Hello! My name is Emily, and I am excited to join the Hawaii Ocean Time-series team as a UNOLS MATE intern this fall. I will be participating in cruises KM26-13 HOT 5 and KM26-14 HOT 6 on the R/V Kilo Moana.
I studied Oceanography at the University of Washington, where I discovered a love for marine technology and fieldwork. I worked for the Ocean Observatories Initiative Regional Cabled Array while in school, where I helped maintain an array of deep sea instruments and participated in two research cruises on the R/V ThomasThompson and R/V Atlantis. I am interested in deep sea ecology and conservation, and also completed an undergraduate thesis project mapping the benthic fauna at the methane seep Pythia’s Oasis. I can’t wait to broaden my technical and lab skills with this new internship opportunity!
I love incorporating marine science into art, including drawing, painting and pottery. In my free time, I also enjoy reading, creative writing, and gardening. I’m excited to travel to Hawaii and meet the team!
Transits move fast! After an easy flight from NC to VA, I met up with the STEMSEAS cohort in Norfolk. All the students were excited to meet each other and get on board. If you’re not in the loop, STEMSEAS is a program designed to get undergrads time at sea and expose them to different types of science and careers. Joining us in this expedition are two ChOP fellows, Drs Piffer-Braga and King. They’re on board as chief-scientists-in-training. I’m excited to work with them, as one of the biggest things I learned in school is that the job of a marine technician is to act as scientific support. We also have two doctorate students joining this cruise, so there’s a whooooole lot of academia happening on board. Leading the cruise as the chief scientist is Dr. Joe Montoya of Georgia Tech. He’s led several cruises in his time as a professor, and also provides a wealth of knowledge. Plus a strong interest in sargassum.
Due to an incoming nor’easter, the captain of the Atlantis made the decision to leave port the night of the 22nd instead of the following morning- this meant we hit the ground running with onboarding procedures and getting settled in. Most importantly, learning how to put on immersion suits (aka Gumby suits).
STEMSEAS mentor Jen Valenzuela as the immersion suit model
The first night was a bit sporty out of Norfolk, but it eventually calmed down! The first day on board was a bit mellow, with some of the cohort not feeling too hot in the rolling of the ship. The mentor group started setting up the lab, and the students that were up and about started getting to know the ship and her crew. We hit calmer waters by the 24th, and then we could get down to business! The business of science, that is. I got to help perform a deck test of the CTD the day before we deployed it, which was a great chance to refamiliarize myself with the instrument. It’s been awhile since I used one! We got a demo of CTD casting led by the fearless ChOP fellows and the SSSG the morning of the 24th, and the students were all excited to be out on deck learning how to conduct science. This meant proper deployment and recovery, as well as good sampling habits. On my end, I got to attach the various instruments that can work with the CTD.
Securing the CTD, photo by Jen Valenzuela
I’ve spent my time in an even split between shadowing the SSSG’s on board and also working with the STEMSEAS cohort. In the mornings, the students sit in lectures before moving onto the starboard deck to participate in CTD casts and ring net tows. It’s been fun watching them learn deck ops, and get so excited about collecting samples from different depths. There’s also been a pretty noticeable interest in the mechanics of flying fish (belonging to the family exocoetidae)! A few of the poor guys have flung themselves on deck, and most of the students had never seen a fish that could fly. Part of the STEMSEAS experience is for students to create a project while on board and have it ready to present by the end, and a couple of them have decided to put their focus on the winged creatures. Along with our CTD casts we’ve done several ring net tows to bring up phytoplankton. Dr. Montoya has also been vigilant in his sargassum collection, and is always on the lookout for floating patches of the stuff.
Dr. Montoya in action, photo by Eve See
There’s been a lot of learning opportunities on board, not only in the realm of marine technician work, but all the parts that go into making a research vessel run smoothly. We toured the engine room, the forward water wall, the bridge and all the laboratories on board. And the Atlantis has a LOT of labs. Plenty of room for science! Luckily for this transit, the two doctorate students on board are collecting samples to use in projects back at their home lab, so it’s a real-life collection scenario. I’ve also gotten some traditional intern grunt work, like cleaning tools, organizing hardware and fixing little things around the ship. Also learning how to use an angle grinder! It’s been pretty enlightening, seeing all the pieces that go into making a successful MT.
We’ve also gotten to participate in a hallmark of the STEMSEAS experience that I was completely unaware of, called the “Shrinkage Event”. If you take a regular styrofoam cup, (decorated, of course) and then tie it to the CTD rosette for a deep cast (approximately 3000 M!) it will shrink to a teeny tiny version of itself from the pressure. The quality of styrofoam cups has come into question from those more experienced with crushing them- apparently close-cell styrofoam is superior.
Recovering the shrunken cups, Photo by Eve See
Outside of daily operations, we’ve all been enjoying each others company and having heated debates fueled by questions left on the galley whiteboard. Most notably, if a tomato is a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie? I am firmly in the NO category. You can come to your own conclusions though.
