filled, each group took their samples to their respective workspaces. During lunch, Trey and I mentioned to Chris, our feelings on the large amount of trust and responsibility given to us. As teachers, we are doing the same work as scientists would do in a lab. Chris confirmed our feelings by giving a deadpan of response of "it's huge." Then, he smiled. I knew he was serious, and that's what gets me excited. I get a chance to make a difference.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">One of my assignments on<br />this cruise is to read chlorophyll<br />samples in a dark room. This is what<br />it looks like. </span></td></tr>
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I spent a good part of my day reading chlorophyll samples in the dark room. Using a small red light, I quickly moved through the process to be ready for our next cast. When the sun came out, I took a break and ventured out to the aft deck. The air is considerably cooler today, and fewer people are daring to wear shorts. By the time the evening arrived, the clouds moved in, the sun was blocked out, and the air became a thin blanket of mist. </div>
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It's now 10:30 at night, and most of the scientists are now done with their work. Drs. Cochlan, Trick, and Wells are still discussing what the next part of the plan will be. I will soon retire for the evening, and reflect on the importance of what we are doing here. We will repeat the process all over tomorrow. To think that less than to weeks ago, I was in my classroom, talking to my students about this research project. Now here I am, doing it, gathering data in hopes of better understanding the pulse of the ocean.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today, I served as the winch operator<br />on the GoFlo cast.</span> </td></tr>
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Thanks for checking in. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for the latest updates: <a href="https://twitter.com/SoCalCostello" target="_blank">@SoCalCostello</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/t3joyner" target="_blank">@t3joyner</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">View from the aft deck this morning. </span></div>
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-74019264436216416922014-05-20T11:59:00.000-07:002015-02-09T17:49:31.208-08:00The Bodega Line<div style="text-align: justify;">
My alarm started chirping at me just before 6am. My state room was dark and Trey already headed upstairs to the lab so that he could finish his blog entry. I just laid there...and listened to the water slap up against the side of the ship<i>. </i>It was so rhythmic that I just wanted to lay in my bunk and time the crashing of the waves. Even in the dark, my eyes were sore, and tired from staying up late the night before. Then I started to think about home, my family, and how much I miss them. I am sure that everyone on board--the scientists and the ship's crew alike, feel the same way. Then, my alarm went off again. Today was going to be a big day and it was time to get after it. As of today, we've been at sea for a week. We're not just colleagues, we've become a <i>family </i>aboard the R/V <i>Melville. </i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning whale watching.</td></tr>
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I got dressed, and made my way up to the aft deck for some fresh air. That's when Tom Brown, an OS on the R/V <i>Melville</i>, showed Trey and some pictures he took this morning of a humpback whale. Perfectly timed, they showed the whale breaching off of the starboard side of the ship. The news spread about the sighting, and quickly, scientists assembled on the deck to look for it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kit Angeloff, a volunteer<br />for NOAA-PMEL,<br />is collected samples for<br />dissolve inorganic carbon.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Cochlan and Chris Ikeda<br />(RTC-SFSU) are monitoring thier<br />ocean acidification experiment.</span></td></tr>
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Today's plan was to sample the "Bodega Line," an area just north of San Francisco. This location is considered to be a high iron area, with cold nutrient rich water upelling to the the surface. We started the line in deeper water, past the continental shelf where the water is cold and very blue. By 8am, we Rosette in the water and all samples collected. Thirty minutes later, we casted once again. One of first people on deck to sample from the Rosette is Charles Wingert (RTC-SFSU). Charles spends most of his days in the rad van, wearing a white lab coat and blue booties. He uses radioactive tracers to test the photosynthetic efficiency of algal cells. One area of particular interest in this project, is to learn more about how carbon is taken up my phytoplankton with respect to various environmental factors such as pH, temperature, and nutrient availability. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Charles Wingert (RTC-SFSU) is working<br />in the rad van.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hannah Glover (Univ. of Washington/<br />NOAA-PMEL) and Kathryn Ferguson<br />(NOAA-NWFSC/FSU) are pouring<br />samples from the domoic acid experiment.</span></td></tr>
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We then moved away from the deeper water, toward shore. By noon, we were sampling again. There was a flurry of activity in the lab with samples being collected and processed, along with the testing of ongoing time sensitive lab experiments. </div>
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Trey spent most of his day helping with deck-board tasks such as operating the winch and recovering the Rosette. I was inside the lab, filtering and reading chlorophylls. I was surprised at how many I processed during that time -- especially considering how much the ship was rocking . When I was finished, I had to sit outside to get some fresh air. The combination of the ship moving, reading samples in the dark and the smell of acetone had left me feeling queasy. I was not alone in getting some fresh air...</div>
