Hello everyone! My name is Nick Ellis, and I’m a rising sophomore at Santa Clara University studying mechanical engineering. In high school, I joined Jesuit Robotics and competed in the MATE International ROV Competition where I developed a special interest in underwater robotics. In the next couple of weeks I will begin my internship working aboard the R/V Atlantis with the HOV Alvin group. I am ecstatic at having this opportunity to experience firsthand what it’s like to work as a marine technician, and I cannot wait to begin work with these two historical research vessels. Throughout the internship, I’ll be posting about what I’ve learned and my new experiences at sea. Anchors aweigh!
Category: Vessel/Laboratory Page 60 of 89
Things have been going great aboard the R/V Atlantic Explorer. We left for sea this morning, and we will be out here until Monday. I have met so many great people while I have been here.
This past week I was given the task to change out the LCI-90i winch display (see attached picture). I was a little nervous at first, but I was able to learn a lot from it. The Marine Techs have shared a lot of their knowledge with me, and I greatly appreciate it.
I hope to work with people as great as the AE crew in the future.
Unfortunately, this is my last week at BIOS, but what a week it has been! I have to say, the time I have spent here in Bermuda has not been wasted. Plus, I think I got the best of both worlds during my stay in Bermuda. My first week started right off the bat by meeting everyone and then shipping out to sea for five days. Week two, we stayed at the port, and I got to see how the marine techs handle their “8am-5pm” lifestyle at home.
To finish off week one, we got back to port on Friday and helped unload the scientist’s gear/equipment for the first four hours. After 12 pm, the fun began. Everyone needed to decompress from a stressful cruise. Networks went down, Gyro-compass streaming was faulty, a MOCNESS deployment failure that led to re-terminating within an hour to re-deploy successfully and a seawater pump, to all the labs, explosion: to name a few things that transpired on the cruise. But, on the lighter side, I got to deploy and recover the CTD, help deploy pumps to various depths and I also got to help deploy a MOCNESS!! The CTD and pumps are generally common among most cruises but the MOCNESS is a more of a rarer deployment, so I am incredibly fortunate to have taken part in that.
So a lot happened on that cruise, which means we (the Marine Techs) had a lot of work to do before the next scheduled cruise in seven days. Our first objective was to re-terminate the CTD. By the way, if anyone was wondering what “re-terminating” means it’s essentially cutting out a section of wire, connecting “fresh” wire to the plug end of the wire and then protecting it by making it water/pressure proof. By re-terminating cables, you ensure corrosion near the plug doesn’t affect the performance of data streaming from the instrument to the computer on the ship—where Marine Techs and scientists analyze/record the data. And to give everyone an understanding of the amount of time it takes to properly re-terminate a wire, it took us roughly six and half hours to place the molding that would protect the new connection. Granted the Marine Tech was doing the re-termination was explaining and showing every step carefully so that I could understand the whole process, but generally, it’s no quick task.
Once we completed the re-termination for the CTD, we started on re-terminating our COM7 winch (another type of cable used to connect to different types of instruments). We had to stop half-way because BIOS took us on a field trip! We got to visit an island named Nonsuch where we snorkeled and visited a terrestrial protected island where ornithologists use this area to help bring back an almost extinct species of bird named Cahow.
Overall, a week at port leads to projects that focus on fixing systems that failed or gave issues during the most recent cruise. Once those projects are handled, there are always more things to do—you can count on it. When I believed we were in a good place, we had five more things to work on. But, it’s needed, and everyone encouraged each other to stay focused and accomplish the goal(s) at hand.
I would say the first week of my internship taught/developed my deck handling and problem-solving skills while the second week improved my research and wire handling skills. I am truly honored to have received this internship because it showed me a world I never knew existed. Plus, I got to meet some incredible people and have some amazing experiences while improving myself as a worker. The life of a Marine Technician is not an easy one, but it’s a great developing position that could project you into something else. Or, it could be your career, everyone is different.
The people I met at BIOS showed me how to have fun while being efficient when I work. Especially, when you think the world is ending, we support each other enough to at least smile and somehow get the job done. I hope our paths cross again BIOS; you have instilled more than just skill improvement in me, you sparked passion for pursuing work in Marine Science—something I thought I lost. Thank you for everything.
Take care.
Taken by me. I was standing on Nonsuch looking out to our anchored vessel.
Taken by me, this is the Marine Tech Lab where we monitor multiple feeds that go throughout the ship. Apologies for the image format, I can’t figure out how to adjust the picture to portrait.
Taken by Mason, one of the Marine Techs at BIOS. I was pulling out all the rusted COM7 wire that was eventually cut off. Apologies for the image format, I can’t figure out how to adjust the picture to portrait.