As we near the Panama Canal, the work starts to wrap up as we prepare to offboard, and the students have been hunkering down to finish their projects. We’ve been treated to some incredible stars now that the moon has waned, and even some bioluminescence! There’s still a little bit of time left in this cruise, but for now, I’ll see you on the other side of the canal!
After flight cancelations and hours on the phone with United’s customer service, I am in Auckland, New Zealand experiencing the Southern Hemisphere to the fullest aboard the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. We have been in port running pre-cruise preparation, welcoming on the science party, and getting ready to set sail tomorrow.
Following some jet lag napping (8hr time difference from the East Coast!), I have gotten into a groove following around the SSSGs and learning everything I can.
We replaced the slip disk on the winch which will be used for CTD operations and terminated the CTD cable both electronically and mechanically. This was a delicate task that the science party heavily relies on so because of that, Liz (SSSG) did the real termination, and I did my own termination on some spare wire on the side. After running some wire tests, we did a load test on the deck and calibrated the winch readout.
Left: Using a Dremel to cut through the outer layer of steel on the conducting cable used for the CTD. Right: Cross section of the conducting cable.
For the 24 hours before we set sail, I have been aiding the scientists in whatever they need to get going once underway which has consisted of moving tables, lending tools, and acting as an extra hand when needed. On the crew side, I helped unload stores (food for the cruise!) and shadowed the safety meeting.
One of many pallets of food for the cruise. We have roughly 45 people onboard sailing for 45 days making for over 6,000 meals total
Tomorrow we will be out of here at 1000 and on our way for 45 days at sea!
Hello! I’m Hannah, a soon-to-be UNOLS MATE intern joining the team at BIOS from mid-October to mid-November. I’ll be heading out on two cruises aboard the RV Atlantic Explorer, supporting the Oceanic Flux Program and Hydrostation S projects (two long-running time-series in the Sargasso Sea).
I’m originally from Georgia, where I studied biology before moving to Alaska to study oceanography at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. My graduate research was part of the Northern Gulf of Alaska LTER, which provided the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time at sea aboard the RV Sikuliaq and a few other UNOLS vessels. Working with the Sikuliaq marine technicians is what motivated me to look into the MATE program.
These days, I’m working as a technical analyst on a few zooplankton imaging projects. I’m excited to step away from my laptop for a bit and get back into hands-on fieldwork. I’ve worked a lot with zooplankton sampling gear, so I’m looking forward to getting more experience with other operations like CTD deployments and mooring turnovers during this internship.
Outside of work, I’m usually backpacking, climbing, biking, knitting, or doing ceramics. I’m excited to spend the next month with the BIOS and RV AE team… stay tuned!
My name is Drake, and I’m very excited to be joining the Hawai’i Ocean Time-series for their upcoming projects KM26-13 HOT 5 and KM26-14 HOT 6 cruises onboard the R/V Kilo Moana.
Currently, I work as a research technician in the Georgia Tech McGrath Lab, where we study the inheritance of physical traits and behaviors in Lake Malawi cichlid fishes using behavioral monitoring video tied to genomic and transcriptomic pipelines. Still, I’m excited to be getting back out to sea to look at geochemical features and learn more about oceanographic and marine technology endeavors.
Follow along this next month to see what all we get up to!
Last week was the last week of my internship and it was an absolute blast! We completed the last of our Alvin dives, saw some more dolphins, and I got to go in the small boat again. The small boat trips were probably the highlight of my internship since it was so remarkable to feel so small on such a large ocean.
We did miss one of our dives last week due to weather that was supposed to come in after 9 a.m. but only came in briefly to ruin the cookout that was planned that day. Funnily enough, that was also the day a whole bunch of things broke and the Electrical Technicians were working super hard on fixing Alvin. The rest of the dives went without issue though.
On the way into port, we passed by some gigantic container ships and the naval base again.
oplus_3145760
Once in port, the Alvin team and I had a lot of final work to do since this was the last Alvin cruise of the year. We had to take the motors off to send them back to WHOI, as well as clean up the Hydro lab, mech shop, and hangar. Everything had to be packed into boxes and then lifted off the ship with the onboard crane. It was a lot of work, but having a lot of hands made it easier and we were able to finish earlier than expected.
oplus_3145760oplus_3145728
Working with the Alvin team over the last few weeks has been a truly exceptional experience! I got to see and learn so much, as well as meet so many talented and unique people. This is definitely an internship I will never forget, and one I hope to come back to!
Hi! I’m Mimi, the UNOLS MATE intern for the September 2026 transit on board the R/V Atlantis. I’ll be in collaboration with STEMSEAS, both as a near-peer mentor for the student cohort, and assisting ChOP fellows and mentors. The goal of this cruise is to train upcoming chief scientists while also giving undergrad students first-hand experience at sea.
