For the remainder of the week, I worked on environmental monitoring with our instrumentalist Amanda. We have a “Meet the Fleet” event coming up in Baton Rouge soon- a large PR event that broadcasts our boats, instruments and different areas of research and education within the LUMCON facility. We are currently working on a weather monitoring station for the event, to rig on board within one of our labs. Amanda spent the week picking up the last of our supplies: PVC piping, and a mounting block that we will attach our sensors to for display. We spent the day rigging our display, and adding last minute aesthetic touches such as blue spray paint. The boat will return tomorrow afternoon- in the meantime, I am swinging by New Orleans to pick up my mentor John at the airport after work. All in all, I am very excited to be back on the boat with the crew!
Back at it again:
Back on the boat for demobilization and loading: We have a short three-day cruise coming up tonight until the 16th. During my very first cruise on the Pelican, a group of scientists dropped a lander at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. This particular lab group has now returned and will be joining us on a cruise to retrieve their deployed sensors. Several CTD and MIDAS flow-through samples will be taken on the way, to maximize additional research on our transit to our lander station. I am excited to return, and this three-day cruise should be a relaxing transition back onto the boat!
We spent the first day in transit, and picked up several CTDs along the way. I spent some of the morning driving, testing our boat’s alarm systems and learned more about our navigation and anchor lights. By mid afternoon we made our way to our lander station and retrieved our device using a transducer and hydrophone system, which brought our lander afloat. We were able to pick the device up with our back a-frame and did not need to deploy our small boat. Unfortunately, upon arrival on deck, we had the discovery that the lander was fried in several spots and only recorded about ten days of data. Our chief scientist ruled out several possibilities and believes there is an issue with the stepper motor, which draws samples and data. A new part was ordered and will be delivered tomorrow morning at C6C- a common station within the Gulf of Mexico only 3 hours from LUMCON.
Following day:
Our new stepper motor was delivered around 11am, hooked up around lunchtime and tested several times. However, while the stepper motor is fixed, the issue lies in several fried wires. After a long few days of troubleshooting- to no prevail- we had to turn around and are hopeful that we can send a small boat out tomorrow to get our lander back in the water. Heading back now, we should be arriving at dock around 7pm. We will quickly mobilize, bring items on the boat for Meet the Fleet and our scientists will stay on board until our small boat trip tomorrow.
We are leaving late tonight for Meet the Fleet in Baton Rouge. Most of the boat is packed up and our scientists are planning to leave soon to deploy the lander. The wires are fixed and our boat’s MATE will be leaving soon to deploy.
But, I am very excited for our PR event!