tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82428976431988917642024-02-06T19:35:27.612-08:00Marine Science: A Month in the North PacificThis is my blog about the research cruise to the north Pacific that I participated in during May and June of 2007 aboard the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. It originally appeared on the web site of the Village Soup newspaper which is based in Maine. The blog is archived here.Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-42643001069343314342007-06-17T19:35:00.000-07:002007-07-09T19:14:48.251-07:00Post Cruise Log~June 16: No, this isn’t a cruise ship!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJko7-2jdTeJV73XGth0fOMktHBhHToH3w__dQ0jjmGoIucqMtyHpiAaMpI5VDRCPPEi6ZacDYEqWJhunGXvwYXFlh026CJk1MJ-W2XRFteQ92i5Q9Vo4vToW2TlZT0LKiTZ7XDJIpAwE/s1600-h/BowSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083173795884283314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJko7-2jdTeJV73XGth0fOMktHBhHToH3w__dQ0jjmGoIucqMtyHpiAaMpI5VDRCPPEi6ZacDYEqWJhunGXvwYXFlh026CJk1MJ-W2XRFteQ92i5Q9Vo4vToW2TlZT0LKiTZ7XDJIpAwE/s320/BowSm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The Trick and Wells labs had finished packing their freight by early morning which allowed us the luxury of sitting on the forward deck in the sun as we came into Seattle. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Mark Wells)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf0KpM7QFk7DD3ByZSLI_V-bXjtFP2w2VciFbayVYSrRWXZKN1ZT67HK9x3X21FwMpzsYsHL-ODJ1hKqqOLEOtfyUHFMC9v2TdhgmU8s8LvLHa4iEuN76UVYFFxOuU6Kqyjm4DD9z8yg/s1600-h/FrtSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083171261853578658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf0KpM7QFk7DD3ByZSLI_V-bXjtFP2w2VciFbayVYSrRWXZKN1ZT67HK9x3X21FwMpzsYsHL-ODJ1hKqqOLEOtfyUHFMC9v2TdhgmU8s8LvLHa4iEuN76UVYFFxOuU6Kqyjm4DD9z8yg/s320/FrtSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Here I am back in Maine at the Darling Marine Center after the unloading of our freight from the shipping company trailer truck. Nineteen pallets of equipment for one cruise! </span><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Linda Schick)<br /></div></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fSJCWSVMg4jZSs4PLthDuW7N_uDiWaYZOhXed234fhRQ20suMS_fc7KzbqbuTEF5T5PvrStSEFvXFViOG_EwIyDTJrys7ZY6CQFz8_pRoyeyen4fc6tdmc6E3gJbMV8T2I4kdSiypew/s1600-h/UWDockSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083171115824690578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fSJCWSVMg4jZSs4PLthDuW7N_uDiWaYZOhXed234fhRQ20suMS_fc7KzbqbuTEF5T5PvrStSEFvXFViOG_EwIyDTJrys7ZY6CQFz8_pRoyeyen4fc6tdmc6E3gJbMV8T2I4kdSiypew/s320/UWDockSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The University of Washington dock, home of the Thompson. Despite its Soviet-era style architecture, it is always a welcome site at the end of a cruise.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yuo7-T0UTKAL8i71k_InENZ8PDoDbZqS19T3vthHXi0hrG4XHz1pv37zQ1GbqR4OTpP2wGufCzzzsbUwol-9q3XgQB_mJPSlMLRsePf1bPIZFF7oSoazC7CXeG5Q0hRuQVmgLZuSCAs/s1600-h/SurvivalSuitDrillSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083170965500835202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yuo7-T0UTKAL8i71k_InENZ8PDoDbZqS19T3vthHXi0hrG4XHz1pv37zQ1GbqR4OTpP2wGufCzzzsbUwol-9q3XgQB_mJPSlMLRsePf1bPIZFF7oSoazC7CXeG5Q0hRuQVmgLZuSCAs/s320/SurvivalSuitDrillSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Marine Science is glam! (Photo by Bill Caddigan)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSnQFfSydNZvj9M_e4RCIi0ZyvlN9ukLu0u7C-IJQm0ExEmkCu_VeaItFGAn8VtnRmyDdodlkIlZAX4gcvFQeDhyphenhypheniVoLpq51iEASPnz9QdciI-ijrqh_l_3SlJTN9AduNrmXy15X3Iss/s1600-h/plasticbubbleSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083170832356849010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSnQFfSydNZvj9M_e4RCIi0ZyvlN9ukLu0u7C-IJQm0ExEmkCu_VeaItFGAn8VtnRmyDdodlkIlZAX4gcvFQeDhyphenhypheniVoLpq51iEASPnz9QdciI-ijrqh_l_3SlJTN9AduNrmXy15X3Iss/s320/plasticbubbleSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> One thing I won't miss: working in a plastic bubble.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gx40D6yODj-fWPeNq6PMB3to_Ccvo6M_VuisPqrhtHIgHRAzO32Ndvb-zl5thFD761GHWp00ODJEIBkQVFVONJVVgbx5ZSTjxpkY2Ew-jTCekx_UvS8sZeeV2_YKnoWpYoJbC2tOsIM/s1600-h/MeAcetoneSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083170673443059042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gx40D6yODj-fWPeNq6PMB3to_Ccvo6M_VuisPqrhtHIgHRAzO32Ndvb-zl5thFD761GHWp00ODJEIBkQVFVONJVVgbx5ZSTjxpkY2Ew-jTCekx_UvS8sZeeV2_YKnoWpYoJbC2tOsIM/s320/MeAcetoneSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Here I am in the lab adding acetone to filtered phytoplankton cultures to extract the chlorophyll.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Bill Caddigan)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3uwV1PYwBZW5KYqsWegNFOlmmYEH69Pgnty1-EXIuFk3NsukpH0m1I-Kn3iEN4CGDoaxEUp_nPy0NWGDrXzEcGvNXPWemWwf0pwtcHZ76wyTEYpUEZZLI_F5xPYFUvMpip8byigstSI/s1600-h/DeckAcitivySm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083170548889007442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3uwV1PYwBZW5KYqsWegNFOlmmYEH69Pgnty1-EXIuFk3NsukpH0m1I-Kn3iEN4CGDoaxEUp_nPy0NWGDrXzEcGvNXPWemWwf0pwtcHZ76wyTEYpUEZZLI_F5xPYFUvMpip8byigstSI/s320/DeckAcitivySm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">A flurry of activity on deck at one of our sampling stations. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Bill Caddigan)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0rhPzBM1FInH6Ttc2KofuFAcce-tNkL9cGGeD7_rh0tfFL8wK_qulEbSYB4wpaAh7zm8ssBCwNYpGk9WOCwy_kfYFDeZlQ-hregr9gD7ts3gL2GzaiFd33QKGnH0VrEIzAMumJKXM2I/s1600-h/FilteringSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083170454399726914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0rhPzBM1FInH6Ttc2KofuFAcce-tNkL9cGGeD7_rh0tfFL8wK_qulEbSYB4wpaAh7zm8ssBCwNYpGk9WOCwy_kfYFDeZlQ-hregr9gD7ts3gL2GzaiFd33QKGnH0VrEIzAMumJKXM2I/s320/FilteringSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Filtering! (Photo by Bill Caddigan)<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQbHXxoVMCLDPnHRO5g927PtJn1FaYDnPxgLKx45tkTDBZ7cOgt16v9eo36pPdyEbxvm3hX6743o2PEZF83sy1r70NDlNmmuDb4OzAsVtnlLArInIA3a-GHTDiFfopv2YFGv0aW8H558/s1600-h/And+More+Filtering+Sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083170342730577202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQbHXxoVMCLDPnHRO5g927PtJn1FaYDnPxgLKx45tkTDBZ7cOgt16v9eo36pPdyEbxvm3hX6743o2PEZF83sy1r70NDlNmmuDb4OzAsVtnlLArInIA3a-GHTDiFfopv2YFGv0aW8H558/s320/And+More+Filtering+Sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">And more filtering! (Photo by Bill Caddigan)<br /></span><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykk0wfs5wyq4mX-zeQQKQzwTQ1bkjhZGbiVQLnwkVyTv1B7kTJIswCa-snSmDhFfnCMaa4G2c2YQ4g9cyUBDbvfMcYDq15I1Qv8gSO75C-McpAZPi-9FT39BCWRypLccETWM09FD7vnc/s1600-h/400.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083169883169076514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykk0wfs5wyq4mX-zeQQKQzwTQ1bkjhZGbiVQLnwkVyTv1B7kTJIswCa-snSmDhFfnCMaa4G2c2YQ4g9cyUBDbvfMcYDq15I1Qv8gSO75C-McpAZPi-9FT39BCWRypLccETWM09FD7vnc/s320/400.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Melissa and Tatianna at the microscopes.<br /></span><br /><div align="left">WALPOLE, MAINE (June 16, 2007): On a sunny warm Seattle day, we came back through the locks. Because our experiments were finished and our gear was packed in pallets and crates on the fantail, we were able to relax on the forward deck in the sun and enjoy the trip in. The Wells and Trick groups had all pitched in the day before, to clean the hundreds of incubation bottles, pack up all of our supplies and gear and to read the last few hundred chlorophylls. Because the seas outside of the strait were calm, we were able to arrange our containers on deck and start packing early in the day. We packed up 22 pallets of stuff weighing about 8000 pounds. </div><br />Once, we hit the dock, the crew was able to offload all of our gear right away. We always try to have our stuff ready to offload as soon as the ship docks so we can get out of the way, because often the crew has to load the next group on immediately. We always schedule a freight pick up for the afternoon that we get in. So, by 4 pm all of our gear was gone from the dock....<br /><br />I am shore side now and back in the lab at the <a href="http://server.dmc.maine.edu/">Darling Marine Center</a>. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be finishing the data entry and analysis from the cruise incubations. Some of the preliminary data look really interesting and I am actually looking forward to pouring over the results. It is probably difficult to understand if you have never worked in a similar situation. You would think that after working 10-15 hours a day for 29 of the last 30 days, I would be ready for a break. But, in reality, I get so accustomed to working that it is difficult to slow down. I will be able to take a break when the preliminary data analysis is done.<br /><br />For me, it takes a while to decompress from cruises. On the ship, you live with the same roughly 50 people every day and night for a month. You work with them, eat with them, take breaks with them, solve problems with them, sometimes argue with them, and have some really good times with them. New friendships are formed; some closer than others; some continue after the cruise, some don’t. But for a few weeks, your cruise mates are a surrogate family and there is a sense of loss when that family splits up.<br /><br />Of course there are lots of things I won’t miss at all; like the showers, the acetone bubble, trying to sleep in rough seas, the toilets (they are vacuum powered and loud), having to tie down everything (and that means everything), eating from a sliding plate, pouring chemicals when the ship is rolling, walking on an angle, bruised arms, working long hours, the sound of the GO FLO winch, working in the plastic bubble, my stinky cruise sneakers.<br /><br /><br />It is always a week or two before I want to be around groups of people and longer than that before I can be civil in a crowd. Lisa, Jen and I went to the Pike Place Market in Seattle the day after the ship docked and I had to keep going outside to get away from the noisy tourists and shoppers. I find idle chatter particularly annoying when I return from a cruise. The ship itself may be noisy but it is far from the clamor and clutter of TVs, radios, phones, politics, news, etc. and in that distance is a kind of solitude and peace that I miss when I return.<br /><br />I wanted to include more pictures of the science crew working in this blog entry, as it occurred to me that the last few entries made it look like we were just having too much fun. We wouldn’t want the powers that be to get that impression, heaven forbid. Although, technically, I don't think they can ban fun without infringing on basic civil liberties.... </div><div align="left"><br />Thanks to everyone who has followed the blog. It was enjoyable to write and it is awesome that so many of you are checking in. Thanks also, to everyone who sent an email comment or question. And thanks to my cruise mates who let me use their photos for the blog and for everyone who allowed themselves to be photographed for it. If any of you have further comments or questions, I can be reached at<br /><br />kathleen.umaine@gmail.com. If you would like more information about our lab, we have a web site <a href="http://www.marine.maine.edu/~wellsm/Homepage.htm">http://www.marine.maine.edu/~wellsm/Homepage.htm</a>.<br /><br />For those of you who would like to learn more about the Darling Marine Center, check out the Center web site at <a href="http://server.dmc.maine.edu/">http://server.dmc.maine.edu/</a>. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">If you would like more information about the Thompson, you can check out the Vessel Operations web page for the UW School of Oceanography at <a href="http://www.ocean.washington.edu/2004/services/vessels/vesselop.html">http://www.ocean.washington.edu/2004/services/vessels/vesselop.html</a>. Some of the pages are not up to date, but there is quite a bit of info there about the ship.<br /><br />And if you find yourself in Maine, stop by. The Darling Center has tours in the summer, you can get more information by calling (207) 563-3146, ask for Lisa or Linda. </div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-1142656791060823942007-06-08T18:57:00.000-07:002007-07-07T21:09:30.307-07:00Cruise Log~June 8 :Water World<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa6jtGrQaMgWoZQCirwhLEdMRubZSSRqnZyIs0aFqCn47lC9JTeZjqVexht7jrfwtQDMuYtSvg25yjcXiitbRS9t_eG-L6pp7kvlGTOJdL4_3jfoPCq92Y6rTzgbqtuT3HLHTfNAA-NA/s1600-h/compassSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083161585292260626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa6jtGrQaMgWoZQCirwhLEdMRubZSSRqnZyIs0aFqCn47lC9JTeZjqVexht7jrfwtQDMuYtSvg25yjcXiitbRS9t_eG-L6pp7kvlGTOJdL4_3jfoPCq92Y6rTzgbqtuT3HLHTfNAA-NA/s320/compassSm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The compass.</span><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzG5uTVvScRQMfy1dvd3_BwmWGqUUEu8VAJL57-jiqIEik4Ocz9M-LEcGwMLoYmQMBhyphenhyphenjq2kzt2Q5KxgsyLS2eh9rzF5idPH9l49xzp_UeTFgdfW6wYFoWp1xHt_4KcuqRezW5i1MBREY/s1600-h/Espresso2Sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083160494370567426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzG5uTVvScRQMfy1dvd3_BwmWGqUUEu8VAJL57-jiqIEik4Ocz9M-LEcGwMLoYmQMBhyphenhyphenjq2kzt2Q5KxgsyLS2eh9rzF5idPH9l49xzp_UeTFgdfW6wYFoWp1xHt_4KcuqRezW5i1MBREY/s320/Espresso2Sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> One of the most valuable pieces of scientific equipment on board the Thompson.</span></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSl2S3kNdTmOngUb6SZ7xQfMe3yxehyITl6mHmb1HPxFDpROTFFIfxbtfQBMppw4TFivZJPbE_fB-q8jiGpGWPnOIDRBp0Oy6IfgtSkq6fSmR0XUjq02HoDuxTCTlkfMO-BKdTlDqWRDA/s1600-h/PaulEngineRoomSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083160386996385010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSl2S3kNdTmOngUb6SZ7xQfMe3yxehyITl6mHmb1HPxFDpROTFFIfxbtfQBMppw4TFivZJPbE_fB-q8jiGpGWPnOIDRBp0Oy6IfgtSkq6fSmR0XUjq02HoDuxTCTlkfMO-BKdTlDqWRDA/s320/PaulEngineRoomSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Paul, the Chief Engineer (at control panel) gives a tour of the engine room.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMkTqCyaai7PJQTxpyAiF3mFvVq9O3dUBDBvVgZeCRbkqhvQA6HDbp1VjYWOcp5tye4czrCMAKaksN_R98afsX8ivxE45MadZmNdmhCjxrsSZyAAfJok-iWMvWLFRR-dy9T3gJpE-hZY/s1600-h/watermakerSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083160279622202594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMkTqCyaai7PJQTxpyAiF3mFvVq9O3dUBDBvVgZeCRbkqhvQA6HDbp1VjYWOcp5tye4czrCMAKaksN_R98afsX8ivxE45MadZmNdmhCjxrsSZyAAfJok-iWMvWLFRR-dy9T3gJpE-hZY/s320/watermakerSm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The Thomas G. Thompson has two desalinating water makers and can make 8000 gallons of fresh water every day.<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5d9-uzIz2wCV9Z_4Dyf2Q7wA-EyEGKRboCaAHTHBnkRghcWkc8QAO6kReCkAmgI6iW2ljzdLkfBBT6AdyrPA2mnUSntr2WulQzZd35vwe21q263d32fyhoeYcjdKQdMRHlXQMPIK2Wc/s1600-h/GenMonSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083160172248020178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5d9-uzIz2wCV9Z_4Dyf2Q7wA-EyEGKRboCaAHTHBnkRghcWkc8QAO6kReCkAmgI6iW2ljzdLkfBBT6AdyrPA2mnUSntr2WulQzZd35vwe21q263d32fyhoeYcjdKQdMRHlXQMPIK2Wc/s320/GenMonSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The control display for the ship's generator and engine #2.<br /><br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxz2_3jOllJnMD3moqduL5_gUpSTlbXnwZneJha6nwz6F-Okm-6ToRA82sQdmrH8slUGd8EDDyibHe_bAam8YGR3b3B3nXSxDWqab5ydeni1aeb-AYziHSwXXcRrCLSej0AL38uEE28c/s1600-h/EngRoom2Sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083160047693968578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxz2_3jOllJnMD3moqduL5_gUpSTlbXnwZneJha6nwz6F-Okm-6ToRA82sQdmrH8slUGd8EDDyibHe_bAam8YGR3b3B3nXSxDWqab5ydeni1aeb-AYziHSwXXcRrCLSej0AL38uEE28c/s320/EngRoom2Sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The ship has 2- 3000 hp, 360 degree electric stern thrusters. There is also an 1100 hp bow thruster. The electricity for the engines is provided by three 1500 KW generators shown here. The ship can carry 248,000 gallons of fuel.</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Juan de Fuca Strait (June 7, 2007): Sorry, due to technical difficulties this post has been a long time coming. </div><br /><div align="left">I have included pictures here from a tour of the engine room given by Paul, the Chief Engineer which some of the science group took. My great grandfather was an oiler and he died in a fire in the engine room of the steamer Mineola. I have a lot of respect for the engineering crew. The conditions are really harsh; it is hot and insanely noisy. And it seems that there are alarms going off all of the time signifying something that needs to be repaired. Almost every cruise that I have been on there is some member of the crew that I see for the first time after we have already been at sea for a week or so. Invariably, it is an engineer or an oiler. One of the oilers on this cruise that I saw quite often was Ricky because he would take a break out on the balcony of the 01 deck which was near my cabin and where I would often go at night after work to watch the sunset or look for whales. Ricky grew up in Alaska and lived in Ketchikan for a while.