I’m a North Carolina native, and studied marine technology at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. I grew up in the mountains before moving to the coast for school. Growing up in western NC gave me a love for nature and an interest in conservation and sustainability, which I have continued on outside of academia. While in school, I spent many days on the Cape Fear river as a work study student on our research cat, the R/V Martech, learning how to collect and process data with different equipment. I also spent some time offshore on our floating classroom, the R/V Cape Hatteras I’m deeply interested in marine technology as a whole, and I’m excited for this opportunity to be on board this vessel!
I absolutely love the ocean, especially being offshore. In Wilmington, I worked as a sailing instructor and charter mate, which grew my interest in the sea and marine life. I have spent the past year sailing up and down the Atlantic, from Martinique to Halifax, Nova Scotia on various sailing vessels! In my spare time, I’m an avid bookreader, wannabe historian, bird enthusiast, casual hiker and skiier. I love exploring the world and I’m looking forward to this experience!
Hey everybody, I’m Jess, and I’m joining the R/V Thomas G. Thompson working with the SSSGs on a 6 week research cruise departing out of Auckland, New Zealand September 28th surveying ventilation in the Kermadec Trench.
This will be my 4th time at sea and my 4th vessel! While I have historically been a member of the science party, I am excited to bring my technical skills crew side and learn from some of the best expanding my skillset and working knowledge.
Writing about my work and experience is nothing new for me as I maintain an Instagram highlighting what it’s like to be in the field and what goes on behind the scenes. For those interested it can be found at: @thatoceanographytech
Aside from work, I enjoy traveling, swimming, cooking, fiber arts, and curating music. While at sea, I hope to use my time off shift to enjoy these hobbies as well.
This past week has mostly followed the same routine of the week before. I’ve continued helping with pre and post-dive, as well as assisting during basket changes. Two days ago, a dive was cancelled due to weather, but conditions have improved and are looking good for the rest of the cruise.
oplus_3145760
Yesterday, after Alvin submerged, we had to build weight stacks again. Even with seven people helping, it still took us a long time. Doing the math, together we moved a total of about 4,500 lbs. of weight from the hold to the deck to build the stacks.
One of the more exciting experiences was watching Molly dissect a squid. Two squid had gotten stuck in Alvin during one of Molly’s dives and she wanted to save their beaks. It was fascinating to watch her cut open random organs and everyone trying to identify what was what.
oplus_3145728
Over the past few days, Bruce has been explaining the different systems of the sub to me, including the Variable Ballast System. Coincidentally, we ended up resetting the system later that same day because of a weight issue during a dive. Being able to watch the system being filled while receiving explanations from both Bruce and Nick, the mechanical lead, gave me a much better understanding of how it works and its role in Alvin’s operations.
The Atlantis left Norfolk last Saturday morning, and we have now been at sea for roughly one week. So far, it has been an incredible experience, and I have already learned a tremendous amount!
Before leaving port, the Alvin team and I had the opportunity to tour the USS New Jersey, a Virginia class nuclear submarine. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos, but it was one of the most impressive pieces of engineering I have ever seen.
While still in Norfolk, I was able to observe the mechanical team assembling two Alvin motors that had recently arrived from the shore-based engineering crew. They also showed me the oil compensation system and explained how it prevents electrical housings from collapsing under the immense pressure. Nick, the mechanical lead, gave me a tour of both Alvin and the Atlantis, and everyone on board was incredibly welcoming and eager to help me understand the vehicle and its systems.
oplus_137363488
As we departed port, we got to see a pod of dolphins following the ship. We also passed Naval Station Norfolk and saw several impressive Navy vessels, including the USS Nimitz and USS Harry S. Truman.
oplus_3145728
Since departing, I have spent most of my time assisting with Alvin launch and recovery operations. I’ve helped prepare the tool basket, clean the submarine, and load and unload equipment from the sub. Scott and Janna also taught me how to prepare, install, and remove the MISO cameras, so I have been helping with that every day as well.
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to ride in the small boat with Esteban during a launch. Being in the small boat really put into perspective just how far from shore we are. The experience felt surreal.
oplus_3145760
Molly has also been teaching me various sailor’s knots, and Catfish showed me how to handle the stern line during small boat deployments. It made me feel like a pirate.
Post recovery, I have started helping the science team assemble and set up push cores. It has been a good time to talk to various scientists and learn what they are doing and why. There is an artist onboard who has been making interpretative paintings of the science going on and I’ve been able talk to her about her work and how she is turning hardcore science into something palatable for a general audience.
oplus_3145760
Other than that, I’ve been hanging out in Top Lab with Nick, Bruce, and Kaitlyn since it’s quiet up there and has a nice view. It gives me the opportunity to ask them questions and learn more about everything that is going on.
The food is extremely tasty on board, and the crew have been watching old school Star Trek during meals, which has also been entertaining. The sunrises and sunsets are beautiful, and a few people have mentioned that the stars at night are really pretty, so I will go out tonight to take a look, and the results will be in next week’s blog, so come back for that.
