Author: Wolfgang Irrig

This was my final week for the internship. It started off with a conclusion to the EPA research cruise. The EPA was gathering sediment samples from two different dredge spoil sites. They also dived near one them. The cruise ended early because off their success with gathering sediment samples. Normally, they have a bit of trouble gathering them because the sample has to meet strict requirements, such as the following: the sample cannot show signs off overflowing or any bit being lost upon recovery, there needs to be a sediment-water interface, and the grab must have closed properly and completely.

While the EPA was busy sampling and we were going to different sites, I assisted the 2nd mate in trouble-shooting the problem with one of the speakers. The speaker had not worked in about a year. I installed a new switch button for the speaker and was about to wire a new speaker when I noticed the wire looked eroded. I tried to strip it back to see if there was a cleaner part, but it looked the same. I installed the speaker despite this. The speaker was a two-way speaker. I then spent a couple of days trouble-shooting this new speaker. The problem with it was that it only worked one way instead of both – my thought was that some of the wires were too eroded.

On the last day of the cruise, I helped take the small boat out to a dive site. I was acting as the dive tender, which keeps an eye on the divers and records information about pressure and depth. Unfortunately, after some time on the small boat I got a little sea sick. This was the first time and last time that cruise that I had gotten sea sick.

On Tuesday night, the 11th at about 2100, we made it back to the dock and the cruise was over. I spent the next couple of days doing maintenance on the boat and some of the scientific gear. I helped clean the CTD, the SBE45 (underway system) Thermosalinograph’s sensors, the galley and its stores, and helped power wash the algae off the side of the vessel.

I am very grateful for this experience. I enjoyed my time in the Walton Smith and I learned a lot about the job of a marine technician. I also learned about areas where I need further practice and experience. Dennis, the marine technician, was great and I really enjoyed learning from. He would explain something to me, maybe show an example, and then send me off to fix something or accomplish a task.

The rest of the crew was also very kind and helpful to me. I cannot thank you all enough!

This week started off with having a bit of a break before the next cruise. I used the time to explore Miami. I went to the Everglades – within them there was a place called Shark Valley – where there were tours on trams, bicycles, or on foot. The chief on the Walton Smith took me there and we walked around for a bit, but we decided to leave early because of all the mosquitos. I saw a dead alligator, which was interesting.

On the 4th, I viewed the fireworks at Coconut Grove. I enjoyed it a lot because not only could I see the fireworks they were firing in the grove, but fireworks were being shot from all over. I decided against going to one of the beaches to view the fireworks because they were packed with people on them.

In Coconut Grove, I also visited Barnacle Park (the front of the park is in the picture below with me and the large anchor). This park is a historical site within a busy shopping district.

Before we left for the cruise, on the 7th and 8th, I helped get everything on the boat ready for the cruise and did a little bit of fishing (as you can see below, I am a very skilled angler). On the 7th, I helped the second mate (Kevin) switch the Walton Smith’s small boat for a newer one. We went to a nearby boat ramp, I piloted the new one of the trailer and he put it the old on it. We then took it out for a test before returning to the Walton Smith.

Later on the 7th, Kevin and myself were trying to catch fish from the stern of the Walton Smith at dock. We baited them with old food the cook was going to throw out. This is the biggest fish I caught, Kevin caught a couple larger fish.

We departed the dock around 1130 on the 8th. The goal of this cruise is to sample sediment at a couple of dredge spoil sites. The scientists are looking at how the piles of sediment and rock have moved, they are testing it for things like PCB concentration and other things. The grab we are using is the one below. We are also using a CTD to gather water quality data.

The following day (today the 9th), they finished sampling at the first site, which I think was just off Miami. We should arrive at the next site (near Cape Canaveral) in the morning and resume sampling.

On this cruise so far, I have helped set up serial communication between the GPS and the scientist computer, deploy/ recover the grab and the CTD, and have lent a hand when needed.

On Monday the 26th of June, we set out on a three-day cruise. The goal of the cruise was to tag Mahi mahi and to try to keep certain sized ones, in these large blue containers (below), alive for 24 hours before releasing them. The scientists measured them and recorded the sex. The dead ones or the ones not within the size range they were trying to catch were dissected and further analyzed.