<br /></div><div align="left">Several readers have asked for more details about life on the Thomas G. Thompson. (You can email your own comments or questions to:mailto:kathleen.umaine@gmail.com) </div><br /><div align="left">Here is my typical routine. I wake up early in the morning, partly because I am still on east coast time, but mostly because early morning is one of the few times that I can take pictures, watch wildlife, lounge on the deck, etc. without being inconveniently interrupted by work. I usually eat breakfast at 7:30 am and the galley is on the same level as my cabin, through 2 doors and down the hall. One of the best things for me about a cruise is having someone else cook and wash the dishes. On land, my typical breakfast is 2 pieces of toast, so on the ship it is my favorite meal. After breakfast, I take a short commute down the ladder to the main deck where the labs are located and depending on what I am doing, I work in the main lab, the clean lab or out on the weather deck. Usually, I take a few minutes in the morning to make an espresso (or 2 depending on how well I slept the night before). If I don't have time to make espresso there is always coffee in the galley, 24 hours a day. Ships run on coffee and the coffee from the Thompson galley is better than on most ships I have sailed on.<br /></div><br /><div align="left">Most days, I am able to take a break for lunch. On the days when I can’t, I can go to the galley fridge and find the leftovers which the galley crew leaves for those of us who have to work through lunch. The afternoon is the same. After dinner I prepare for the next day and enter and analyze data from the experiments. Most nights we are done by 9 or 10 pm, sometimes earlier. I often raid the fridge after work for snacks and drinks.</div><br /><div align="left">There are good things about being at sea: No cooking, no bills to pay (thanks to electronic bill paying I can usually arrange everything ahead of time), no news, no politics, no television, no phone, my commute to work is one flight of stairs, escape from the everyday routine, meeting and getting to know some really awesome people, a little bit of adventure (18-20’ seas, dodging flares, hiking in Ketchikan, for example), whales, sea bird watching, a sense of camaraderie and team work. </div><br /><div align="left">There are not so good things about being at sea: With the exception of a lucky few, when someone gets sick, we all get sick. Long work hours. No weekends. In bad weather, we can’t go outside and I get claustrophobic. When it is rough, we get thrown around and I am not the most graceful person. I always depart the ship with my arms covered in bruises. </div><br /><div align="left">Ships are really noisy: engine noise, fans from the air circulators, sonar pings, various ticks and rattles. In rough seas, ships boom and groan and shudder. This cruise I have an incredibly quiet cabin. Last cruise, my cabin was below deck next to the hull. Whenever we had any rough seas, it sounded like an enormous wooden mallet swung by the Jolly Green Giant was hitting the hull of the ship next to my bunk. It is really amazing how loud waves hitting the ship can be. We all yell at each other most of the time. I am always asking, "What did you say?". </div><br /><div align="left">There are 2 places that I found to be refuges from the noise. One is the bridge; the pinnacle of the ship world. From there you also have an awesome view. The other place is on the forward 02 deck in front of the ballast tank. The only sound there is the bow crashing through the waves and the ballast sloshing back and forth. It sounds like waves hitting a beach. If the sun is shining, I go out there and close my eyes and pretend…. </div><br /><div align="left">I can understand why people speak of the ocean as a living thing because it is always changing. Sometimes quickly going from flat calm to boiling like a pot of water on a stove. Sometimes you can see a storm approaching from the horizon many miles away. At times the sea seems angry and harsh, sometimes tranquil and inviting. And every day brings new creatures; albatross, humpbacks, orcas, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, sunfish, sharks, you never know who will drop by for a visit. For me, the good aspects of working at sea for the most part outweigh the bad. Which is probably why, as much as I sometimes complain about it, I will always come back to sea one way or another. </div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-33112594648743990542007-06-07T19:53:00.000-07:002007-07-13T19:37:47.138-07:00Cruise Log~June 6: Some of my Peeps....<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS94e4AhiGjtxFqX0jXcRbzLk5-bYH_7pH8R0STxS-7kpIZjzQ3nBdsf0y1J6hXL3U1rVQrqI2nrdqIh0fgcpBfXa8I23JYxcMurjdWBTJepIgJbQDfgzlf_jHkDwdezGBXkgjPb9pQ54/s1600-h/LisaCap.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082809067261506642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS94e4AhiGjtxFqX0jXcRbzLk5-bYH_7pH8R0STxS-7kpIZjzQ3nBdsf0y1J6hXL3U1rVQrqI2nrdqIh0fgcpBfXa8I23JYxcMurjdWBTJepIgJbQDfgzlf_jHkDwdezGBXkgjPb9pQ54/s320/LisaCap.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The Captain and Lisa. This is their third cruise together and Lisa's last cruise as a member of the Wells lab. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFVKA4UrfzBPOWkU0pOrhvCrdlOlTC3mt1289n4PVpyH864h4EuFBty-a6910xEqjTcDy3zOQpDPUoedMQZ8w20khKcU41b45IAR8TZtsiQALoz6q0TAcBbqiDaQJFg1VjdWF9BE4nqc/s1600-h/Russell.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082805468078912578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFVKA4UrfzBPOWkU0pOrhvCrdlOlTC3mt1289n4PVpyH864h4EuFBty-a6910xEqjTcDy3zOQpDPUoedMQZ8w20khKcU41b45IAR8TZtsiQALoz6q0TAcBbqiDaQJFg1VjdWF9BE4nqc/s320/Russell.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Russell has been working on ships for 31 years. He is a really nice guy; quiet and unassuming. I hear from a reliable source that he is one of the most valuable people on the ship! (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><div align="center"><br /></div></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjgHQU_Ez1Gildu7ndbCc5i3grMDZv6xN6iP0otwVvgfIXd_sEPlMUT9M7-O5NVG0BItG15rEVaTp1D8ybqinJ8POVlwk5oiaJ9rZxpHGqG7IM6lEggxA4k6ap8TkxN4kBx_0BbzVDJ4/s1600-h/HalfWits.