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We steamed further in toward shore and finished the line with a third station positioned over the continental shelf, with a depth of about 100 meters. Most of us were done with our sampling by 8pm. </div>
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As I reflect on my day, I've determined that I read 48 chlorophyll test tubes in 52 minutes and filtered almost 100 samples in ten hours. While I am done with the work day, others have started preparing for tomorrow morning. It's now a quarter to midnight, and Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU) is still making solutions for his nutrient analyzer. He's been working since breakfast.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view from Julian Herndon's workspace.</span></td></tr>
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We are currently steaming toward Cape Mendocino. The winds are expected to pick up, thus making the ride even more turbulent. Tonight, we've already had one heavy door slam shut, twice. Inside of the door, there is a sign that warns of the door closing when due to the ship's motion -- that we should watch our fingers. We've decided to secure that door shut...just in case. </div>
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Be sure to check back here again tomorrow. Also make sure to check out Trey Joyner's blog at <a href="http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com</a>. You can read up on how is doing after losing a tooth as sea. </div>
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Unfortunately, we don't have a dentist on board!</div>
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<br />Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-19829053765764758462014-05-19T23:51:00.000-07:002015-02-09T17:14:45.353-08:00New Surroundings<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">From left to right: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine), Dr. Charles Trick </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(Western Univ.) and Dr. William Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">plan our next sampling station.</span></td></tr>
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The morning began with some of the scientists on the back deck, surveying the outdoor conditions. It was overcast and cool, but the seas were calm. After transiting during the night, we stopped at a sampling area that we referred to as Davenport. It's located over a shallow shelf, with a depth of no more than 100 meters. It is considered to be a high iron environment. While we knew that we were about to get busy, we were amused to see some humpback whales in the distance. It was as if we were being welcomed to our new surroundings.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From left to right: Charles Wingert, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maribel </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Albarran, </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr.</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cochlan </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">and Heather Richard </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(all from </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">RTC-SFSU), are discussing</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rachel Vander Giessen </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Univ. of Washington-APL) is<br />whale watching while Dr. Wells (Univ. of Maine) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is removing a messenger weight </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">from </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">the recovered GoFlo bottle.</span></td></tr>
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After breakfast, we prepared for our morning CTD profile. When we perform these casts, we take samples from a variety of depths. In the case of this morning, we sampled from depths of 90, 75, 50, 30, 15, 10, 5 and 0 meters. At zero meters, we try to sample just below the surface, which can be challenging due to the ship's rocking motion. This causes the Rosette to rise and drop within the water column, like someone bobbing a fishing rod in the water. Keith Shadle, the restech aboard the R/V <i>Melville,</i> will stand watch and keep an eye on submerged equipment while communicating with the winch operator and lab via his hand held radio. As we communicate over the radio, we call the position of the person we are talking to. For example, if we want Keith to "recover" the Rosette, we would say something like: "deck, this is lab...you can recover the package." His role is to make sure that all of our scientific equipment is operating properly -- our success depends on his help. He's very personable, and takes the time to ask us questions about our research.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Maribel Albarran (RTC-SFSU) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is t</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">aking nutrient samples from the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rosette's bottles.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The acidification experiment </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is underway</span>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iU8mnhIq760/U3qThLgyJpI/AAAAAAAAAcc/yUYZMW0UEBM/s1600/IMG_2947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iU8mnhIq760/U3qThLgyJpI/AAAAAAAAAcc/yUYZMW0UEBM/s1600/IMG_2947.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Wells (Univ. of Maine) and<br />Dr. Trick (Western Univ.) are <br />monitoring an incubator.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) is<br />inspecting his sample with his<br />computer.</span></td></tr>
