Author: Bella Dina Lax

Another week aboard the RV Atlantis has gone by, and we have begun falling into a routine. Recently, we secured lab equipment and started to set up the labs. I am currently sitting in one of the labs typing my blog.

Grace, my fellow intern, and I were tasked to set up the sensors from the saltwater intake at the hull of the ship to the sinks. The system line up from the intake to the outlet is a debubbler (a tool for removal of visible bubbles from water flow streams), flowmeter (allows for the monitoring of a range of fluids), thermosalinograph (measure sea surface temperature and conductivity while the ship is in motion), fluorometer (an instrument that detects fluorescence), transmissometer (measures the fraction of light, from a collimated light source, reaching a light detector a set distance away), pump, and rotor flow sensor. We had to figure out a way to mount the sensors on a 45.5”x21.5” panel in the bow thruster room. We enjoyed working on this project and reading about how the sensors worked while learning how to set them up properly. The data collected from the sensors are displayed in real-time in each of the lab spaces.

***Flow-through system bypassing the debubbler***

For the most part, we experienced relatively calm seas, with the exception of a lightning storm which was amazing as it flashed in the sky and reflected on the water. We arrived in Panama on August 2, and I learned we needed to wait our turn to go through the canal.  Smaller ships enter at night, so many of us will be pulling an all-nighter to take in this experience. Everyone I spoke to before my trip told of their time going through the canal and all were awestruck.  I feel very fortunate to be an intern on the R/V Atlantis.

***Before lightning storm at sea***

Before we sailed into the bay area to drop off Robbie (SSSG), Catie (SSSG), Jennifer (Lead Scientist), and Aaron Berry (Kongsberg), we ran a test on the EK 80, multibeam, and sonardyne USBL acoustic navigation system.

***EK 80 data***                                            ***Multibeam data***

Thursday, we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge and arrived in San Francisco Bay. We said our goodbyes to all those leaving the vessel and got to work. Grace and I started clearing out the bio lab and setting up monitors with raspberry pi in all the labs displaying real-time information (sea temp, latitude, longitude, speed, etc.). As we left San Francisco, we sat on the deck and enjoyed the beautiful sunset.

***Golden Gate Bridge***                               ***City Skyline***

The rest of the week, as we cruised the Pacific Ocean, we cleaned, unloaded lab equipment, and started to set up the labs.

Here is a quick summary of my first week on the RV Atlantis. I boarded my flight from California to Seattle, WA, early in the morning.

***View from the plane as it descended to Seattle, WA***

Once I landed, I hopped on the bus and headed to Anacortes, (a snappy four-hour ride), and arrived at my hotel. My fellow interns, Grace and Cherisse, and I explored the quaint town and dined at one of the local restaurants.

***Picture of the R/V Atlantis***

The following morning, we boarded the ship and met Allison Heater, an SSSG, our lead during our internship. We were shown to our rooms in the science berthing, also known as “the snake pit.” It sounds scary; however, my room is very very nice. After settling in, we toured the 274 ft vessel, the R/V Atlantis: mess, the many labs…we were introduced to the lead scientist Jennifer Johnson and the rest of the SSSG: Robbie Laird, Chris Grinder, Larry George, and Catie Graver. We continued our exploration of the ship since it would be our home as we make our way to Woods Hole, Massachusetts. 

***A-frame test, it lifted 100,000 lbs for 10 minutes***

As we readied to depart Anacortes, we spent the next few days prepping the ship. I helped secure the vessel for sea. Friday morning, I watched our departure on the bridge as we left Anacortes. Soon after leaving port the Chief Mate, PJ, scheduled a safety drill to go over how to use Emergency Escape Breathing Devices, EEBA., and we practiced putting on an immersion suit. The next few days were dedicated to testing/calibrating scientific equipment: the EK 80 and multibeam.

***Test path for the multibeam***

Hi! My name is Bella, and I am excited to begin my internship aboard the R/V Atlantis.  I am flying out to Washington to meet the crew and the other interns where we will begin our cruise down the California coast through the Panama Canal to our final destination Woods Hole Massachusetts. While on the ship I will work with the marine technicians.

A little about me: I attend California Maritime Academy in Vallejo California double majoring in Marine Engineering Technology and Oceanography.  I enjoyed two summers at sea experiences thus far.  The first, my freshman year with my school where we traveled to Samoa, Solomon Islands, Saipan, and Hawaii and then with MSC on the USNS Fall River, and our ports included the Philippines, Australia, Timor-Leste, and Indonesia.  During both of these cruises, my focus was engineering.  My interest in engineering began in middle school when I discovered my love of robotics.  I competed in FIRST robotics and Botball in both middle and high school.  I enrolled in my high school’s CTE Engineering Pathway and was the only girl to graduate my year as a completer. 

I look forward to sharing stories on this journey and hope it will encourage other girls to think about careers in science and technology.  I also am looking forward to getting out of the desert heat!  I live in the Coachella Valley and this summer has been like an infernal – days over 120 degrees and humid.  The upside the beautiful sunsets we enjoy.