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082803080077095986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjgHQU_Ez1Gildu7ndbCc5i3grMDZv6xN6iP0otwVvgfIXd_sEPlMUT9M7-O5NVG0BItG15rEVaTp1D8ybqinJ8POVlwk5oiaJ9rZxpHGqG7IM6lEggxA4k6ap8TkxN4kBx_0BbzVDJ4/s320/HalfWits.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The table in the computer lab where the PIs set up their computers. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Mark and Charlie</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">dubbed it "The Table of Infinite Wisdom". </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Jen Boehme)</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRJ36AaYWU-M1u3CTEEUTyX0SflVCgMvzrlD_v_zrTJgnHfbdSS2nBYmUDOc6W3lq5ncNkYmWGQGCFv3yyAsRpim47bJBDU7mT-I015gxkBZYVhYThDmzDOlwlDwZQFXfZewpQ6kaZ9Y/s1600-h/PaulMark.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082801022787761186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRJ36AaYWU-M1u3CTEEUTyX0SflVCgMvzrlD_v_zrTJgnHfbdSS2nBYmUDOc6W3lq5ncNkYmWGQGCFv3yyAsRpim47bJBDU7mT-I015gxkBZYVhYThDmzDOlwlDwZQFXfZewpQ6kaZ9Y/s320/PaulMark.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Paul, the Chief Engineer and Mark in Ketchikan. Paul can make or repair just about anything and has, for us. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4mCkeblIYfdX6hSouomNVPjbMSd5GKoDg47FH4vr8-B5snvO0FYvWjIdtIwhmTaiDDQt8qXkskmAucMv8ZRXjqpQKhgHauZm5pNdlf8WJWaYaCGlSHu1JSjDROGc_B_rQFbvs8KWNJU/s1600-h/01Deck.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082800872463905810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4mCkeblIYfdX6hSouomNVPjbMSd5GKoDg47FH4vr8-B5snvO0FYvWjIdtIwhmTaiDDQt8qXkskmAucMv8ZRXjqpQKhgHauZm5pNdlf8WJWaYaCGlSHu1JSjDROGc_B_rQFbvs8KWNJU/s320/01Deck.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Charlie, me, Dane, Ben and Lisa on the 01 deck. (Photo by Mark Wells)</span><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks1ctHuAW0jxyxUiUJeZnZHwUtFA6oxzKsNR6AnZSmKVD78P5pLilMM-zrQB55d6J1F9j48QD0XXumT1snpRZiKlmCafs0ypWF0fXwKyIfMsaYZZoWrLAcGj916__eTpaRp1GREHA3f0/s1600-h/wellsGroup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082800722140050434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks1ctHuAW0jxyxUiUJeZnZHwUtFA6oxzKsNR6AnZSmKVD78P5pLilMM-zrQB55d6J1F9j48QD0XXumT1snpRZiKlmCafs0ypWF0fXwKyIfMsaYZZoWrLAcGj916__eTpaRp1GREHA3f0/s320/wellsGroup.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Wells group: Mark, Eric, Jen, Morgan, Peggy, Lisa and I.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NYZz7zpgkEszMZZ5PatX4-gah_6iyIO097sHFgauoqQQa4UDpBLQPT2qjaLmXdVwA8AEGf2soHzFFbQ6D1aXNDr3HWISqqg9cVorragEWgCqYHAIIXCZoC4anWqbvVcJySW2WDOdujU/s1600-h/TrickLab.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082800619060835314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NYZz7zpgkEszMZZ5PatX4-gah_6iyIO097sHFgauoqQQa4UDpBLQPT2qjaLmXdVwA8AEGf2soHzFFbQ6D1aXNDr3HWISqqg9cVorragEWgCqYHAIIXCZoC4anWqbvVcJySW2WDOdujU/s320/TrickLab.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The Trick Lab: Natalie, Elio, Charlie, Ben and Billy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6wWw0bx2qhW6fGGs7QArjUhfSY87ebF2LqMrUckOtU3cicqTqhXyDaBQGu_itxcD2vTArCVzXc658DualPbUS9INcwTzAhZ4P8iDyzqpYsWjM6h5eDiAvi_hseJ1LSfryNwp_Uuhgcc/s1600-h/Jimmy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082800327003059154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6wWw0bx2qhW6fGGs7QArjUhfSY87ebF2LqMrUckOtU3cicqTqhXyDaBQGu_itxcD2vTArCVzXc658DualPbUS9INcwTzAhZ4P8iDyzqpYsWjM6h5eDiAvi_hseJ1LSfryNwp_Uuhgcc/s320/Jimmy.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">This cruise was Jimmy's first on the Thompson. He works in the engine room. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Bill Caddigan)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKxpEZQzhAQ9s5S14DoLvtpyFQzN6_EIzSo2iBAfDRbnZ-4xE3g4oK3nI_6Sxi4ZPukDoaYlJ_HbEoTDBXoHdgcIILwGdKkNg9cRGUM6xt0UsyirhHLIHEOaluPXxdnSkHD2eYOTX6as/s1600-h/21Mayam+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082800172384236482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKxpEZQzhAQ9s5S14DoLvtpyFQzN6_EIzSo2iBAfDRbnZ-4xE3g4oK3nI_6Sxi4ZPukDoaYlJ_HbEoTDBXoHdgcIILwGdKkNg9cRGUM6xt0UsyirhHLIHEOaluPXxdnSkHD2eYOTX6as/s320/21Mayam+033.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Larry, who lives in South Dakota, is one of the ABs on the Thompson. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, BC (June 7, 2007): Since we left Ketchikan, Natalie, and I and a series of helpers, including Bill, Billy, Morgan, Dane, Traci, Ben, and Eric, have filtered over 800 incubation chlorophylls and 1500 chlorophylls including those for the CTD. It has been a productive week. It will take some time to process the data from all of these samples.<br /></div><br /><div align="left">I filtered incubation culture samples for DA this afternoon and that was the last of the incubation samples to be collected for our team. It feels really good to start packing up. After a month of working every day, usually long hours and living with the same 50 or so people and seeing no one else, you sometimes have to remind yourself that there is a something else out there. Packing is sort of the first step back to the outside world. </div><div align="left"><br />I have been so busy the last few days that I haven’t really had much time to write in my blog. I just want to take a few minutes to introduce some of my lab/cruise mates. Lisa Pickell is a PhD student in our lab at the Darling Marine Center. This is Lisa’s 14th cruise. We have been going to sea together for 4 years now. Usually Lisa and I work together but this time we were both busy with our own projects. This will be her last cruise as a student as she is scheduled to finish her degree before we are scheduled to go another cruise. Lisa has been a pleasure to work with. I have seen many people come and go from the Darling Center over the years; students, post doctoral researchers, technicians and professors. It is the nature of working at a University. I will be sad to see Lisa go. We have had a lot of good times together.