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Much of the buzz today centered around the numerous experiments going on. The GoFlo bottle is used to take "clean" water for trace metal analysis. As soon as it was recovered by Dr. Wells, he took it to a lab known as "the bubble." There, he will set up his iron experiments. He uses iron-59, a radioactive isotope that must be carefully handled, to track the movement of iron in phytoplankton. When analyzing his samples, he does so in a lab room called the radiation van (shortened to "rad van"). After donning a white lab coat, special gloves and goggles, he disappears into the rad van to conduct his work. It is not uncommon for him to be late to dinner so that he may finish his time sensitive work.<br />
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Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC)and Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU) are still conducting their domoic acid experiments. Today I noticed while I was processing their samples, that the filters had a much darker green hue to them. That's usually a good indicator of more "stuff" being in the water. While I was filtering, Brian was looking at a sample of water recovered by a plankton net. He connected his laptop to the microscope and recorded the darting objects under the lens. A small audience of scientists gathered around Brian to check out the tiny critters that only a few minutes earlier, were drifting in the Pacific. During lunch, Brian confirmed the presence of the neurotoxin, domoic acid, at the station we were sampling in.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">CTD recovery.</span></div>
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Chris Ikeda's (RTC-SFSU) acidification experiment is up and running. After a long evening of final set up and weather proofing of his equipment, he can now shift his attention to the study's progress. Trey and I filtered the first samples from his experiment immediately after lunch. This is an important study, so I feel that I have to be extremely careful with my measurements and data records.<br />
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Shortly after dinner, Dr. Cochlan held a brief science meeting with us in the ship's library. He informed us that the sampling in Davenport was complete, and that we will now steam up the coast past San Francisco to a station called the Bodega Line. With several experiments going on at the same time, tomorrow is expected to be busier than today. Even though we expect to have good weather, he warned us about forgetting to secure our equipment. It is good practice to be prepared any sea state condition we may face. Broken glassware is expensive and could severely impact our work. </div>
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Tomorrow will bring new surroundings, new experiences, and possibly new discoveries. Please check back to keep up with all that is going on with our research and thanks again for reading.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Cochlan giving an update on the project's progress.</span><br />
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-32308427166466702682014-05-18T23:50:00.000-07:002015-02-09T17:06:39.425-08:00Moving from Lopez Point to Davenport<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1T-vW5A-bXU/U3kvwg455NI/AAAAAAAAAW4/wWqy1fUTnV8/s1600/IMG_2738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1T-vW5A-bXU/U3kvwg455NI/AAAAAAAAAW4/wWqy1fUTnV8/s1600/IMG_2738.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking a break before the next round of sampling.</span></td></tr>
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Last night, we had a brief meeting with Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) to go over some updates on the research. As the chief scientist of this research cruise, it is his responsibility to decide what we will do next. Not only does he manage his experiments--he also collaborates with Dr. Wells (Univ. of Maine) and Dr. Trick (Western Univ.) to make sure that all of the other groups are supported, and are on schedule with their own work. He informed us that we should expect the sampling schedule to get busier as we head north toward Davenport, which is near Santa Cruz, CA. A friendly reminder was also given to double check our work and to practice proper record keeping. It's easy to make mistakes when we are tired or not feeling well. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. William Cochlan <br />of RTC-SFSU, is the chief <br />scientist of this cruise. </span></td></tr>
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At the moment, we are wrapping up our sampling at an area that is considered to be low in iron. Unlike other cruises in which steam from station to station (taking samples at every half hour), we operate more like a floating biological laboratory. We take our time to look at the health of the phytoplankton community and obtain data when possible. The work has this far, gone smoothly, and there is good communication between all on board.</div>
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I got up before 6am to read our chlorophyll samples with Trey Joyner (Normal Park Museum Magnet). When samples have to be read, they must first be removed from the freezer and allowed to thaw in the dark room. After our morning coffee, Trey and I moved forward with reading the samples and prepared for the usual morning CTD cast.</div>
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Like yesterday morning, I operated the firing of the bottles. After we performed our normal CTD cast (at depths between 200 meters and the surface), we collected our samples, and reset the bottles. </div>
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Within a half hour, we sent the Rosette back into the water--this time to take samples at a five meter depth. The CTD, is an electronic instrument attached to the Rosette, and is used to measure seawater variables such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence. This depth was determined to be important for future sampling, so all groups on board were asked to take samples.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We use these monitors to watch<br />
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Prior to sending the Rosette over the side, Trey had a great idea--to secure his Go Pro camera onto the frame for the purpose of recording the underwater sampling process. Not long after recovering the Rosette, we gathered around his laptop to watch the video. I was fascinated to see how the bottles snapped shut when I triggered them. I hope to link his video to this blog in the future, so please check back later!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the incubator experiments<br />
