Category: Host Page 46 of 85

On September 6th the R/V Atlantic Explorer departed for a routine cruise in the Sargasso Sea. Bermuda Atlantic TIme Series (BATS) cruises are one of the main missions for BIOS. Sampling at the BATS station has been going on for over 40 years, making it one of the longest running oceanographic time series in the world.

The start of the cruise had rougher seas than normal, so I spent a few days seasick and finding out which medicine works best. After things smoothed out, and I adjusted to the ship, I was able to complete 3 am – 3 pm shifts with one of the two marine technicians working on the R/V AE.

Some of the procedures carried out during the cruise included CTD rosette casts, mooring deployments, and glider deployments. I usually helped during each procedure by ensuring that the instruments or moorings were safely and properly deployed, and communicating between the scientists and crew members.

Some other things I learned about on this cruise were the local network and satellite network connection aboard the ship. The marine tech is responsible for monitoring the connection, and making sure scientists have fast enough internet if needed. The local network is also important for making data available and backing it up in multiple places in case something were to happen.

Additionally, I worked with the marine technician to organize and inventory the cables on the CTD and test for continuity. Some of the custom cables did have issues, which may be leading to some errors in the data.

Here are some pictures from a glider recovery, and lubricating the CTD winch!

A small zodiac is launched from the ship to recover the glider when it becomes visible on the surface.

The winch cable should be lubed freqeuntly to prevent rust!

Until next week!

Week 9: Final Week

By Sydney Wewerka

On September 10, 2019

In Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences & Arizona State University, MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantic Explorer

This week is bittersweet, as I begin wrapping up my projects aboard the AE. I help to replace the SBE 9 on the CTD and reinstall the instruments and bottles before departing for my final cruise. The one-day Hydrostation cruise is quick and only has a few issues with the CTD instruments that were easily fixed in the computer program. The seas were calm, and the cruise was very smooth.

It was hard not to be a bit sad as I went through the cruise routine one last time. My time aboard the AE has truly been incredible in many ways. I made some of the best friends, met people from all over the world, and learned more than I ever thought I would. The largest thing I will take away from this internship is that I can solve any problem I put my mind to, and to be confident in myself.

Bermuda is a beautiful, strange little island that will be a special place to me. I cannot wait to pursue other opportunities aboard ships and hope that the next ship I sail on will be just as wonderful as the Atlantic Explorer.

Until next time!

Sunset over the Atlantic Ocean

Week 2: Bering Sea

By Alexander Sidelev

On September 7, 2019

In MATE Blog Archive, US Coast Guard, USCGC Healy

On a sunny Thursday morning we set sail across the Bering Sea. The final preparations for the cruise involved tying down all science equipment and double checking inventory list for everything that we might need while out at sea. The ship was brought off the dock by a tug boat and we began our voyage towards the Arctic.

First day of a scientific cruise is one of the busiest times for a Marine Technician. There is a multitude of onboard continuous instruments that need to be started as the ship sets sail. The physical oceanography instruments include: ADCP, single-beam echosounder, multibeam echosounder, meteorological sensors, gravimeter. There is also a couple of chemical oceanography sensors, such as atmospheric pCO2 system and an underway seawater pCO2 system. My interest align much more with the physical measurements, specifically the ADCP and echosounders.

ADCP stands for Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. The task of this instrument is to measure ocean currents while the ship is underway. While at sea, I’ve been spending my time familiarizing myself with this instrument by meticulously reading the training manuals provided by STARC as well as asking for a theoretical background from some of the scientists aboard. The two ADCP systems that are installed on the Healy are set two sound frequencies, one is set at 150 kiloHertz the other at 75 kiloHertz. THe lower the frequency allows the ADCP sensor to sample at a greater depth, while the higher frequency provides much more precise measurements of surface currents. One of the unique opportunities of studying instrumentation while at sea, is to immediately apply my knowledge to ongoing projects.While the ADCP is used for collecting ocean current, the multibeam echosounder is the instrument most people think of when talking about ocean surveying.The Multibeam Echosounder is also an acoustic instrument, but it is used for mapping the ocean floor. Colloquially known as bathymetry, or the topographic map of the ocean floor. The software on board allows for real time view of the bathymetry as the ship passes through a region. One of the responsibilities of STARC, and most marine technician in general, is to have round the clock monitoring of the system and data to guarantee accurate bathymetry data collection. Much of the work that the STARC team conducts is based in the computer lab, with many routine checks of instruments throughout the ship. Often times I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information presented to me, but so far I’ve been able to keep up with what’s going on. There are many additional challenges and problems that come up during work in such environments such as the Bering Sea.