<br /></div><div align="left">Jen Boehme is a researcher at the Smithsonian, who was a post doc in our lab for the last several years. She and Mark have a joint project. It’s great when you can develop an ongoing collaboration with some one you have enjoyed working with at the lab The cooks allowed Jen to take over the galley one night; she makes a mean scone!<br /></div><br /><div align="left">Morgan Brunbauer is an undergraduate helping out our group on this cruise. This is his first cruise and I am not sure at this point if he will become a marine scientist or run screaming from the ship as soon as we hit the dock. As the youngest person on the ship, he has taken a lot of ribbing from everyone else, especially since even though he is 20, he looks like he is 16. But Young Morgan seems to be able to dish it out pretty well too. For those who have never been on a month long cruise, suffice it to say, normal social structure kind of breaks down after the first couple of weeks and you start to feel like you have known people you just met for your whole life. Anyway, Morgan seems to fit in just fine. He is sort of everyone’s little brother/son/nephew. He had to have a bone marrow transplant when he was young and has been through a lot, perhaps that is what gives him the ability to put up with a motley crew like us. He has been a real help where ever he is needed.<br /></div><br /><div align="left">The science crew couldn’t do anything out here without the knowledge and expertise of the ships’ crew and we couldn't have asked for a more accommodating or capable crew or a nicer group of people to work with than the crew of the Thompson. Captain Phil Smith, Chief Mate Robert Symonds and Chief Engineer Paul Schroeder; you guys are the best! Thanks to all of the crew for making this a successful and fun cruise!</div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-1502728308629850202007-06-04T19:22:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:52:05.228-07:00Cruise Log ~ June 3: Zodiac Excursion to Tasu Sound<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA2IP8O6_QBwYa_iEQcEaL77aDorZhyKMk2WRP1CiaiozC1ufEMUXqplDulDHXvoG5cPgmB0VmdBjko2sdT_tzdJWVmUmScPZyidwkyWP5Z0Nfj0RJ8vz2KjL-7cZ-TUMbNzizmke6EA/s1600-h/1stBoat.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083176269785445826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA2IP8O6_QBwYa_iEQcEaL77aDorZhyKMk2WRP1CiaiozC1ufEMUXqplDulDHXvoG5cPgmB0VmdBjko2sdT_tzdJWVmUmScPZyidwkyWP5Z0Nfj0RJ8vz2KjL-7cZ-TUMbNzizmke6EA/s320/1stBoat.JPG" border="0" /></a> The first work boat trip to the Sound. We climbed a ladder down the side of the ship to reach the small boat. (Photo by Jen Boehme)</div><div align="center"><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecsPuLUO5xm5LDT4-j5K3L1570ucAHHegHkhIaQcYA1kz5-92TN_CZaL3buag8DzlbJUqPw2BqUZkMVfQ60egK13p3uBJniIpCbHs4s_7BzbQag3TuCmm5uj2EeZCciHXxT2KQRXp5p8/s1600-h/HugeMtns.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082795744272954290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecsPuLUO5xm5LDT4-j5K3L1570ucAHHegHkhIaQcYA1kz5-92TN_CZaL3buag8DzlbJUqPw2BqUZkMVfQ60egK13p3uBJniIpCbHs4s_7BzbQag3TuCmm5uj2EeZCciHXxT2KQRXp5p8/s320/HugeMtns.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The zodiak in front of the huge mountains of Tasu Sound. (Photo by Mark Wells)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPoAWi9GeX-JKKTB0ckAeI__z8a-0Ij6x2KUXNDe-Lxuy7WrnGo0qQgir3qRm2AwAfoos4Ratl6zgDbPbmsRQCkcLXe6ETH6J7N0OA0VvAcnXouosT5akyQfX4_78u137mnCeV5grwE4/s1600-h/speck.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082795632603804578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPoAWi9GeX-JKKTB0ckAeI__z8a-0Ij6x2KUXNDe-Lxuy7WrnGo0qQgir3qRm2AwAfoos4Ratl6zgDbPbmsRQCkcLXe6ETH6J7N0OA0VvAcnXouosT5akyQfX4_78u137mnCeV5grwE4/s320/speck.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">To give you some idea how big these mountains are; there is a barely visible speck in the water in the opening between the two mountains. That is the zodiak. (Photo by Mark Wells)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_L2ZukFDElrUgCqk9B9bJNJFwYPNDobbgvpoTrytqN2-pO4x9aJScNhnAMlofyJ5_EQkUw_tBm0g873gvVeWhcfaAKfBNwCL-izJOsXXOj7XiUTAVJMZL_TPNQXxlWcFr0yU-DE2oSRI/s1600-h/MeGrin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082792926774408082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_L2ZukFDElrUgCqk9B9bJNJFwYPNDobbgvpoTrytqN2-pO4x9aJScNhnAMlofyJ5_EQkUw_tBm0g873gvVeWhcfaAKfBNwCL-izJOsXXOj7XiUTAVJMZL_TPNQXxlWcFr0yU-DE2oSRI/s320/MeGrin.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Can you tell that Natalie and I are happy to not be filtering chlorophyll samples? </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Jen Boehme)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerBd9kZYygjuB671qq-JRIaRQG_pLzmO5pkEV-rYfCFvZqhoO_E7Z3VvylETxOkapU5lYKhulIdIdNH6m8kvtM6J_PKZF1IXJhSAHLgiKUhYQOjJ-UjXSlUvdQUIgn005-O1lEGsNB3E/s1600-h/ThompsonTH.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082791324751606658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerBd9kZYygjuB671qq-JRIaRQG_pLzmO5pkEV-rYfCFvZqhoO_E7Z3VvylETxOkapU5lYKhulIdIdNH6m8kvtM6J_PKZF1IXJhSAHLgiKUhYQOjJ-UjXSlUvdQUIgn005-O1lEGsNB3E/s320/ThompsonTH.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">View of the Thompson from the zodiac headed to Tasu Sound. </span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Traci Haddock)<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogBZ99p_bBlGwvZAXUkJtDH7KkD0h3zSL7kz6In1hIHwaV6mtTfqYKwuaE5Xod_e6bv2muagmq7J5YIhZP4NdW65CvptKj-JJfr7icboD9A_qRnGZvnXm5_z2KpXPXSQTC12unzDu-QE/s1600-h/TasusoundEntanceTH.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082791204492522354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogBZ99p_bBlGwvZAXUkJtDH7KkD0h3zSL7kz6In1hIHwaV6mtTfqYKwuaE5Xod_e6bv2muagmq7J5YIhZP4NdW65CvptKj-JJfr7icboD9A_qRnGZvnXm5_z2KpXPXSQTC12unzDu-QE/s320/TasusoundEntanceTH.