I never expect any experience at sea that can make me feel so close to “scientific research”. All of the fantastic feelings and knowledge I obtained comes from the OSNAP east cruise, which departed from Reykjavik Iceland and will reach the continental shelf east of Scotland.
As a first year international student, it is pretty challenging to work with a bunch of “English speakers” because I am not a native speaker and cannot understand each word of what they say. Also, I have never been at sea with duties! I am really afraid of screwing things up and being useless. My duties are to be a CTD watcher during daytime shift, which means I need to communicate with people operating the winch and deploying the CTD and tell them when to do the deck test, when to cast the CTD and when to fire a bottle. Well, it turns out that I am not good at communicating with someone through a speaker. It takes me a while to figure out what the person says on the other side and I confuse them because of my accent. The worse thing is that I always forget what I should say and what button I should online pharmacy press even though I write everything down and pre-read them before each cast. Despite these disappointing and stupid mistakes, I am so pleased with this job since the working station looks really cool and I am the one that controls the whole process of the CTD cast! I am doing a better and better job and I am pretty positive about that.
Today I am helping to launch the moorings near the Reykjanes Ridge. From knowing nothing to helping out on deck (e.g. carrying Micro-cats, dragging floats, linking the shackles and pear-links…), it took me a while to find out what I can do to help. A favor is always welcomed to people who are at work and you should always offer a hand instead of standing by. If you are afraid of screwing things up and never come up to help, you will never know that you can be important and appreciated.
Besides, it is a super nice day today. I finally see the sunshine through those dark clouds even though it lasts around 10 minutes every other time. Sunny days always make me happy and refreshed. Looking forward to the sound source and another mooring launches tomorrow.
Feili and a float called Feili. photo by Penny Holliday
Penny working on the mooring spool together with GEOMAR student Ilmar Leinmann (Photo credit: Penny Holliday)
Deploying a RAFOS float. photo by Penny Holliday
photo by Penny Holliday
Attaching a current meter to a mooring. photo by Penny Holliday
Robert reels in the rosette.
The mooring team with R/V Pelagia deck crew, standing by a mooring anchor while towing the mooring to its final deployment spot.
ea time for the Principal Scientific Officer of the cruise (Stuart, on the left) during the recovery of the first US mooring, lead by Bill (in the middle). Dom (on the right side) observed with attention the work on the back deck.
The RV Pelagia, our home for the duration of this cruise.
Heather Furey (WHOI) and Mark Graham (UMiami) get the rosette ready for the first calibration cast of microcats and test of releases before Leg 2 moorings are deployed. Also on the package are the CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) sensors which relay water property values up a conducting cable as the package is lowered to near the sea floor.
Graduate students Roos Bol from NIOZ (left) and James Coogan from SAMS (right), at the CTD computer console.