Taken by Jillon, another Marine Techs at BIOS. I am recording data from an active CTD cast to 1000 meters (roughly 3000 feet).
Such an incredible first week to this internship. I got the VIP tour of the R/V Atlantic Explorer from my mentor Nick Mathews the moment I arrived at BIOS (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science), I got to meet the crew, my bunkmate Mason (who is level two technician that works for BIOS), and all the responsibilities a marine technician are supposed to oversee. Immediately starting the work day, I was helping scientists get gear placed on the R/V Explorer, and I helped with the pre-launch protocol for a cruise we were shipping out for in the next 18 hours. The research cruise was funded by a group of scientists called BIOSCOPE, compiled with scientists from six different research institutions. After pretesting all of our equipment and going through some safety briefings, we were off to explore the Atlantic!
Our transit to BATS (Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study) took only five-ish hours to reach. Once we reached our way-point (GPS specific location), on the Atlantic, we immediately began operations. Marine Technicians have 12-hour shifts. I was scheduled to shadow Jillon (a level one technician) from 12:00 to 00:00 hours, while Mason handled the “night shift” which was 00:00 to 12:00 hours. So once we arrived at our desired location around 12:30, Jillon and I went to work.
Our 12-hour shifts were always filled with tasks. If we weren’t conducting a major operation, we were either helping out a scientist with a lab issue, or assisting the bridge with GPS connection issues, or just organizing our equipment in preparations for the next major operation.
My first operation was a CTD deployment/recovery at 14:30. A CTD is an instrument used to measure conductivity, temperature, and depth with various other devices connected to it. After deploying this behemoth of a tool, Jillon and I went up to the bridge to analyze and monitor the data. Our job was to make sure the data stream contained a good connection with the vessel so the scientists could use that data for their experiments. Seems simple enough, but when you have to send an instrument full of water sensitive devices and have to send them down to 1000 meters (roughly 3,000 feet) things can go wrong really fast.
Overall, my role as a Marine Technician on the Explorer was to assist with operations and fix/maintain instruments as the research cruise was underway. We were also responsible for Wifi, seawater flow, instrument success, transporting the data to the scientists, safely deploying/recovering VERY expensive instruments, and not contaminating any samples gathered at extreme depths.
By day seven, I was feeling extremely confident in my deck skills and getting familiar with the ship operations. The ship works as one unit, but within that unit contains more units that handle various responsibilities. Everyone is incredibly supportive of one another, and if someone is struggling, there is someone else there either trying to assist or just trying to help in whatever way they can. Several significant problems popped up on this research cruise that Mason or Jillon struggled to handle. But with the support from the crew and other personnel, they managed to complete the cruise with excellent results.
A special shout-out to the ships cooks SUCH INCREDIBLE FOOD! I could not believe the food Dexter, and Reggie made for the ship. Sushi, steak, lasagna (maybe the best I have ever had), perfectly crisped bacon, unbelievably fresh cookies, the list goes on and on. They really made every meal count and bolstered everyone’s spirits. The crew on the R/V Atlantic Explorer is a solid one. Given some hardship in the past, they are making some excellent strides in what they are doing.
That’s all I got for this week. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attach any pictures because the site is buggy, but I will try to upload some in the near future! So I’ll attach a picture of me in action and try to upload later! Until next time everyone!
Such an incredible first week to this internship. I got the VIP tour of the R/V Atlantic Explorer from my mentor Nick Mathews the moment I arrived at BIOS (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science), I got to meet the crew, my bunkmate Mason (who is level two technician that works for BIOS), and all the responsibilities a marine technician are supposed to oversee. Immediately starting the work day, I was helping scientists get gear placed on the R/V Explorer, and I helped with the pre-launch protocol for a cruise we were shipping out for in the next 18 hours. The research cruise was funded by a group of scientists called BIOSCOPE, compiled with scientists from six different research institutions. After pretesting all of our equipment and going through some safety briefings, we were off to explore the Atlantic!
Our transit to BATS (Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study) took only five-ish hours to reach. Once we reached our way-point (GPS specific location), on the Atlantic, we immediately began operations. Marine Technicians have 12-hour shifts. I was scheduled to shadow Jillon (a level one technician) from 12:00 to 00:00 hours, while Mason handled the “night shift” which was 00:00 to 12:00 hours. So once we arrived at our desired location around 12:30, Jillon and I went to work.
Our 12-hour shifts were always filled with tasks. If we weren’t conducting a major operation, we were either helping out a scientist with a lab issue, or assisting the bridge with GPS connection issues, or just organizing our equipment in preparations for the next major operation.
