Author: Gabby Rodezno Wilson

Hello 🙂

This week at sea I am learning how to be flexible and adapt to the changing environment. A few days ago, there was an electrical fire that caused a mission ending failure. This has taught me how quickly plans can change at sea, and how difficult it is for us to get the proper support we need all the way out in the Arctic. Luckily everyone is safe, and we are still able to reach about 12 knots to head back towards a port where the ship can be repaired. This unfortunate incident gave insight into the steps the engineers and damage control personnel need to take when dealing with emergency situations. When encountering an emergency, there are certain alarms that the ship will sound; it’s important to listen to these messages and muster when necessary to ensure everyone is safe and accounted for.

I got a tour of the engineering spaces, which was very fascinating to see the inner workings of the ship. I saw the huge generators & four diesel electric drive motors responsible for propulsion, the cycloconverters & transformers responsible for proper power distribution throughout the ship, the heat transfer systems used to cool off the motors, the desalination plant where the ship can make 6000 gallons of freshwater a day, the boiler room which sends steam to power the turbines plus other equipment, and other spaces responsible for running the ship. The Healy is considered the most “technologically advanced” icebreaker because of the variety of scientific equipment onboard and the ability to monitor oil, water, and voltage levels throughout the ship from a computer. Instead of getting down in the hard to reach places in the bilge, the engineers can monitor all systems and control where water, oil, and electricity are sent throughout the ship. I also got a tour of aloft con which is where the ice pilots steer the ship from when we are in 7/10 ice coverage. Aloft con is a few ladders above the bridge, and gives the officers a 360 degree view of the ship. From aloft con, they have a good view of the stern wake. When we are moving through ice, they can see where the ice has high pressure based on how the wake closes in as the ship moves through an area of dense ice coverage.This gives indication of how the rudders should be adjusted and how to maintain the safest track through the ice.

On the science side, we had to stop doing CTD casts because the new mission is to get the ship back to a reliable port safely. We did 24 hours of XBT (expendable bathythermograph) casts which we can do while we are moving. For safe measure, we typically ask the bridge to slow down to about 6 knots when doing these casts. We launched 1 XBT on the hour for 24 hours. The XBT collects sound velocity data by measuring temperature as it falls through the water column. I was on the radio in the computer lab for some casts and on deck for others. In the lab, I request permission from the bridge to stage the XBT launch. Then I tell those on deck that I am standing by for the probe serial number which I enter into the XBT launch program. Once the bridge and lab confirm the serial number, we tell the deck to load the probe and check for good communication with the device. Then the deck asks the bridge for permission to launch. In the lab, I check the multi-beam and if we are in over 1000m water depth, I wait until the probe reaches its terminal depth of 1000m to end the cast. If we are in shallower water, I wait until the probe reaches the bottom and then tell the deck they can cut the copper wire to finish the cast. After the wire is cut, I load the cast data in the sound-speed manager and edit it to delete the data from the surface before the probe hits the water. The water temperature profile is then sent to the multi-beam so the acoustic device can more accurately send and transmit signals to the seafloor. Some of the JOs (junior officers) were sent from the bridge to learn about what we are doing so I got to teach about the process too. They taught me a lot about their work schedules and the qualifications they need to earn to work certain positions. They taught me about the different Coast Guard ratings/ranks and career paths that each can pursue depending on their specialty.

I was also learning how to change the gain value, tx power, range, phase, and process shift on the Knudsen sonar device to get better depth readings. When we suddenly enter deep water or go from deep to very shallow, the acoustic range and phase need to be altered so that the Knudsen knows which depth to look at. Then the gain value should be decreased in shallow water to reduce the surface reverberation. In deep water, the gain value and tx power should be increased to send a signal that is strong enough to receive a return signal. I have learned how to identify multiples that can be caused by multiple harmonics. If there is one multiple, the signal has reflected off the seafloor and back to the surface twice, so the seafloor line can appear deeper. The multiples can be caused by seafloor sediment that is less porous and reflects the sound wave instead of absorbing. The multiples can also be caused by a quick change to shallow water depth. If the signal source is too strong, the sound may be more likely to reflect multiple times off the seafloor before being recorded by the receiver. It is important to monitor the Knudsen and make alterations to the acoustic signal sent to get more accurate depth profiles of the seafloor.

