Author: Shaun Teter

With the HABCAM (and my pride) recovered, we remained in the Nantucket Sound area while the science party assessed the damage to the vehicle. There was little external physical damage, thanks to the monster steel frame the vehicle sits in. Over the next few days, we would dredge while the vehicle was repaired. I assisted in the retermination of the cable for the third time since the start of my internship – a process involving many finely detailed steps, including the use of a sort of “chinese fingertrap” to push the fire optic cable into the wire clevis. Even with the cable repaired, it was determined that the fiber optic connection needed work since the cable had been sheared off. So, just as soon as we had left, we returned to Wood’s Hole for the science tech team to get some shore side support. Little did we know that even greater obstacles were waiting.

After more maintenance on the slip ring that integrates fiber optics into the towing cable, we were set to depart again. Only this time, our window of opportunity began to shrink as a low pressure system developed, threatening bad weather. Though a seagoing ship and capable of withstanding some wind and seas, it is generally dangerous to tow in such conditions and would have made for a long, uncomfortable, and risky towing operation to be out in the weather, so the plan was modified. We wouldn’t be out long enough for this to be of concern however, ass everal hours into returning the HABCAM to the water the vehicle would lose all power and data output. Recovering it from the water, it was determined that an internal fuse had blown, requiring another visit to lovely Wood’s Hole.

During our stay, the weather in the Atlantic would rapidly deteriorate, shrinking our window of available tow time. The HABCAM was returned to fully functional status, but the high winds barred us from returning back to sea. So it was, that the third and final leg of the annual scallop survey ended on a note of caution and appreciation for the many variables, good and bad, that may appear when engaging in ocean research.

So, without a HABCAM in tow for me to find uncharted rocks with, I am free to return to the bridge as we navigate the vessel back to its home port of Lewes, DE. A new, shorter 3 day mooring trip awaits us, and will be the last operation for my MATE internship.

“Red sky in morning, sailors take warning” – I learned this adage while at sea in the Pacific, and it is just as true for the Atlantic. A distant low pressure system can create long period swell that rocks your boat. Thankfully I’d earned my sea legs some time ago, and when getting underway for part 2 of the Scallop survey, I did not join the science party in “manning the rails”, so to speak!

Continuing our transect pattern with the towed HABCAM ROV (seen below), there was little to do on the technician side, save for the occasional technical error. Another maritime phrase came to mind as I sat, legs atrophying, trying to keep busy during watch – “Sailing is a continuum of boredom, interrupted only by moments of shear choas”. Luckily, the deck and tech teams respond quickly in these moments, pulling the vehicle from the water when power or data was lost. I was able to assist in the retrieval of the vehicle, and assist the marine technician and science team in complicated retermination of the fiber optic cable that connects the HABCAM to the ship’s data display.

Now working with a less-technically oriented supervisor, who’d also graduated from a maritime academy, I spent my days trying to fulfill the role of the Third Mate. I assisted in deck maintenance, safety checks for equipment, drills, and even installed a man overboard tracking system on the bridge. Complacency breeds danger, so I wake up every day resolute to learn something and jump in to new opportunities. This included being able to go over the side to tighten the HABCAM ramp during an unusually pleasant day in Wood’s Hole, Massachusetts. After showing initiative and know-how on deck, I’m now trusted to help moor and navigate the ship, which is a great feeling for a fresh Third Mate/Tech!

We’re out to sea again, and thankfully will be more active on deck with the HABCAM towing complete. Next comes dredging, shoveling, and sorting the sea bed for scallops and other marine life! More soon, and smooth sailing to my fellow interns.

-Shaun

After departing from Lewes, Delaware for sea, I began my watch routine aboard the R/V Hugh R. Sharp. We’re supporting NOAA Fisheries in their annual sea scallop survey for the East coast, which approximates the health and population of scallops and other organisms to prepare allowable fishing limits for the region’s fishermen. This is done through a combination of dredging and deployment of the HABCAM – a towed camera vehicle that takes millions of pictures of the bottom. While the HABCAM is in the water, there’s little to do besides learn the daily routine of a marine technician – including working with the vessel’s surface mapping system, CTD, data acquisition network, and assisting the science team in any of their technical needs. My experience on vessels has helped a lot in acclimating to the watch schedule and vessel life, really allowing me to hit the ground running in terms of learning. Although this leg of the cruise only saw me participate in one dredge, I have never been happier working with a team to essentially haul “dirt and critters” from the sea floor, knowing I’m playing a role in a significant scientific mission. I’m also very pleased to say that the very first vessel I’ve been able to pilot after receiving my Third Mate’s license was the Hugh R. Sharp, and I’m thankful for the crew for giving me many opportunities to cross train between the deck and science departments. More to come! – Shaun Teter

Leg 2 of 3 of the annual Atlantic scallop survey aboard the Hugh R. Sharp, and I’m busily shoveling all manner of marine muck in front of a team of dedicated volunteers.  The dredge net, deployed over and over again at stations across Georges’ Bank, hauls back everything from scallops to monkfish (pictured), all of which are measured and analyzed by the NOAA team on board for the survey. Even in the howling wind and rain, Helly Hansens coated in mud and marine viscera, my enthusiasm does not wane. That is, until I watch the tension gauge on the dredge winch spike to a healthy 12,000 pounds, and we haul up a giant bag of rocks. Safety is still the primary concern here, but any missteps or environmental interference in the deployment or recovery process of the net can cause it to “flip” underwater, essentially dumping the dredge load back into the ocean, or even tearing the bag. This leg featured 5 flips (one by yours truly) and 2.5 bag tears, a new record!

In all seriousness, there’s still much to be learned in the dredging operation. My deck safety training comes in useful here, managing winches and the A-frame in a careful dance of hydraulics, wire and mud to get the science team the samples they need. Every few stations, I’ve been able to individually operate the vessel’s CTD. It boasts very impressive, almost completely hands free system, allowing the technician to stay stationed in the data acquisition room, watching the live data stream and communicating the deployment of the CTD to a remote operator. The dredge operations operate almost like an assembly line, but are a welcome break from the endless HABCAM towing days. With leg 2 complete, we enjoy a brief stop in Wood’s Hole, MA, before heading out for the final leg of the survey. More soon!

Having recently graduated from the California Maritime Academy as a licensed Third Mate and aspiring marine technician, I am eager to begin my career in supporting marine research at sea. I’ve had the great honor of beginning my path with the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) program, which will place me on the research vessel Hugh R. Sharp in a few days’ time.

While not my first time aboard a research vessel, nor my first time at sea, the MATE experience will be a new and immeasurably important experience to me. To prepare for the extensive hands-on experience and networking opportunities I will receive, I’ve spent time reviewing numerous marine science and technology-related topics while reflecting on the experiences in research support that I have had so far. My past experience leading research cruises and working with conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) sensors should show in my time aboard.

Waiting for me is a red-eye flight and rain on the East coast, but I still look forward to bringing my skill set in both marine technology and maritime operations to support the crew aboard the Sharp.

More soon, and smooth sailing to my fellow MATE interns.

– Shaun Teter