Marine Technical Internship Blog

Sometimes science is best not learned in a laboratory or in a class room. Not everyone can memorize and regurgitate information, and a lot of times let’s face it that information for information’s sake seems mostly useless in the scope of thing. Out in the middle of the ocean I have started learning thing about salinity gradients and how fish migrate diurnally to avoid predation. These are thing I learned before in oceanography courses. Out here though I get to see how the salinity gradient changes over the course of a day, where the oxygen minimum zone shifts as night fall progresses. Through doing countless CTD casts I have seen these plots, time and time again, and now I have begun to grasp the relevance of fresh water input through rain events in a saline environment.

On this portion of the long term experiment in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City Beach we have scientist looking at several types of acoustic data. Most have been interested in the data in horizontal planes in relation to the sea floor, and looking at reverberation effects due to various environmental factors. However we now have a group that are looking perpendicularly through the water column and seeing the type of life using acoustic technology. This has allowed me to see first-hand a phase shift in ambient noise, and what they believe to be caused by vertical migration of various animals. This is not the first time it has been noticed evidently, but it is still really cool none the less.

Since this experiment is being done in relatively shallow water, 20m being about the maximum depth at times all the engines need to be shut off for different reasons, and we are set adrift at the mercy of the current and waves. While being adrift for a short period of time is not too bad, once it has gone on for hours and you are caught in a trough of 7 to 10 foot waves, things start to get a little uncomfortable. Swivel chairs turn into fun time rides for about 30 seconds, until you are forced to lock your legs under a desk just so you can conduct some form of normal business. The AC units have to be turned off at some points because their cooling outlet drains right on top of the down facing sonar and causes data to be lost, so it often can get a little warm inside the ship. This unfortunately means a lot of down time for the crew, which can be a good thing and bad. About half way through the first week everyone starts getting kind of bored and cranky.

Well guys, we’re back in Seattle for a couple of weeks. Since my last post, we finished our survey for internal waves with SWIMS the towfish off the Washington coast with the group of scientists called “The Wave Chasers.” We got back to Lake Union, where the University of Washingtons’ dock is located, last Friday. Lucky enough for me I have family in the area, so on my off time I have received the grand tour of the state of Washington. 

So after the weekend off, I reported for duty on Monday morning. We started off by tracing some Cat-5 cable (Cat-5 is commonly used for internet connections and linking different computers together) because of some networking issues. Once we had traced our wires out, I was tasked with clearing the dock of some junk that was no longer being used, a fun task indeed!

After cleaning the dock, I found out that the machine shop guys were trying to get their shop repainted after an electrical upfit. Needing to have it repainted before Thursday, I offered my services. Painting is what I have been doing for the last few days, breaking for a few hours for a Mar Tech staff meeting to discuss things to get done while in port. Once I am done writing this, I will be replacing all the lanyards on the Niskin water sample bottles that are mounted on our rosette. Well until next time, Brophy out! 

Hello all:

It’s day three of the first of two cruises in the North Pacific. The sun is shining and the weather has been good so far. The food on the Thompson has been awesome, with suchi for lunch and dinner that you would find in a find dining resturant. 

Since leaving port, we did CTD casts for the first 24hrs of the cruise. Starting in  the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which seperates Canada and the US. My job was to prepare the CTD by cocking the Niskin bottles which are used to collect water samples at a given depth in the water column. Then we would deploy the CTD, firing the bottles at the depth that the scientists require. Once back on board I assted the scientists in collecting water samples to find the nutrient content of the sample.

Yesterday evening as we recovered an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle), Grey Whales were spotted off the port bow,water spouts flying high in the sky. Then this morning a pod of Orca’s came very close to the ship as a Sea Lion hugged the Thompson trying to avoid detection from the killer whales.

After breakfest this morning (4/24/2013) we began the search for internal waves. Internal waves are very similar to the waves found on the sea surface, but travel within the water column. To do this we used a combo of a side mounted echosounder along with a towfish called “SWIMS” that is towed from astern. I assisted in the deployment of SWIMS by manning a tag line while it was guided into the water. I shall report again soon, hopefully with a better internet connection so I can include photos. Well, until next time!!

 It’s 80 degrees and sunny in Wilmington, NC and I’m soaking it up as much as possible. In a day and a half, I will be on a plane heading toward Seattle and the R/V Thomas G Thompson for what promises to be a trip of a lifetime. A five day trip off the Washington Coast, working in the Strait of Juan De Fuca then after a few weeks in port, we are off to the Gulf of Alaska for a three week trip! Warm clothing will be essential because the North Pacifc and Gulf of Alaska are unpredictable places even in the Spring/Summer months. I’m making a list and checking it twice! Well, until next time, Sayonara!!

Well mates let me get you up to speed since my last post. We have left the port of Bermuda and are currently in the middle of the Atlantic on our way to the Rainbow Massif we are studying on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. I have been on a 12hr shift rotation starting from mid-night until Noon. For the first four hours I work on deck with the gunners and marine techs. The next eight I am in the main lab with the science party. Basically we have been trying to get the seismic guns ready for deployment. There is alot of work that has to go into to these huge expensive pieces of equipment. Ok I am going to keep this simple; what you are looking at in the photo below are seismic air cannons or guns (used for multi-channel seismic surveys) that are attached to big floatation devices. The coiled rope (green) are specif lengths that keep all the guns at the desired depth (9 meters). These are towed behind the boat as well as 6 kms of streamers (hydrophones) that recieve the returned signal produced by the air cannons after it has reflected/refracted through the subsurface and back towards the sea surface. We are also running multibeam and …

OK thats enough information for one day, if I tell you everything now there will be no suspense and anticipation for the next one.

Well mates, thanks for tuning in. Today is my third day on-board the Langseth and what a busy three days its been. When I fist got on-board the science party was not scheduled to arrive till the next day. So I quickly offered my services to the crew and techs and was put to work immediately. Unfortunately we are stuck in Bermuda with a rudder malfunction and although the science party is on-board they have nothing to do till we shove off. So I have been spending my days working on deck, splicing rope, cutting chain, testing winches, and preparing for deck operations while at sea. I will put up some pictures some time tonight or tomorrow. So stay tuned for more exciting insights to live on a research vessel

Uruguay, how can I say this, was not exactly a vacation resort. It was a working industrial port. The city of Montevideo was less than aesthetically pleasing on the best day, yet was a nice enough for a non-Spanish speaking American to not feel too terribly uncomfortable.