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Entrance to Tasu Sound. (Photo by Traci Haddock)<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl-BEQW_ZzqpYHRPTmt031eOedx6aC0M0bGtfMnOWQz3RcFvMOHUqPzN0Hu1KkwgriSgtb-VnwAsM6AGSsufmmqOUwB_g1WT1yfWLZS2PngTFQQJMVqkukGcREvWw0r07yRZf1I6-z_g/s1600-h/Tasu2TH.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082791054168666978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl-BEQW_ZzqpYHRPTmt031eOedx6aC0M0bGtfMnOWQz3RcFvMOHUqPzN0Hu1KkwgriSgtb-VnwAsM6AGSsufmmqOUwB_g1WT1yfWLZS2PngTFQQJMVqkukGcREvWw0r07yRZf1I6-z_g/s320/Tasu2TH.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Mountains surrounding Tasu Sound. (Photo by Traci Haddock)<br /></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v5qX5SUqcnxkp0g3f3S9xAAGuT4I8yiM6Rxk6Ln_PMG6kzlSX-Zmn91gAUCYrPRRdLBND3gWRoUo4efx38Mj1KinKFvVq90dGvX_cb4SCrj1gHYhpbPkOjUCogySSAYu3kT7QjGMi8w/s1600-h/Mine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082790908139778898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v5qX5SUqcnxkp0g3f3S9xAAGuT4I8yiM6Rxk6Ln_PMG6kzlSX-Zmn91gAUCYrPRRdLBND3gWRoUo4efx38Mj1KinKFvVq90dGvX_cb4SCrj1gHYhpbPkOjUCogySSAYu3kT7QjGMi8w/s320/Mine.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">An abandoned mine in Tasu Sound. (Photo by Traci Haddock)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol-mWAhUdjQ8ARkFqWRzA0wOxVLUCBuNw6JzppgO4_righdGpF9s1D__HDnz6abHLVD9nnCgBCsNsI2HDnzVZ6JIPAlwUbxMZhO1hNyXtu5rI3KoQXyzfZZ28nJ9ETeBpOvv043VgoH8/s1600-h/MeAndNatLP.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082790783585727298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol-mWAhUdjQ8ARkFqWRzA0wOxVLUCBuNw6JzppgO4_righdGpF9s1D__HDnz6abHLVD9nnCgBCsNsI2HDnzVZ6JIPAlwUbxMZhO1hNyXtu5rI3KoQXyzfZZ28nJ9ETeBpOvv043VgoH8/s320/MeAndNatLP.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Me and Natalie entering Tasu Sound in the zodiac. (Photo by Lisa Pickell)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, BC (June 3, 2007): I went up to the bridge early in the morning as we approached the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Charlotte_Islands" target="“new”">Queen Charlotte Islands and Tasu Sound</a>. The sky was still pink and the mountains looked huge in the early morning light. I was shocked when Robert said that we were still 20 miles away. Tasu Sound is surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks with steep cliffs leading to the water. Later in the morning, Mark, Tatiana and Bethany, the three Principal Investigators (PIs) still on the ship, along with some of the students, took the small boat into the Sound to take seawater samples. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Mark decided last night that everyone who wanted to would be able to take a trip to the mouth of the Sound, so the plan was to take the work boat and make several trips. But, when the boat returned from the first trip, the wind had picked up, so the Captain decided that the small boat could only make one more trip. So, the rest of the science crew hopped into the zodiak. The boat was pitching a bit as we went down the ladder. I am not very coordinated and in my efforts to get into the boat and stay upright, I accidentally stepped on both the Third Mate's and the assisting AB's feet. And we were in such a rush to board the boat, that I didn’t have time to run up to may cabin and get my camera. </div><div align="left"><br />The ride out was great; bouncing on the swells and sea spray in the face. I noticed several hours after returning that my glasses were still covered with salt. The fjord was amazing; steep cliffs towering over the shore, soaring eagles and a basking sea lion. The mountains were unlike anything on the east coast, steep with jagged peaks. In the miles of shoreline visible, I could see only 2 structures; one left from an abandoned mine and the other a small camp. We went behind a little island and the Third Mate turned off the motor when he was switching the gas tanks. It was sunny and warm. The water was calm and quiet. I could have stayed there for a long time…. </div><div align="left"><br />With few exceptions, all of us have been working really hard, particularly this last week. It was generous on Mark’s part to let us take a couple of hours to go exploring. We had a nice zodiac ride, good company and incredible scenery. All I can say is thanks to Mark, the Captain, Jay, Robert and everyone else who made the trip possible. </div><div align="left"><br />Because my camera with a fully charged battery was sitting on my desk in my cabin, all of these photos were taken by my cruise mates. </div><div align="left"><br />Track the last reported location of our ship, the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. <a href="http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=KTDQ" target="new">CLICK HERE TO TRACK</a> </div><div align="left"><br />Email comments or questions to:<a href="mailto:kathleen.umaine@gmail.com" body="[Cruise">mailto:kathleen.umaine@gmail.com</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-5266451398598170252007-06-03T18:36:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:51:28.815-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 30: Shore Leave in Ketchikan, Alaska; A good time was had by all!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2SUFvc1CPTFQ1CdFRnv-M52ZS0AOpfJmqBttYdjds81cqX-lz00CAtjzlSaHxARLVCpi-ffVCgfwS66laZw0jqz-CTsDw8sSn6wjfwGmvZLLdDgs0DqESC1gXuTHyk8aectQWIyxldk/s1600-h/Sea+PlaneShip.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083549455198828050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2SUFvc1CPTFQ1CdFRnv-M52ZS0AOpfJmqBttYdjds81cqX-lz00CAtjzlSaHxARLVCpi-ffVCgfwS66laZw0jqz-CTsDw8sSn6wjfwGmvZLLdDgs0DqESC1gXuTHyk8aectQWIyxldk/s320/Sea+PlaneShip.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The Thompson docked at the Coast Guard station in Ketchikan, Alaska. Morgan took this picture from a sea plane!