The Bering sea is exactly like I’ve read in books; cold, rainy and gloomy. Yet there is something beautiful about such a bleak place. The difficulty of the environment is highly reflected in the science operation planning. Every little detail is talked over between members of the science party, technicians and Coast Guard personnel. In addition, the STARC Coordinator is adamant on recording all ongoing projects and methods. In my eyes the database of all methods provides a business model for conduction scientific operations in this environment. I’ve sailed on a couple scientific research vessels before, but I’ve never seen such a high level of planning and coordination. The STARC team definitely takes pride in there work, with meticulous planning and record keeping of everything they do. I find myself working more than the 12 hour shift assigned to me, just to see as much as possible of the work done at sea. We are currently in transit, but in a couple of days we will arrive at our first mooring station.

Week 16

By Emily Cheung

On September 5, 2019

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Thomas G. Thompson, University of Washington, School of Oceanography

The heat and humidity rise as we approach the equator. The water is unbelievably warm, pushing 30 C (thirty is hot, twenty is nice, ten is cold, zero is ice) some days. Its color is a deep, clear blue: indicating oligotrophic waters, which lack the nutrients for much life to thrive. Still, flying fish scatter in all directions as the ship plows forward and kicks their flight response into full gear. Amber fronds of sargassum float by, patches growing larger and becoming more frequent with each passing day.

For the past decade or so, sargassum has bloomed in unprecedented amounts. It coagulates in massive mats (large enough to spot with satellites) that float along the warm, equatorial current and land on some unlucky beach in their path. Mounds build up and begin to rot, releasing sulfuric gas as they decompose, thus uprooting beachgoers and disrupting entire intertidal ecosystems. It is an expensive and difficult mess to clean up. For a bit, it was thought that the seagreen had potential as cattle feed or fertilizer, but when trace amounts of arsenic were found in sargassum tissues, those ideas were ditched.

As a favor to a previous chief scientist, the techs have agreed to conduct some opportunistic sampling as we transit south. As we pass through the sargassum belt, we pause to collect water and snag a few handfuls of tissue samples (using a custom-made sargassum grappling hook). I get the chance to put my undergraduate research experience to good use, since with every station there is a good 5-6 hours of filtration to process the samples. Fortunately, I actually enjoy the tedium and repetition of filtration, for with practice comes efficiency, which is so so so satisfying. It feels good to have the chance to participate in a research project in this way, especially one with such an interesting story.

Test Blog – Preparation and Arrival

By Sydney Wewerka

On September 4, 2019

In Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences & Arizona State University, MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantic Explorer

After a car ride, a train, a bus, two planes, and a taxi, I have finally arrived in Bermuda aboard the R/V Atlantic Explorer to begin my time as a Marine Technician Intern!

Over the past few weeks, I slowly prepared for the trip, picking up waterproof clothing and boots, and deciding which things to leave behind. I also enjoyed an awesome group of friends for the last few times as summer in Seattle came to an end (see image below). After a very busy few months working at NOAA, and enjoying the Pacific Northwest outdoors, it was hard to say goodbye.

The weeks leading up to my departure went by too fast, but I feel prepared to leave for the first cruise this upcoming Saturday. I am well stocked in Bonine and Dramamine, and have the rest of the week to get familiar with the ship. Overall, I am looking forward to a great experience!

Next week, I will check back in with the cruise schedule, and projects I have been up to around the ship!

The sun sets over Lake Washington during my last night with two of my closest friends in Seattle, Henry and Noah.

End of Internship

By Emma Shannon

On September 4, 2019

In Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences & Arizona State University, MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantic Explorer

Today is the last day of my internship. I am flying out early morning tomorrow July 5th. It is bittersweet as this internship has been such a great experience and I have learned so much. The captains, crew, and marine techs have all been absolutely wonderful and have taught me so much. It was a great experience getting to further my skills that I have learned in school and I feel confident in my abilities as a marine technician to enter the workforce. I will surely miss Bermuda and all the wonderful people I have met. I think this internship is an excellent opportunity and I would recommend it to anyone. I feel lucky to have been chosen to participate in a MATE at-sea internship aboard the R/V Atlantic Explorer.