My first operation was a CTD deployment/recovery at 14:30. A CTD is an instrument used to measure conductivity, temperature, and depth with various other devices connected to it. After deploying this behemoth of a tool, Jillon and I went up to the bridge to analyze and monitor the data. Our job was to make sure the data stream contained a good connection with the vessel so the scientists could use that data for their experiments. Seems simple enough, but when you have to send an instrument full of water sensitive devices and have to send them down to 1000 meters (roughly 3,000 feet) things can go wrong really fast.
Overall, my role as a Marine Technician on the Explorer was to assist with operations and fix/maintain instruments as the research cruise was underway. We were also responsible for Wifi, seawater flow, instrument success, transporting the data to the scientists, safely deploying/recovering VERY expensive instruments, and not contaminating any samples gathered at extreme depths.
By day seven, I was feeling extremely confident in my deck skills and getting familiar with the ship operations. The ship works as one unit, but within that unit contains more units that handle various responsibilities. Everyone is incredibly supportive of one another, and if someone is struggling, there is someone else there either trying to assist or just trying to help in whatever way they can. Several significant problems popped up on this research cruise that Mason or Jillon struggled to handle. But with the support from the crew and other personnel, they managed to complete the cruise with excellent results.
A special shout-out to the ships cooks SUCH INCREDIBLE FOOD! I could not believe the food Dexter, and Reggie made for the ship. Sushi, steak, lasagna (maybe the best I have ever had), perfectly crisped bacon, unbelievably fresh cookies, the list goes on and on. They made every meal count and bolstered everyone’s spirits. The crew on the R/V Atlantic Explorer is a solid one. Given some hardship in the past, they are making some excellent strides in what they are doing.
That’s all I got for this week. My apologies for posting late in my first week. Right now the ship’s network (WiFi) went down when we were at sea. We got back to BIOS and finally made a breakthrough today! Until next time everyone!
Image taken by Jillon (one of the marine techs on the R/V Atlantaic Explorer).
1500 local time
Hi there!
This is week 12 of my internship, which is quite extraordinary. In reflection, I am pleased as punch by how much I have learned and experienced, especially when comparing where I am now with the skills and abilities I had coming into this back in April. Being out at sea and learning “on the job” like this is akin to trying to learn a new language. You can take classes or download a software program, but if you really want to learn then you should live and fully engage yourself in the culture and region where that language is spoken.
Part of the learning process comes with being humbled by how much you still don’t know. This particular flavor of humble pie has occurred almost on a daily basis for this current cruise, which is a really cool, 2-year study of zooplankton and larval fish along Trinidad Head, California and Newport, Oregon including the ever abundant and truly bizarre pyrosomes.
Photo credit – Mark Farley, OSU
Through no one’s fault, we have entered into the ultimate Murphy’s Law of science cruises. Everything from a simple dipped net to the giant and complicated MOCNESS have had various problems that have required intensive troubleshooting. Thankfully, the Chief Scientist and entire science team are real troopers and we have been able to work together and come up with solutions along the way.
Photo credit – Mark Farley, OSU
The two biggest issues we ran into at the very beginning of the cruise was the deck winch stand that tows the ISIIS plankton imager stopped responding and then, so did the MOCNESS. The data provided by these two instruments is the heart of this operation and so losing both of them was going to potentially be the end of the cruise. Thankfully, we were close enough to shore that the Chief Scientist was able to call the technician and communicate the error codes so we could get it back up and running. The scientists still end up losing communication with some regularity during a tow, but at least we can now recover and re-launch without issue.
Photo credit – Mark Farley, OSU
The MOCNESS has proved more of a challenge. Not only is it a beast to get in and out of the water, but the 0.680 electro-mechanical cable that allows us to talk to the unit cut in and out for the first two days. Getting it permanently back on line was quite an experience. We carefully inspected and isolated each sensor connection. We made sure the calibration profile for each sensor was correctly entered in the software program the scientists were using. We found some water damage and re-spliced cables and also used new cables. We re-terminated the connection at the instrument 4 separate times. We traced the entire circuit through the ship and ran continuity tests and insulation tests at various points junctions and noted when polarity was reversed to the MOCNESS. We spent a few hours doing a hard re-termination of cutting off the outer and inner steel cables, making a new FIJI fitting, and then putting it through a stress test using a dynamometer and some lifting straps. Needless to say, it was a real triumph to finally get it back up and running.