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Shortly after our second CTD cast, Dr. Wells performed a water collection at a depth of seven meters using a GoFlo bottle. This bottle is triggered when a messenger weight is sent down a Kevlar line. Dr. Wells is interested in learning more about how iron is used by phytoplankton along the continental shelf. Within minutes, Trey and I were filtering and processing Dr. Wells' samples for later analysis.</div>
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Later in the day, Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) and Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU) continued to collect from their domoic acid study. Trey and I filtered their samples just as we did with the others earlier in the day. Brian then worked with Julia Matheson (Western Univ.) to cross reference the population of phytoplankton he identified through his microscope--specifically for the toxic diatom, <i>Pseudo-nitzschia. </i>Brian indicated that this experiment is in a progressive stage.</div>
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One of our incubators, the "Terminator."</div>
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Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU) also spent time on deck, checking on her plastic pollution study. I had the opportunity to observe her extract from her experiment. She is eager to see some biofilm growth on the plastic material, but this experiment is still in its early stages. </div>
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Chris Ikeda (RTC-SFSU) has been working long hours in the bay of the R/V <i>Melville, </i>preparing for a pH experiments that have been months in the making. Prior to setting sail, Chris worked with Brian Bill to build a water proof barrier for his sensitive equipment. It is necessary to be outside because the instruments are linked to one of the incubators on deck. As I am typing this, Chris is still working outside with Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU) and Dr. Cochlan, setting up the experiment. It is cold and dark on deck, and the ship is rocking. </div>
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As of right now, the plan is to sail overnight from our current central California position toward northern California. We have secured all of our equipment and should reach the next station by sunrise. The new station is expected to be higher in iron. I'm interested to see how our data will be compared to our first station.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMWQSycOSoc/U3kx8k6g5AI/AAAAAAAAAXU/XF2jhIokzAs/s1600/IMG_2751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMWQSycOSoc/U3kx8k6g5AI/AAAAAAAAAXU/XF2jhIokzAs/s1600/IMG_2751.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) <br />and Julia Matheson (Western Univ.)<br />are cross referencing their findings. </span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tei2CSO_naM/U3l2T9eIr7I/AAAAAAAAAZY/nINVR8SU4x8/s1600/IMG_2745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tei2CSO_naM/U3l2T9eIr7I/AAAAAAAAAZY/nINVR8SU4x8/s1600/IMG_2745.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kathryn Ferguson </span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NOAA-NWFSC/FSU)</span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) are</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">sampling from their domoic<br />acid experiment.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-svUh4w821Cg/U3kxT5bowPI/AAAAAAAAAXM/evEQ2eTHWc4/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-svUh4w821Cg/U3kxT5bowPI/AAAAAAAAAXM/evEQ2eTHWc4/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The yellow-green shade on the white </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">disc </span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is what we see on our filtered samples </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">for chlorophyll.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNccyeb9mTg/U3lyUBefuaI/AAAAAAAAAZM/6_axL4dL8lg/s1600/IMG_2793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNccyeb9mTg/U3lyUBefuaI/AAAAAAAAAZM/6_axL4dL8lg/s1600/IMG_2793.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Richard and Charles <br />Wingert (RTC-SFSU) are <br />inspecting her plastic <br />pollution experiment.</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGIarLNBxUA/U3l2uhixueI/AAAAAAAAAZo/NN68hVODjZo/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGIarLNBxUA/U3l2uhixueI/AAAAAAAAAZo/NN68hVODjZo/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">An overhead view of Heather<br />Richard's experiment.</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pRntAz9WxE/U3l3bPQ-SaI/AAAAAAAAAZw/1ylDCCCWtNg/s1600/IMG_2816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pRntAz9WxE/U3l3bPQ-SaI/AAAAAAAAAZw/1ylDCCCWtNg/s1600/IMG_2816.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chris Ikdea (RTC-SFSU) is checking<br />the pH experiment station.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qadnqvVCqPQ/U3l2aM8t7bI/AAAAAAAAAZg/GSqmGKf7IAc/s1600/IMG_2760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qadnqvVCqPQ/U3l2aM8t7bI/AAAAAAAAAZg/GSqmGKf7IAc/s1600/IMG_2760.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you for visiting. <br />I hope that you'll be back tomorrow for more updates.</span></td></tr>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-8964572264234016912014-05-17T19:56:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:33:34.356-07:00What Do We Have Here?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K2b9Mpzjdk4/U3ezqaKNHeI/AAAAAAAAAVM/TVFRTF0JKKM/s1600/IMG_2692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K2b9Mpzjdk4/U3ezqaKNHeI/AAAAAAAAAVM/TVFRTF0JKKM/s1600/IMG_2692.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We're not the only ones interested in science.</span></td></tr>