Last Cruise aboard the RV Atlantic Explorer

By Emma Shannon

On September 1, 2019

In Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences & Arizona State University, MATE Blog Archive, R/V Atlantic Explorer

This week is my last full week of my internship. The beginning of the week started with testing the altimeter. We have had issues lately with our altimeter not working correctly and although it gives us an accurate reading of how close we are to the bottom, as we get close to the bottom sometimes it would jump all around with numbers. We were lucky to get a spare from Seabird in the meantime so we could send them our altimeter to be fixed. We performed tests on the spare just to double check the spare since we are leaving on Wednesday for a cruise. On Tuesday we were lucky that our other altimeter that was at Seabird for repair was sent back to us. After performing tests on this one we were able to install it on our CTD and it was working great. Now we have a working altimeter, a spare in case we need it, and our other one sent off to be looked at. We left on Wednesday for a Hydrostation cruise. This cruise was only until Thursday evening. We conducted CTD profiles at the Hydrostation, different spatial station, and at the BATS location. We also collected water samples at these locations. This is my last cruise which is definitely bittersweet because I have enjoyed so much working and learning aboard the RVAE. We arrived to Penno’s Wharf on Thursday afternoon and we were offloading one of the UNOLS shared lab vans there because our crane is not suited to lift the van off of the vessel. A crane met us at the dock and put it aboard a truck so then they drove it to BIOS where is will be onshore until November. We had to wait at Penno’s Wharf for a few hours before going back to BIOS becasue of the tide. The day on Friday was spent working on projects on the boat such as doing tests on our JLR212 GPS and properly labeling the wires. We also were working on the phones that are onboard the ship. Some of the phones are not working properly and the phone in the tech lab was not connected and needed a RJ11 termination. After doing some tests to ensure we had the right wires figured out to make the termination we were able to make the RJ11 termination and the phone began to work again. It is a lot of fun to do electrical work throughout the ship and to better my skills with electronics. This weekend is a three day weekend for us because it is Labor Day. I am heading out on Thursday September 5th and I am certainly sad to leave this place.

Week 1: Dutch Harbor

By Alexander Sidelev

On August 31, 2019

In MATE Blog Archive, US Coast Guard, USCGC Healy

Unlike most people flying into Dutch Harbor, I had no flight delays or troubles getting to such a remote place as the island of Unalaska. The two towns Dutch Harbor and Unalaska are only separated by a bridge, and the two names are used interchangeably when refering to the this island. There is not much here, besides a hotel and a couple of restaurants. Yet, the scenery of Dutch Harbor is mesmerizing. Bald eagles are a common sight, often perched up on street lights and telephone poles. Along the the Coast Guard dock is Ballyhoo hill, which has some of the best views in town. There is a multitude of WWII era bunkers scattered thoughout the hill which are a great place of refuge and shelter from the wind. At the top of Ballyhoo ridge, one can see the glaciers on nearby mountains and pods of whales in the harbor below. Upon my descend downhill I began to appriciate the remoteness of the area. Just a week ago I was in Miami, surrounded by concrete buildings and endless traffic. Now I’m in Dutch Harbor, surrounded by wildlife and endless nature.

I had boarded the Healy the next day after my arrival, shortly after the ship had tied off at the dock. My first thought when I saw the ship was awe at just how massive it was in comparison to other ships I’ve been on. I was greeted by Coast Guard and STARC personnel. STARC stands for the Scientific Technician support in the ARCtic. They are a third party government contractor based out of Oregon State University and Scripps Institute of Oceanography. As one of the Coast Guard Chief’s put it “STARC is the estranged cousin onboard” they are not part of the crew, yet not really scientists either. Yet, they are an essential part of the mission, providing technical assitnace to the science party and running the onboard instuments for underway data collection. Unlike the science party, which changes with each cruise, the STARC technicians are a continues presence onboard the Healy.

Currently there is only three of us, we are still waiting for the science party and our STARC supervisors. I’m the only MATE intern for this mission, which is fine. Part of leaving college and entering the work force is getting used to being the youngest team member. I’m looking forward to this cruise, the Arctic Ocean is awaits us.

So Long Reykjanes Ridge

By Lila Bellucci

On August 30, 2019

In MATE Blog Archive, R/V Neil Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Well folks, my MATE internship is sadly coming to a close. Aside from my routine monitoring tasks, my last week aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong consisted of studying the ADCP system in-depth as well as learning important deck rigging skills with the Captain. It also consisted of sad goodbyes and a lot of chatter about which foods we each couldn’t wait to eat first when we got back to land. Although, I must say, the Armstrong cooks have been miracle workers. Our food was delicious up until the last day (day 36!) and I have no idea how they did it.

While I’m certainly excited to be back on land, I’ve done my best this past week to appreciate life at sea. It can be easy to forget, especially on longer cruises, what a unique and beautiful experience it is to be out in the open ocean. Luckily, we had some wonderful, mild last few days at sea with perfect sunsets to enjoy being outside. It will certainly be strange not having endless expanses of water around me once back on land. It’ll also be strange not having a near-midnight sunset!

