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WEEK 6
August 14-20

  Since the only two cruises that had been scheduled this month were canceled, we will be working on maintenance both shipboard and around the facility of Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. This is located on a slice of paradise known as Virginia Key, which lies 3 miles off the coast in between Miami and Key Biscayne.
  Vertical load testing of the deck tie-down sockets has been completed, so we have moved on to the 45° tests.  This will prove to be less time consuming, since two sockets are tested at the same time.  The only trick is to plan the pairs so that we don’t repeat any, since some are tested to 2500 pounds and others to only 1250 pounds (125% of rated load). There are over 200 individual sockets to be tested, each one requiring about ten minutes, so this is quite a time consuming task.
  A shipping container arrived from Brazil containing new equipment as well as freshly recalibrated sensors, so we spent a day unloading those contents into a new lab space, as well as moving gear from the existing space.  This included half a dozen large metal cabinets, requiring four of us and a fork truck to move, but all went smoothly.  
  It was also time to service the deionization filters in the ship’s reverse osmosis system.  This, of course is what transforms seawater into clean fresh water for the scientists, as well as drinking water.
  On Thursday I received devastating news.  One of my best friends back in Michigan had been tragically killed due to a gunshot wound.  He and I had known each other for many years, and he was one of the noblest souls to ever walk the face of the earth.  To say it was a tragedy would an enormous understatement.  Needless to say, I was paralyzed with grief for the next several days, and began trying to arrange a flight home.  
  Both the MATE Center and UM staff were incredibly understanding and accommodating, something that really meant a lot to me in this dark hour.  By Saturday I had made all the preparations to return for the funeral, and I struggled through the weekend in a haze.

deck tie-down socket testing

WEEK 5
August 7-13

 So far, August has been fairly uneventful. Initially, there were two 10 day cruises planned for this month working with the US Navy, and I had been looking forward to these projects. Unfortunately, though, the cruises had to be postponed and R/V Walton Smith was unable to accommodate the changes.
  One of these involved assisting with an exercise referred to as shock trials.  When the Navy produces a new design of a warship, they take it out to sea and detonate 10,000 pound ordnance near it, (fully manned), in order to gather data on the effects of the blasts regarding structural integrity, etc., and reevaluate before sending into full production.
  The research vessel’s function is to ensure that the location for the tests is relatively free of sea mammals. If they are present, the operation is moved to a different location. After the testing is completed, the research team then surveys the site for damage to sea life.
  Just before I arrived on board, the Walton Smith had participated in one of these operations. It was initially kept secret until reports of an ‘earthquake’ off the coast of Jacksonville begin to roll in. At that point the US Navy was forced to disclose details about the operation.
  Another cruise that was cancelled involved a project known as USWTR, Undersea Warfare Training Range.  This is a network of sonar and other various acoustic sensors located 50 nautical miles of the coast of Jacksonville.  This subsea network processes and displays tracking data for ships, submarines, targets, weapons, and unmanned undersea vehicles.
  During my first week aboard the ship, I was informed that schedules change quite frequently, but I still was disappointed not to be able to take part in these exercises. 
  As a result, we remained alongside and tended to the deck tie-down socket testing.  This must be performed once annually.  For each of the sockets, three separate load tests must be conducted: vertical, 45 degree, and horizontal. 
  I was also tasked with creating a document as per UNOLS Safety Standards, Appendix B, that describes the process in detail for each of the three tests.  This included a list of tools needed, step-by-step details, and photographs.  This document is then filed in the ship’s records for reference in future testing.
  As I mentioned in last week’s report, R/V Walton Smith sadly lost our Second Mate, James Sauers, to a boating accident last week.  On Saturday, the ship’s crew, along with the entire Marine Operations staff, attended his memorial in Coral Gables.  It was a heart-wrenching event, but the sight of all the green UM Marine Ops shirts that lined the outer perimeter was an inspiring sight.  The family expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation for the show of support, and I was truly proud to be included in the ranks.
  James was a great man and this tragedy will surely weigh on us all for a long time to come. (photo below)

  Back in port this week after three back-to-back cruises, it was time to dive into some much needed maintenance on the R/V Walton Smith. During last week’s 5 day South Florida Ecosystem Restoration cruise, more than 80 stations were monitored while involving extensive utilization of the ship’s seawater flow-through system, along with the CTD. As a result, it was time to service the Turner C6 multi-sensor platform, which carries 5 Cyclops sensors to measure turbidity, CDOM, chlorophyll, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin.  Fortunately, the slot for crude oil wasn’t being utilized at this time.

  After separating all the components, meticulously cleaning them, and reassembling, the unit was reinstalled to ensure there were no leaks.  The next few days included fork lift certification training and general cleanup. 

  The next task was to begin testing of the main deck tie-down sockets.  In previous years, each socket required an entire page to document the testing results, which made it cumbersome to flip through page after page in order to find the document you were looking for.  To remedy this, I fired up Microsoft Excel and created a document that would incorporate up to 25 deck sockets per page, making it much easier to reference at a glance.

  UNOLS Research Vessel Safety Standards dictates proper standards for most shipboard operations performed, and in line with this we created a step-by-step procedure specific to the Walton Smith to be followed in the future regarding vertical, 45°, and horizontal load testing.