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After a day of rolling waves, we rose to a much calmer sea state. We were eager to start the day by sampling from our experiments. Although it is still early to report any findings, we still have to obtain data in order piece everything together. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q40P0HxysMU/U3emxr105VI/AAAAAAAAAUc/1plRUUiei3c/s1600/IMG_2594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q40P0HxysMU/U3emxr105VI/AAAAAAAAAUc/1plRUUiei3c/s1600/IMG_2594.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today, I was behind the controls </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">of firing bottles on the CTD.</span></td></tr>
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Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU) sampled from her plastic pollution experiment. She explained to me that her experiment could last for the entire time of the cruise. According to the scientific papers she is using, she may not be able to see any biofilm growth until a week after the start of the experiment. She's interested in researching how toxic metals can be carried by plastic debris in the ocean -- becoming concentrated in organisms within the food web. Birds such as the albatross, can mistake plastic debris for food and end up very ill, possibly resulting in death. She expects to see some growth in about a week, followed by a spike in weeks three and four of the experiment. The tough part is waiting and hoping that it will work. In the meantime, she will continue to observe and record her data.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9cxG-21NHkg/U3egpwYdpxI/AAAAAAAAAT0/Gvo_t1uwPBA/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9cxG-21NHkg/U3egpwYdpxI/AAAAAAAAAT0/Gvo_t1uwPBA/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC) and I are filtering<br />samples from our daily morning CTD cast.</span></td></tr>
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During our daily morning chlorophyll sampling, Trey and I noticed that our filters were not as green as they had been two days ago. I wonder if that might have something to do with the wave action that we've experienced in the past two days. We'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to see if the readings support what we saw on our filters. Every night, Dr. Cochlan, our chief scientist, looks at the data we've collected to get a picture of what the biomass for this station might be. This is a part of the blueprint for which our next sampling time is based on.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qz2zQe0zXnI/U3epZ9A0LuI/AAAAAAAAAUs/bCMm0iGDrok/s1600/IMG_2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qz2zQe0zXnI/U3epZ9A0LuI/AAAAAAAAAUs/bCMm0iGDrok/s1600/IMG_2599.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hannah Glover </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Univ. of Washington/NOAA-PMEL) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is seen here sampling for </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">dissolved inorganic carbon,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">also known as DIC.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BoW90fzGPkU/U3eqSro7a9I/AAAAAAAAAU0/tZ6PLbXvDto/s1600/IMG_2605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BoW90fzGPkU/U3eqSro7a9I/AAAAAAAAAU0/tZ6PLbXvDto/s1600/IMG_2605.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Morning CTD sampling with Dr. William </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">supervising the process.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Joselynn Wallace (University of Rhode Island), found a small creature during her filtration. In the middle of the filter, was a fairly large copepod. Copepods are small crustaceans that are commonly found in seawater. Most people don't realize that they have probably swallowed a few of these little critters during their summer trips to the beach. Not to worry though, they are harmless. Check them out online...they are often overlooked and play an important role in the marine food web.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubtbBC_kNxs/U3e2viNdrUI/AAAAAAAAAVg/dHtJ0bPhbNU/s1600/IMG_2286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubtbBC_kNxs/U3e2viNdrUI/AAAAAAAAAVg/dHtJ0bPhbNU/s1600/IMG_2286.JPG" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Can you see the copepod on the filter? </span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-czf2nHvBebg/U3eoYInsMiI/AAAAAAAAAUk/nRTCQJnfNLU/s1600/IMG_2630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-czf2nHvBebg/U3eoYInsMiI/AAAAAAAAAUk/nRTCQJnfNLU/s1600/IMG_2630.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Test tubes with samples of chlorophyll. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">They </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">will have 90% acetone added to </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">them </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">and will </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">be read within the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">next twenty hours.</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Al9VSn8SSuE/U3ehwUYkCgI/AAAAAAAAAUM/v8TuInj7RPM/s1600/IMG_2678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Al9VSn8SSuE/U3ehwUYkCgI/AAAAAAAAAUM/v8TuInj7RPM/s1600/IMG_2678.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey Joyner </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Normal Park Museum<br />Magnet) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is inspecting </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">phytoplankton<br />under the microscope.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJY2Z9qgRPE/U3eg6B1Fx-I/AAAAAAAAAT8/mvw4jvl8z6Y/s1600/IMG_2662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJY2Z9qgRPE/U3eg6B1Fx-I/AAAAAAAAAT8/mvw4jvl8z6Y/s1600/IMG_2662.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I am adding 90% acetone<br />to our samples.</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The acetone </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">is used to extract</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">chlorophyll.