Photo credit: Mark Farley, OSU
Next up to fail were (simultaneously) the -80 chest freezer, CTD hydraulic power unit, dip net pole, and MilliQ clean water system. Thankfully, these fixes took less than two hours to completely rectify and were back up and running for the scientists that needed them before the next station sampling. Through it all, ResTech Kelsey has held it together very impressively and even kept us on schedule to potentially finish all of the sampling requirements before the end of the cruise. This is a good thing, as we are (naturally) about to hit some rough weather, which will likely slow down operations.
My post for next week will be composed from my own living room. I have a 9-day vacation coming up between this cruise and when I will be off on my next adventure aboard the USCG Healy en route for the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Ocean. More soon!
– Emily
2230 local time
Hello!
This post is coming to you a bit later than usual and after a very eventful transit from the Scripps dock in San Diego to the OSU dock in Newport, Oregon. We left Tuesday morning with a full complement of ship crew members and 6 visiting researchers from the University of Minnesota. Their reason for being on board was unique in that they were studying human responses to ship motion and how this motion affects the motor functions of people who work at sea. Their study consisted of walking blindfolded in place with weights on your ankles, followed by several back-and-forth, 30-pace walks within a narrow, taped-off expanse of deck.
On the first day at sea, I gave the safety and ship orientation presentation for the first time followed by a survival suit tutorial. It went very well! Unfortunately, this would be the last day I would see all of the researchers in one room until we got close to port. This was due to some of the worst, pitching seas I have experienced. For a couple of days, we were reduced to 4-5 knots of speed as the bow was assaulted by one violent wave after another. This meant that the motion studies were put on hold as motion sickness abounded.
In the meantime, I busied myself with several projects. One project was to secure this plastic, tabletop material called starboard to an existing, stainless steel counter top. I was worried that bolting through the starboard would permanently damage the pristine stainless steel and could also allow for seawater seepage into the wooden counter underneath. My proposed solution was to make clamps that would prevent the starboard from moving while maintaining the existing counter. I also trimmed and sanded the starboard edges and placed rubber caps on all clamps. Now that the cleverly named MEZCAL cruise science members are on board, it’s nice to see this new surface in use.
Newport, Oregon is quite a lovely, seaside town. There are beautiful views all around, and the wonderful scent of spruce and cedar and salt spray. For all the horrid weather we experienced on the journey up, coming through the channel into Yaquina Bay was quite pleasant. A nice bonus was that the Roger Revelle was tied up on the NOAA dock just next door! It gave me the chance to see more of the town and reunite with some delightful people before they set sail the next day.
The last two days have been incredibly busy learning a brand new termination for 0.680 EM and loading for the upcoming cruise, including the largest piece of equipment I will be putting over the side to date. This is a MOCNESS, which I have seen before, but you will note the slight difference in scale below. You will note that the smaller model fits on a pallet, whereas the one for this cruise barely fits between the A-Frame.
I will also be taking back my familiar 0000-1200 shift again, and the science team will be standing 3-3 watches, so I will get the chance to meet and work with all the science team members. This also means taking command of deck operations using the A-Frame for the MOCNESS monster as well as the ISIIS plankton imager, the CTD, and a couple of vertical nets. Oh my! We will be out for the next 9 days and I imagine I will have a lot to update you with next week, toward the end of our cruise.
Happy 4th of July, and see you next Sunday!
– Emily
Testing…testing…testing. Are you “reading” me loud and clear? Get it? Because I’m writing this post and you have to read it. Alright, enough with the poor humor. My name is Dominic Rodricks, a recent graduate from California State University of Monterey Bay, with a Bachelors degree in Marine Science. I discovered MATE by taking my upper division service learning class at my university. I volunteered at high schools teaching kids the basics of electronic safety and how to build a simple ROV. I furthered my curiosity in robotics by taking an introductory course in Robotics for Ecological Research. After graduating from CSU-Monterey Bay, I decided to pursue this career path and I’m honored to participate in this internship. I am flying out tomorrow (June 30th) to Bermuda where I will be interning at BIOS (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences) where I will be working on the R/V Atlantic Explorer. I am excited to see what I will learn and gain from this experience. Until next time!
Dom
Three days ago I said good-bye to the R/V Hugh R Sharp and returned home. I’ve been looking back on my six weeks onboard the ship and reflecting on everything I experienced and learned. It was an absolutely incredible experience, which I will never forget!
The back half of leg 3 saw us return to George’s Bank one more time for four days of HABCAM work. We deployed it a few miles off of Cape Cod and proceeded to run transects for nearly four days before we pulled it to deploy four dredges. It went by far to quickly and before I knew it we were headed back to Woods Hole! We got an amazing farewell from George’s Bank. Soon after pulling out last dredge and turning for Woods Hole we steamed straight into a feeding frenzy of 3-4 dozen whales. We all marveled as we watch them feed and breach at sunset accompanied by countless dolphins.