I designed and 3D printed more parts for Brendon and the Boatswain. It’s pretty fun, I feel that designing the parts has enhanced my creative thinking. I have also gotten better at problem-solving by seeing which parts did not turn out well and reconsidering the print orientation and what kind of infill to use. 

We also brought out the sewing machine and made some covers for certain devices onboard. The debubbler on the water wall needs a cover so that it stays dark to prevent things from growing inside of the water. The 3D printer needs a cover to protect it from scratches or other wear and tear it could experience from being on the ship for a while. There are electrical boxes outside to control the cranes that also need covers to prevent rust or other buildup.

Aside from work, we saw more healthy polar bears with their cubs and I have learned how to identify certain whales and arctic birds. I learned how to play cribbage and won my first game. We have done other fun activities like spin class, volleyball, UNO, spoons, and even a Mario Kart tournament. We are departing the ship in a few days, and it has definitely been an amazing experience. I have learned some new technical skills, met a lot of interesting people, learned about different career paths I could pursue, and kept a journal of everyday activities. I am very thankful for this opportunity as a MATE intern, and I am excited to see where my career as an ocean engineer will take me in the future!

Me installing my 3D printed fluorometer mount to the rosette

Hello 🙂

The past week we have been doing many CTD casts. We did our deepest cast the other day that reached about 2800m. We colored some styrofoam cups and sent them down on the rosette to shrink; they were all very creative and turned out so nice. After each cast, we secure the deck unit and take water samples for the scientists. We first need to ensure the bottles did not leak and were properly closed when fired. At each collection depth, we fire two bottles in case one of them leaks. After we have all of our samples, we flood the floor by emptying the Nisking bottles. Then reattach the strings to the top and bottom to leave the bottles open for the next cast. The sensors are then covered with caps and the seawater pumps are flushed with DI water. They did an NSF livestream in which Lorelei and I are in the background of the video doing our CTD maintenance haha.

This week we have also done two mooring deployments. I soldered a new cable for Jim’s deck unit because he needed a five prong pin out as opposed to the three prong that was connected to the Knudsen. The Knudsen is a sub-bottom profiler that performs seismic profiling of the seafloor to indicate water depth below the ship. Jim’s deck unit allows him to send a ping to communicate with the acoustic releases on the bottom of the mooring cable. The moorings are a rather complicated set up because they are anchored at the seafloor and each device on the cable needs to float at certain depths. To set up the mooring correctly, there is a lot of communication going on between those on deck, those on the bridge, the winch operator, and the A frame operator. I learned about the hand signals used between the deck and operators, as well as safety procedures on deck. They had two successful mooring deployments but were not able to recover the older mooring because of the thick ice in the area.

We have also been conducting XCTD casts which are small expendable CTDs. They are released through a canister and connected to a copper wire that transmits depth, temperature, conductivity, and salinity information. For one of the casts I was on the radio communicating with the bridge and aft con. We need to ask for permission to stage the cast, give the serial numbers on the device, load the probe, aft con tells us we can launch, then we cut the wire once we reach the seafloor or terminal depth.

My 3D printing knowledge has also been expanded upon. The printer is capable of making really cool objects, but there are sometimes limitations based on the settings used before printing. I have learned to use supports and a brim to help the printer follow the correct path, stagger the seams for more strength, use alpha infill for an exposed roof so the part does not implode under pressure, and to minimize the size as much as possible so the print does not take too long. My fluorometer mount design is finally working and we will test it out on a CTD cast soon.

I have spent some time on the bridge/ upper decks to get a good view of the ice breaking. It’s pretty incredible to watch and I am impressed with the ship’s capabilities. I’m glad to be here and have definitely been enjoying my internship on the Healy.

Will post another update soon.

-Gabby

Hello!

Over the past two weeks I have done a lot of traveling. My journey started on June 26 by flying to Seattle then to Anchorage. My thrid plane was much smaller, and I arrived in Dutch Harbor on June 27. I made my way to the Grand Aleutian Hotel and had a nice meal in their Margaret Bay Café. The next day, I met Kristen who had just finished her internship on the Healy. I also met a few of the other marine techs (Brandon, Bowman, and Max). During our few days in Dutch, we explored all that the small town has to offer including the famous Alaska Ship Supply, LFS, the abandoned underground hosptial, Safeway, Amelia’s, and last but not least the Norweigan Rat to play some pool. We did some hiking on Mt. Ballyhoo and enjoyed a beautiful view over the harbor; we saw about a dozen eagles. We did another hike behind the shipping supply; we had an amazing view of the coast and saw many old WWII bunkers. We also got a tour of the labs on the NOAA ship next to us in port. They are mainly studying pollock to monitor the health of fisheries in the area. After I moved onto the Healy, it remained in port for a few days while the engineers and technicians were troubleshooting some issues to ensure that we were ready for a long voyage.  