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtT9jq0NIEA/U3fzZqjFKFI/AAAAAAAAAV0/h4KYlmNbufE/s1600/IMG_2680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtT9jq0NIEA/U3fzZqjFKFI/AAAAAAAAAV0/h4KYlmNbufE/s1600/IMG_2680.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Laura Filliger is a PhD student<br />from the Univ. of Rhode Island.<br />Here she is filtering seawater. <br />Her samples will be frozen and<br />transported back URI <br />for DNA analysis.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">These graphs represent four variables </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">we look at during a CTD cast. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We look </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">for fluorescence (green), salinity </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(orange), temperature </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(red) and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">oxygen (blue). </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">They give us a profile of the water column.</span></div>
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After lunch, Trey and I were asked to help Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) and Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU) with their pH/domoic acid experiment. They needed their samples filtered and stored for analysis. Brian and Kathryn are interested in researching the effects of pH on domoic acid production in diatoms such as <i>Pseudo-nitzschia. </i>Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that is commonly taken in by filter feeders and is known to cause people to get sick and die. Both of these scientists spend most of their days looking into a microscope, identifying and calculating the abundance of these potentially toxic diatoms. This is the third cruise in which I have worked with Brian--the previous two involving research on harmful algal blooms in the Pacific Northwest. Kathryn is originally from Florida, but has also lived in Maryland. The path she has taken to this type of research was born out of her love for the ocean. She is a Hollings Scholar from Florida State University, but is working on this project with NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center.</div>
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We expect tomorrow to be a very busy day. Many experiments will be tested, which means that Trey and I will be called on to filter, store and process all of their samples. We work well together and have found a rhythm when it comes to running samples. This may be his first cruise, but he has done a great job and has fit right in with the science party. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mCwxO53EM70/U3ey4eVpPYI/AAAAAAAAAVE/qqaWlDozsbw/s1600/IMG_2686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mCwxO53EM70/U3ey4eVpPYI/AAAAAAAAAVE/qqaWlDozsbw/s1600/IMG_2686.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Please be sure to stop by again for more updates.</span></td></tr>
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Please share our adventures through our blogs: </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://socalcostello.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Science at Sea with Mr. C</a> and <a href="http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Science Shorts with Mr. Joyner</a>. </div>
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You can also follow us on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SoCalCostello" target="_blank">@SoCalCostello</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/t3joyner" target="_blank">@t3joyner</a>.</div>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-85782603400376987132014-05-16T22:38:00.005-07:002015-02-09T17:41:51.192-08:00Getting Our Sea Legs<br />
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The sun rose to shine on our rolling ship. It was difficult getting dressed in the morning while the vessel was rocked by waves. We have been reminded to take extreme caution. Whether it's walking on deck, opening a door, carrying chemicals, it's a battle with keeping one's balance. </div>
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After breakfast, we carried out our routine CTD cast. This one was a little more challenging than previous casts because of the ship's movement. We had plenty of hands on deck to make sure that we safely deployed the equipment.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Richard and Maribel Albarran of <br />RTC-SFSU, are preparing solutions <br />for a plastic pollution experiment.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I had the opportunity to watch Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU) start her experiment on plastic pollution. She is interested in researching how pollution affects algae and it's larger impact on the ocean. To do so, she is conducting incubation experiments on deck. She spends most of her days preparing her bottled samples inside the lab -- it's a very time intensive process. Marine pollution goes beyond the trash that we see on the surface--it also affects the base of marine food chains. Besides being a scientist, Heather is also an accomplished musician. She played her guitar and sang for us when we steamed out of San Francisco. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Heather Richard (RTC-SFSU) is </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">After lunch, one of our incubators was found to be leaking. The tank had to be emptied, dried and then resealed. Trying to dry a sealant in a water rich environment is quite a challenge. So we used an industrial hand held dryer and resealed the tank. We will check again tomorrow to see if the sealant worked. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A view of the incubators on deck.<br />The large metallic incubator is called<br />the "Terminator."</span></td></tr>