The mahi were caught with fishing poles trolling behind the vessel and from a smaller fishing boat (as is in the picture to the right). If the smaller boat caught one, the team on the Walton Smith would attach a tennis ball to a fishing pole and cast this ball to the smaller fishing boat. The team on the smaller fishing boat would then attach this line to the line they had caught a fish with, so that the Walton Smith team could then reel the fish in to them.

I helped mount the side pole on the port side of the Walton Smith ( picture below).

This pole had a vacuum on it that sucked in water that would fill the containers the fish were put in. Dennis, the marine technician, and myself would also deploy a carousel with nisken bottles and a CTD on it every evening for each of the three days. On this cruise, the scientists were mostly just catching fish, so there was some free time available for me. During this time, I learned to replace RJ45 (ethernet) connectors (picture below) that had become damaged on various CAT5 cables and learned about serial and ethernet communications.

Most of the fish were caught from the smaller boat and transferred to the Walton Smith. The fish were caught mostly between 0800 through 1600. We stayed in the Straits of Florida for most of the cruise. The water was very calm – I did not get sea sick at all and felt fine the whole time!

On Wednesday the 28, we returned from the cruise. For the following couple of days at the dock, I did the following: set up RS232 connections from the tech lab to a computer on in the dry lab for the next cruise, put together a tv antennae and wired it from atop the bridge into the mess area’s tv, learned how to crimp coaxial cables, prepared for the next cruise by bringing the bottom grab on the boat, and helped clean up around the vessel.

I am very grateful to Dennis for teaching me more about being a marine technician and for giving me an active role in assisting him. I learned some helpful tricks and skills that should come in handy down the road. I look forward to the next cruise, which starts on the 8th of July and goes to the 13th.

I arrived in Miami, Fl. on the 18th, and successfully found the vessel. On the way to the boat, I could not help but notice how much brighter and paradise-like Miami was compared to Wilmington, NC. The first couple of days on the vessel, I met with most of the crew and settled in. Everyone was extremely polite and welcoming. The morning after I arrived, we set off and started the first research cruise.

The scientific party utilized General Oceanic 10L niskin bottles, a SBE 32 Carousel, a SBE 911 CTD, plankton nets, and the ships underway sampling system. I was relieved when I saw what they were using because I have prior experience in use the carousel and plankton nets – albeit different size netting, smaller 2.5L bottles, a 19+ CTD, and a SBE 21 thermosalinograph instead of the SBE 45micro one they have here.

The marine technician, Don, helped show me where things were like the under system and was very accommodating in answering my questions and sharing tips and information. Our responsibility was to ensure the proper and safe use of the carousel and assist the scientist in deploying and recovering it.

The goal of the cruise was to sample waters from near RSMAS (where the vessel is docked) to the west coast of Florida in the Gulf. The goal of the overall project was to conduct a long-term study of specific sites and assess possible trends that could lead to further understanding things like red tides in the area or sedimentation in specific areas.

I know I am supposed to be taking pictures of myself doing things, but on this cruise, I was fairly sea-sick for Monday, Tuesday, and the beginning of Thursday, so I was, unfortunately, not as concerned about taking pictures as I was trying assist Don and get my ” sea legs”. It is unfortunate that I get sea-sick, but I still want to put my best foot forward and at least try to overcome it and have great time (which I am).

The next scientific cruise leaves tomorrow; I have been stuffing my face with ginger cookies and already have the patch on in anticipation for overcoming motion sickness. This next cruise’s goal is tagging of Mahi mahi. The science team will be conducting some CTDs, but it sounded to me as if that was not their main priority, so myself and Dennis, the head marine technician on this trip, might not have a lot to do. I am still looking forward to it and it should be a wonderful experience.

I will be leaving for Florida on the 18th of June; right now I am making sure I have a list of things I will need while on the internship. I have emailed back and forth with my host and have a good idea of everything I will need. I want to make sure I am prepared as I can be and am professional.

I consider myself very fortunate to be going on this internship at sea, and I am very excited to progress more as a marine technician and to experience working at sea. There will be three seperate research cruises I will be a part of – they offer the unique oppurtunity to broaden my knowledge and skills of various marine technical work.

In the days to come, I will be making sure that I have everything I need. Hopefully, I will not forget anything too important!

-Wolfgang Irrig