Once the ship was underway, I spent a few days becoming familiar with the different routes to get where I need to go, and the equipment that we would use during the trip. This expedition is very CTD focused, so I spent a while talking with the other techs about each sensor and configuring ways to install the devices onto the rosette frame. Nick and I added a camera to the rosette; we had to find a good way to mount it without other devices blocking the view of the light and lens. The camera detects organisms underwater by interacting with their fluorescent pigments and illuinating them. One of my tasks was to create a mount for the fluorometer so that we can fasten it horizontally as opposed to vertically. This orientation would reduce interference between the multiple devices that are emitting light. I spent some time taking measurements of the rosette and fluorometer. I learned a new CAD software to design a mount that is 3D printing now, I’m excited to see how it turns out.                                  

I was working with Maria-Christina to understand her mass spectrometry instrument that was analyzing oxygen and argon concentrations in the underway seawater. We have to make sure there are no bubbles entering the mass spec and we need to take samples of seawater every few days.

I worked with Chrisitina to disassemble, clean, and reassemble the port side and BioLab waterwalls. The waterwalls have a number of sensors including the debubbler, flow meter, fluorometer, eco-triplet, thermosalinograph, TDGP (total dissolved gas pressure), transmissometer, dissolved oxygen sensors, and the WetStar. All of these devices measure various properties of the underway seawater such as the flow rate, temperature, conductivity, concentration of matter in seawater, flourescence, and more. It is important to do regular maintenance on these systems to ensure the received data is accurate. Another one of my tasks was to use LucidChart to complete a wire diagram that shows how everything is connected on the waterwall. I traced the wires from the Adam boxes and mapped out where the devices were connected.

Brendon also taught me how to solder, that was fun I first practiced by making some wire loops and performed continuity tests. Then we tested my new skill by replacing a float switch on the waterwall. The float switch lifts up when the sink is overflowing and activates a light on the computer to let us know there is overflow. 

I worked with Lorelei during the CTD casts to understand the data collection process. Communication between the deck, winch operator, and person operating the data collection computer is important to receive useful data. This communication is also important to ensure the safety of those on deck and to prevent equipment damage.

Before the cast, the rosette needs to be prepped by cocking the Niskin bottles and making sure they are fully open so they do not implode underwater due to the difference in pressure. Brandon and I replaced some of the strings on the bottles that experienced some wear and tear. The camera is also turned on a few minutes before each cast and turned off after each cast. The CTD needs to be submerged about 10-15m below the surface to acclimate the sensors to the water. Then the CTD is lowered to about 10m above the bottom, and it is slowly brought up to specified depths where the Niskin bottles are fired and samples are collected. The data is then processed and a script is run so that the hex file can be interpreted as a cnv file. The scientists then use the data to plot graphs of the pressures, density, salinity, and temperature at each station.

The scientists are also doing seafloor grabs using the Smith-Mac to collect samples from the seafloor. They are studying the samples to check for harmful algal blooms and other toxins that can be identified in invertebrates.

We did an abandon ship drill in which every member onboard meets at the bridge and gathers with their designated raft number. Each person is assigned to bring certain items such as blankets or food. When the ship’s coordinates and heading are announced, we are supposed to write on our the backs of our hands so if we were to contact help they could locate us. They showed us where the abondon ship locker was then I got to try on the cold water mustang suit.  

I have really enjoyed my experience on the Healy. I have met and talked with many technicians, scientists, and members of the Coast Guard. I have learned a lot about the roles of those working on the deck and those on the bridge in charge of steering the ship. I have attended a few Coast Guard Officer trainings to learn more about the Healy’s engineering design and ice breaking capabilities. I have been lucky enough to do some whale and bird watching too. After work, I’ve enjoyed going to the gym and have invited some of my friends to learn how to erg. It has been a unique trip and I will update with another post soon!

Thanks for reading 🙂

-Gabby