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Many of the other teams continued to sample in order to calibrate and check their equipment. Julian Herndon and Chris Ikeda (both of RTC-SFSU) worked on calibrating the pH probes for acidification experiments. The Western University (London, Ontario, Canada) group of Dr. Trick, Julia Matheson, and Andrew Shellenbach, analyzed the phytoplankton found in our samples and sorting them by size. This gave them an idea of the population of phytoplankton found at this station.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chris Ikeda and Julian Herndon (RTC-SFSU)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">are seen here calibrating pH probes for acid experiments.</span></td></tr>
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Shortly after dinner, we performed a GoFlo cast, using a bottle lowered to a desired depth, and collected water for trace metal analysis. Since metal from the ship could contaminate the sample, special care is taken to secure a clean sample. The bottle remains closed when it is sent down the line and is only opened when it is triggered by a messenger weight. I was able to assist Dr. Wells with the recovery of this device.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Trick with Julia Matheson and Andrew<br />Shellenbah (Western Univ.) are viewing various<br />types of phytoplankton, sorted by size.</span></td></tr>
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We were pleased to see that our light sensor is doing well and taking measurements. Andrew Shellenbach and I have spent the last three days setting up and checking to make sure that it is properly recording data. He downloaded today's data and all indications are that it is doing what it is supposed to do. In case of research involving phytoplankton, we need to know how much sunlight is involved.<br />
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As the evening comes to a close, Dr. Cochlan and I are discussing the plan for tomorrow. The samples that I have collected are high in biomass, which means that there's a lot of phytoplankton growth at this station. I will reduce the volume of samples taken as to avoid having to dilute our samples. Dilutions take a long time and are difficult to perform in the dark room. We will have a CTD cast at 0800 hrs, followed by data readings. I plan to do my chlorophyll work for about two hours. We will also get the leaking incubator up and running and check up on other ongoing experiments. We will stay near Lopez Point for a few more days before we sail north along the California coast.</div>
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We love to hear from you. If you have a comment or question, send them our way. Please continue to follow our adventures and feel free to share them with your students, friends and family. <br />
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Science is searching for answers. </div>
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Science is a process. </div>
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Science is a collaborative effort. </div>
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Science is fun!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Mark Wells (Univ. of Maine) and I are seen here </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">removing the GoFlo bottle from the casting line.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Deployment of the GoFlo bottle.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Andrew Shellenbach </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Western Univ.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">downloading light </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">measurements. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Denis Costello (Cypress Lakes HS, Katy Texas) and <br />Trey Joyner (Normal Park Museum Magnet, Chattanooga, TN).<br />Your teachers at sea.</span></td></tr>
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Sending down the messenger weight.</div>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-2274583900873528372014-05-15T23:44:00.001-07:002014-05-20T10:32:36.743-07:00Experiment Initiation Day<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FcCNsgk5d88/U3WJUoSQuuI/AAAAAAAAAP0/k5-RqF5lDks/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FcCNsgk5d88/U3WJUoSQuuI/AAAAAAAAAP0/k5-RqF5lDks/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Rosette's Niskin bottles<br />before sampling. Notice how<br />they are open.</span> </td></tr>
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We've had trouble with some Rosette bottles not capturing samples. With the help of Keith, the ship's resident technician, we were able to figure out why they were not firing. Some of the cables used to keep the tops of the Niskin bottles open were getting caught in the frame of the Rosette. Since we are trying to profile the area that we are working in, we had to make sure that we can reliably obtain samples from various depths between 200 meters and the surface. </div>
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Once the Rosette arrived back on deck, we carried out our normal sampling schedule with various teams collecting samples for dissolved gases, nutrients and chlorophyll. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Charles Wingert and </span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 115%;">Maribel Albarran </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 115%;">(RTC-SFSU) collecting samples</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">from the Rosette's Niskin bottles.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Trey and I continued our chlorophyll filtering and sample reading responsibilities. Our readings will give the rest of the science party an idea of the relative biomass in the seawater. After our samples were filtered, we added acetone to release the chlorophyll from inside the phytoplankton's cells. The test tubes were then placed into a freezer. After about twenty hours, we will read the samples in a "dark room" located in the lab. Due to sensitivity of these readings, the dark room prevents our samples from being "shocked" with light.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I am adding a 90% acetone solution to <br />test tubes containing chlorophyll samples.</span></td></tr>