Upon returning to Woods Hole the following morning, we had a rapid 4 hour turn around where we offloaded all of the NOAA scientists gear including: three dredges, the HABCAM, and all of the computer equipment located in the dry lab. By 9:30 we were off the dock and headed back for Lewes, Delaware. After a 30 hour steam, during which we cleaned the entire ship, we arrived there and spent the next two days reconfiguring the ship for its next research cruise. It is truly amazing how modular the Sharp is. In only a few hours we had completely reconfigured the entire aft deck removing the sorting table, HABCAM ramp, UNOLS lab van, and inserting a two ton steel wedge into the space where the sorting table ramp lay. The result, a totally open aft deck ready for a new lab van and a new mission!
I’d like to thank the techs, scientists, and crew of the Sharp that I lived and worked with these past few weeks. I learned so much from you all and I sincerely appreciate your kindness and all you taught me! Being on the Sharp was a dream experience and I cannot wait to continue to peruse my dream of working as a Marine Tech and get back out there as soon as possible!
Thank-you for following along with my trip and I’ve uploaded images to all of my previous posts which was not possible during my cruise due to poor internet.
Cheers!
Charlie Brooks
1900 local time
Hiya!
Well, it is another beautiful Sunday and the last day of the CalCOFI Summer 2018 cruise. The past week brought us some pretty dramatic seas, but we pushed through it and finished sampling 74 of the 75 stations from San Diego to Pismo Beach.
Photo credit: Jim Wilkinson, CalCOFI
I really enjoyed working with CalCOFI on the “zombie shift” (midnight to noon) and getting a feel for various net deployments and considerations for current, wind, depth, and ship speed. The conditions at each station really dictate how the nets can be safely handled, so you need to be vigilant and able to communicate with the winch operator and not get complacent in the routine. Taking charge of deck operations comes with the ultimate risk of losing a net or walloping someone on deck with a heavy load, so situational awareness is critical. All the risks can be mitigated by maintaining clear and constant communication, and when things seem to be heading off course, like a wire drifting inboard toward the ship or a heavy weight coming up too fast, then you call a stop and assess the situation. After several deployments, I started getting a good feel for potential hazards and could easily prevent them. In the course of my Marine Engineering degree, deck work was always the provenance of the Marine Transportation students, so it’s been a good experience for me to develop my skillset with this equipment.
Photo credit: Jim Wilkinson, CalCOFI
Disruptions to the station regimen were welcome challenges as well – if everything were easy and predictable, then this wouldn’t be a very challenging or rewarding career. This week we deployed the last two of the familiar, orange wave buoys over the side despite the lack of a drogue. The first one went over without any issue as the seas were surprisingly calm. The second deployment was ultimately a good one, though the winds and seas were reminiscent of the Iceland transit on the R/V Armstrong, so I slowly worked the buoy down the line and then let go at the water line as a wave came along to carry it away…
Photo credit: Jim Wilkinson, CalCOFI
Another bit of fun came from creating some artwork on styrofoam pieces to attach and send down on the CTD cast. This shrinking activity due to pressure increases at depth is something that the previous cruise was doing with the multicore with thousands of styrofoam cups. This particular cast was a unique one in that is was at the Santa Barbara Basin, which is a well-studied, anoxic, pull-apart basin just off the coast. We sent the CTD down to 565 meters as opposed to the standard protocol 515 meters just to get more samples from the bottom.
Ideally, for a more dramatic transformation, you should be deeper than 1000 meters, but my ball is certainly more compact now and sporting rather deep pores like a golf ball. I decided to decorate it with some of the egg yolk jellyfish and tuna crabs we caught in our net tows.
Coming into port today is the busiest I have seen so far. This is partially due to the fact that the Team Attack Hunger people are picking up Anne, the ocean row boat we recovered. It is also due to the fact that we only have Monday to demobilize an extensive amount of equipment and instrumentation and then stock the ship with stores, items for various future cruise installation projects, and spares for six months of busy cruises up near Oregon and Washington, during which the ship will not be coming back to San Diego. It’s a whirlwind turnaround, to be sure.
Tuesday morning we will be setting sail for Newport, Oregon. This next haul is a “transit” and not a “cruise” as there are no ocean science operations happening on board. However, we are traveling with a team of kinesiologists who are doing a “sea legs study” about human movement on ships – how people stand and move and what they know about how ship motion affects stance and locomotion.
They need 12-15 volunteers and there are only 20 crew members, so I may end up participating on top of the various projects I have been assigned. See you next week!
– Emily