  As my many years as a union stagehand taught me, there’s no doubt that adventure and excitement (and in this case, on the high seas), frequently requires not so glamorous behind-the-scenes preparation, so I didn’t mind spending some time getting my hands dirty in the blazing sun.

  In the short time I’ve been Miami, I already feel like the Walton Smith is my home and the crew my family.  When I arrived, the ship had just taken on another new crew member, 2nd Mate James Sauers.  He and I hit it off immediately and quickly became good friends.  He was always quick to share his extensive seamanship knowledge with me and to crack a joke.  I watched and learned with admiration and tried to pick his brain for tips any time I had a chance.

  On Monday August 1, James failed to show, which was unlike him.  When he didn’t arrive the next day, we were concerned, but that afternoon we received word from his wife that he was OK, but that he had been in a boating accident in his sailboat and would be absent a few days.  Although he had suffered a head injury and was in Intensive Care, he was responsive enough to appreciate the card we had sent later in the week.  We were anxious for him to be released from ICU so that we could visit, which the doctors said should be the first part of the following week. 

  Early today, Monday August 8, barely a week after the incident, the Director of Marine Operations came aboard and called us all into the mess lounge for a meeting.  The room fell horribly silent as he explained how he had just received word that James had suddenly and unexpectedly succumbed to his injuries and passed away. 

  It is amazing how some people can make such an enormous impact on you in such a short time, and James certainly did.  I’m sharing this so that you all can know what a wonderful human being he was, and to say that we should appreciate and cherish those around us.  We are fortunate to walk the earth for a while with friends like this, and never should it be taken for granted.

  James leaves behind a loving wife and two young daughters, and I’ll never forget the time I had to work, laugh, and sail with the likes of him. I’m proud to have had the privilege of calling him my friend. RIP James. (photo below)

Along with a team of scientists from NOAA, we set out early Monday July 23rd from Miami with gorgeous weather and calm seas.  We were on a course that would take us west through the Florida Keys and up the coast of Florida Bay.  The mission was part of a greater effort referred to as South Florida Ecosystem Restoration.

  South Florida’s Everglades have been in grave danger, beginning in the late 1800’s, when humans began digging canals to drain the land so that it could be populated.  All through the Twentieth Century, up until the late 1980’s, these efforts continued on a large scale.  The projects were successful, but the precious ecosystem paid a terrible price.  As a result, the Everglades have shrunk to less than half the original size.  Approximately 90% of the native birds that were once abundant have disappeared, along with countless unique wildlife species.  Of the ones that remain, almost 70 species appear on the federal list of endangered or threatened wildlife.

  In 1993, the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration project was formed in order to curtail the damage being done and to attempt the reversal of the destructive process.  The initiative consists of federal, state, and tribal entities working together in effort to restore the priceless wetlands.

  NOAA’s role in the initiative is to monitor some 80+ stations throughout the Florida Keys and coastal regions of Florida Bay and Southwest Florida Shelf.  On this 5-day cruise we collected water samples around the clock at each of these locations using the ship’s CTD rosette, along with the on-board seawater flow-through system.  

  Lead Scientist Lindsey Visser explains, “The seawater was analyzed for chlorophyll, nutrients, and dissolved inorganic carbon as part of ongoing water quality monitoring that has occurred for decades in this region.  We also used nets to collect phytoplankton and zooplankton in order supplement chlorophyll levels measured in the seawater.  This dataset is used to analyze everything from the transport of nutrients and chlorophyll from the Mississippi River through the Gulf Stream off the east coast of Florida, or the conditions that are conducive to Harmful Algal Blooms off the Southwest Florida shelf.”

  Another one of the issues being monitored by NOAA is the toxic algae bloom crisis which began this past spring.  The toxic cyanobacteria bloom is driven by a combination of lack of infrastructure needed to raise the level of Lake Okeechobee, and runoff from manure, sewage, and fertilizer from the farming industry, namely the sugar fields, and it has taken over the Southwest Florida coastline.  The algae, which can be seen from space and has resulted in massive beach closings, contains nerve toxins and is not only a possible link to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS,¹ but also depletes oxygen levels, leading to massive dead zones.  Among a multitude of other health risks, contact with an open wound may result in a staph infection.²

  I’m grateful to have had a small hand assisting in a mission that will help further the efforts of the restoration of the environment.  With big business such as US Sugar and others contributing to political interests, it will surely continue to be an uphill battle.  In spite of this, it’s reassuring to know that groups like NOAA are vanguarding these issues in attempts to keep policymakers and regulators in check, and to help spread awareness of the urgent need to affect change before the ecosystem is lost to agricultural development and anthropogenic climate change.

Acknowledgment

Special thanks to NOAA Affiliate and Head Scientist Lindsey Visser for consultation/contribution regarding this post

Sources

¹ TCPalm April 14, 2016

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/indian-river-lagoon/health/scientists-toxin-in-blue-green-algae-could-trigger-neurological-diseases-2fbede92-2377-08de-e053-010-375718471.html

² Tampa Bay Times July 1, 2016

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/toxic-algae-bloom-crisis-hits-florida-drives-away-tourists/2283838