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Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC) peered into his microscope to look for <i>Pseudo-</i><i>nitzschia</i>, a diatom that is known to produce a toxic chemical known as domoic acid. Part of this research cruise will focus on the whether the production of this toxin will be affected by the acidification of the ocean. He was interested in the abundance of these plantlike organisms.</div>
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As the day drew to a close, there was a sense of excitement. All of the months of planning and preparation have finally led to this -- experiment initiation day. Water samples have been collected and all of the principal investigators have set the parameters for experimentation. Tomorrow, we will begin testing for the effects of acidification and available iron for this particular upwelling zone, near Lopez Point in California.</div>
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With the ship rolling and the day's work complete, many of us practiced our knot tying techniques. Sheet bends, bowlines and clove hitches were just some of the many of the useful knots we learned. I'm thinking of using a few of these at the start of the next school year as an icebreaker activity. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian Bill </span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NOAA-NWFSC) </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kathryn Ferguson (NOAA-NWFSC/FSU) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">looking for <i style="text-align: justify;">Pseudo-</i><i style="text-align: justify;">nitzschia.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The "dark room"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Julia Matheson and Dr. Charles Trick <br />(Western University in London, Ontario, Canada)<br />are reviewing her template used to plot <br />the size of organisms found in the water column.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The fluorometer used for <br />our chlorophyll readings, <br />located inside the dark room.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trey Joyner is getting a tutorial from Dr. Mark Wells <br />(Univ. of Maine) on how to tie a sheet bend.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Thanks for visiting my blog. Be sure to also check out Trey's blog at: </span><a href="http://scienceshorts.blogspot.com/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Mr. Joyner's Science Shorts</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Stay tuned in for more updates!</span></div>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805178884436097082.post-54755811563240342232014-05-14T23:30:00.000-07:002014-06-13T07:34:03.340-07:00Jumping Into the Science<div style="text-align: center;">
Just south off Lopez Point, California...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D9KUepBvjZQ/U3RdjafLMDI/AAAAAAAAAPk/JS7gZNBtBe0/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D9KUepBvjZQ/U3RdjafLMDI/AAAAAAAAAPk/JS7gZNBtBe0/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Before 7am, Trey Joyner and I were on deck along with several other scientists, and prepared the CTD-Rosette for the first sampling cast of the cruise. This was not just a chance at obtaining samples, but also an opportunity to get hands-on experience at deploying the equipment. There are 24 Niskin bottles on the Rosette, which allows for a collection of seawater from various predetermined depths. This required several science members, including myself, to climb onto the Rosette to set the bottles. It's not an easy thing to do while the ship is moving, and it can be somewhat rough on the hands, but we managed to get them ready in less than ten minutes. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rachel Vander Giessen <br />at the controls of the CTD.</span></td></tr>
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Once the time came to deploy the Rosette, Rachel Vander Giessen (University of Washington-APL) and myself, ran the "firing of the bottles." While inside the ship, we communicated with the crew on the deck by radio, asking them to either lower or raise the Rosette. Once it was brought to the desired depth, we used a computer to remotely trigger the capture of the samples. Once all of the samples were collected, the Rosette was brought back on board, and the science crew took what they needed to run their experiments.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Data collected <br />on our first CTD cast.</span></td></tr>
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Immediately after the cast, Trey Joyner and I were put in charge of collecting chlorophyll samples. This required us to filter seawater and then extract the chlorophyll by adding 90% (by volume) acetone to our collected specimens. These samples were then placed in a freezer, to be analyzed the following day. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Cochlan and Trey Joyner<br />are reviewing the protocols<br />for chlorophyll sampling.</span></td></tr>
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As a science teacher, I found today to be very rewarding. I often discuss with my students the importance of good communication during labs and group work. In order to practice good, safe science, we all have to be on the same page. This requires a great deal of patience and teamwork. We also have to be good with our measurements and data collection. There are rarely any chances for a "do over." There are many teams on this cruise, and they all depend on each other to get the big picture.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The recovery of the Rosette from the water.</span></td></tr>
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I would like to thank all of you for following blog. As of tonight, people from the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and Trinidad & Tobago have joined us in this journey. I will continue to try my best to keeping all of you updated. Welcome aboard! </div>
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Denis Costellohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16396828356257662869noreply@blogger.com0