Although this voyage is coming to a close, being a MATE intern has certainly reaffirmed my love for ocean-based work and has enabled me to recognize what a great fit the marine technician career path would be for me, especially given what an exciting and variable job it can be. I know it won’t be long before I’m back out at sea again, working on another cruise and learning new skills in another part of the world!

FINAL WEEK on Healy- no longer an Iceworm

By MacKenzie Smith

On August 26, 2019

In MATE Blog Archive, US Coast Guard, USCGC Healy

Science has come to an end. It’s cold outside and it’s hard not to get choked up over the departure of the scientist. But wait! What’s this? SUMO NIGHT!?

Being on a ship for so long, the coast guard put together some morale funds to support events such as Ice-cream socials, trivia night and of course sumo night. It was great fun watching the gang get together in large sumo suits and pummel each other (in a safe fun-loving way). I didn’t partake in the fighting because of course I ripped my THIRD PAIR OF PANTS; lessons learned: always bring a sewing kit on board and invest in a hardy pair of Carhartts. I really enjoyed watching the scientist and the coast guards battle it out in sumo style, it was pretty hilarious and a perfect end to a long day.

Photo creds: (Flying Tackle by Victoria Uva)

Everyone seemed to be in the fun-loving spirit. Even Kristin and Dr. Cross got in on the fun… however, in a different way and at my expense.

Let me tell you what went down: Daniel and I were watching the sumo fight in the flight hanger when the chief scientist and Dr. Cross walked in. Dr. Cross came over to me in a very calm matter and said “operations have been canceled for the remainder of the night”. I dint think much of it at first because Daniel and I would have been paged if there was an emergency and Dr. Pickart (chief scientist) was straight chillin in the back laughing at all his comrades in sumo suits. I continued to watch the sumo fight between a scientist and a coast guard member when my mentor walks up behind me and says “Operations has been canceled because we lost the CTD”. WHAT!? I’m sure I turned as white as this page. Later, as I was on my way to the staging bay, they reassured me it was all a joke but I still had to check on it. Luckily it was still in the staging bay, not a scratch on her. Operations was really canceled but for moral reasons (very long day of mooring recovery). I’m glad they got a laugh out of it… but it was still so cruel :'(.

The last week wasn’t all fun and games. Actually, it was still a lot of fun but the work kind. The Geo Mapp App pooped out as we were trying to give JAMESTEC a better view of the IsoBathy where a mooring was located (they wanted to see if they could move the mooring to a better location). Geo Map App was lying to us about the distance between the two point of interest (we knew it was lying because good ol’ trusty OpenCPN was telling us it was a much closer distance). I played around with Geo Map App a bit to try and identify where the issue was coming from. Turns out the scaling was way off and the Lat and Long was way weird. I relayed this to a STARC member who notified the company that provided the software. Long story short, a new Geo Map App software is being sent out with the 1902 MarTech’s.

I wrapped up all of my projects (SSW trans protocol, CTD Trans&Fluor protocol, Cold CTD protocol, and DGH-RM Young configuration document), and had a last night of trivia with the scientist.

(August 23rd) Science wrapped up everything and left Healy by noon. After science left we got a weird power outage. Crazy enough, the mysterious frequency on the Hydrophone caught this power outage before it happened. We notified engineering and documented (screen shots and videos) the strange occurrence. Engineering now thinks that the hydrophone is connected to a dirty power source… the same dirty power source that is causing the power outage. We may not get to the bottom of the mysterious frequency on this cruise but we are starting to close in on the source.

The next day we got Nome liberty! Ami, Kristin and I got to adventure around Nome a bit where we acquired some fresh fruit and paid a visit to the Iditarod finish line. Back at the Healy there are talks about the line crossing ceremony! I wasn’t allowed to hear any of the preparations as its TOP SECRET. Some of the polar bears (people who have already gone through the ceremony) like to throw around the quote; “the first rule of fight club is you can’t talk about fight club”. Anyone who has seen the movie or read the book Fight Club can get an idea of what this was like as a measly iceworm.

ICE WORM NO MORE

(August 25) I can’t talk about the ceremony (because of the whole fight club thing) but I can say it was a lot of fun and I’m NO LONGER AN ICEWORM. I am now an Honorable Polar Bear! I have crossed the Arctic Circle and the Date Line so I’m walking out of this internship with two very cool certifications.

(August 26) A page went out saying “WHALE CARCUS PORT BEAM” I wanted to add this in here because it was pretty gnarly and deserves some recognition. Im going to share the picture at the very end so heads up if you’re squeamish.

To conclude. This internship was an amazing opportunity and I will always be grateful for the knowledge gained and the memories made. I hope to sail on the Healy again soon!

**Que Donnie Warwick “That’s What Friends Are For”**