</span></div><div align="center"><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpy9iEAeau-y0CFrbT31HxGhdsIpEf_gB3aGVyGjHXz5kkSg4JqP1PnhFXkhc44jX8h5Mtijg80FNT6Q-EV_dqL2qgX-xwiUo9NTQTbdpx95WrWaO9OFFHdxR90AcyNiNajnI2MXWX0M/s1600-h/MeRainFSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082788717706457906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpy9iEAeau-y0CFrbT31HxGhdsIpEf_gB3aGVyGjHXz5kkSg4JqP1PnhFXkhc44jX8h5Mtijg80FNT6Q-EV_dqL2qgX-xwiUo9NTQTbdpx95WrWaO9OFFHdxR90AcyNiNajnI2MXWX0M/s320/MeRainFSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> At the start of the rain forest trail. (Photo by Jen Boehme)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPrWcKeEGqHbM8xi0gpqkPtrz2QjZ9zrGnzyhBAaj2BF7ALVseZdPtg4_yET0QA7OhHaQEIrw2zJreT_7qwJTSGUALEPsOfXXETrYAm92Kjni_1sSCtbo627VhGH697uD6q7a-8BI_q4/s1600-h/Eagle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082782197946102562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPrWcKeEGqHbM8xi0gpqkPtrz2QjZ9zrGnzyhBAaj2BF7ALVseZdPtg4_yET0QA7OhHaQEIrw2zJreT_7qwJTSGUALEPsOfXXETrYAm92Kjni_1sSCtbo627VhGH697uD6q7a-8BI_q4/s320/Eagle.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Eagles were plentiful in Ketchikan. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gJsRZ1qch9Zd-16HnLKmBTAU9BhGrmS75ctPkhPUKaIOggg-ZCcK21Cl1aavhqgNmy86iTs-kHrGympSYIcv0NnK9o_os4elC-JgqRD0Zg-NKtkGdpxGeKiHlxgdYtAWXXhC1lljjUU/s1600-h/Eagle+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082782116341723922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gJsRZ1qch9Zd-16HnLKmBTAU9BhGrmS75ctPkhPUKaIOggg-ZCcK21Cl1aavhqgNmy86iTs-kHrGympSYIcv0NnK9o_os4elC-JgqRD0Zg-NKtkGdpxGeKiHlxgdYtAWXXhC1lljjUU/s320/Eagle+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">In the late afternoon, 6 eagles were diving and grabbing small fish out of the water next to the dock. I snapped this picture as one glided by the ship. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ-lqffxsTJSk5VceLSrC5G84dctiaisWyiyoiUrx4umkHOJYZGQ1Cva5WXAVsJVqIOqAjY4B88NQfPRlOvX2vG7gTU8ND8t7giXf7_er6MfjlvOgOT9JBjcRQLEEzdqZI39mIvqy75c/s1600-h/Forest2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082782030442377986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ-lqffxsTJSk5VceLSrC5G84dctiaisWyiyoiUrx4umkHOJYZGQ1Cva5WXAVsJVqIOqAjY4B88NQfPRlOvX2vG7gTU8ND8t7giXf7_er6MfjlvOgOT9JBjcRQLEEzdqZI39mIvqy75c/s320/Forest2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Natalie mentioned that the forest we hiked through looked like a place where you might find Ents. I would have to agree. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IIjKb6EEvNGjiohkUMUXbMWgBgXxSSwtSKUusYT3OArtTQ7-mu-7GY91-HUidQV6SYT49KvRVgyseY6zQQs_r0kIrt9TduuToDXgMKvIeep08ccWKzhbR2S_S1q4dXR39mQZQYatSWg/s1600-h/Huge+Trees.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082781944543032050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IIjKb6EEvNGjiohkUMUXbMWgBgXxSSwtSKUusYT3OArtTQ7-mu-7GY91-HUidQV6SYT49KvRVgyseY6zQQs_r0kIrt9TduuToDXgMKvIeep08ccWKzhbR2S_S1q4dXR39mQZQYatSWg/s320/Huge+Trees.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The trees in the rain forest above Ketchikan were huge and moss covered. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Lisa Pickell)</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekBzL2eavnJLYb2erdzJkyw-j8n_3J7WY-sPhpXpjDZOYryUsrmxPVuaerlyYny7dxO2G37-1QepeBdfcOaaSaECB9uDqg332CcRrTc-FH9Cek5a1MIc4kbXO_ZAbFBto-zMFTP2AIhw/s1600-h/HugeTree2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082781862938653410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekBzL2eavnJLYb2erdzJkyw-j8n_3J7WY-sPhpXpjDZOYryUsrmxPVuaerlyYny7dxO2G37-1QepeBdfcOaaSaECB9uDqg332CcRrTc-FH9Cek5a1MIc4kbXO_ZAbFBto-zMFTP2AIhw/s320/HugeTree2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> An enormous rain forest tree in Ketchikan. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrIO2hNqicdD2g5L4iDxobSM506QbV_udwxgkCQehoJTyDTCWhdHvmt37UTGSpfng0yBGZqrnOzcHM0zlANsHHMGteejuLhxLQdc2OI_wx8xPSecjO7qzq41_LyqTIAlE-2jwZERg9TA/s1600-h/Totem.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082781540816106162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrIO2hNqicdD2g5L4iDxobSM506QbV_udwxgkCQehoJTyDTCWhdHvmt37UTGSpfng0yBGZqrnOzcHM0zlANsHHMGteejuLhxLQdc2OI_wx8xPSecjO7qzq41_LyqTIAlE-2jwZERg9TA/s320/Totem.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Ketchikan is known for its totems. This is one in downtown Ketchikan was designed and carved in 1983 by </span><a href="http://www.answers.com/Dempsey%20Bob" target="new"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dempsey Bob</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> and Stanley Bevan to honor the Tongass Tlingit people who historically inhabited the local area. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">KETCHIKAN, AK (June 3, 2007): I have had a particularly busy day with many incubation samples to filter and several to set up. Natalie, a student with Charlie Trick, is helping me since Peggy and Charlie both left the cruise in Ketchikan and now have their feet firmly planted on solid ground. Natalie was a huge help today and I must say we filtered the samples in record time. Tomorrow will be busy as well and I'm beat, so I'll use this post to catch you up on our visit to Ketchikan. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">We arrived in Ketchikan in the morning of May 30th. A group of us set off to find a hiking trail that Terrance, the mess attendant told us about. After a bit of confusion, we found the trail and even though it was foggy and rainy, there was a near unanimous decision to hike up to the first lookout which was at 1500 feet. I am glad that we did, because as the trail led us up the side of the mountain, we were surrounded by the <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/temperate-rain-forest" target="new">temperate rain forest</a>. The trees were huge and moss covered. The mist and the lush vegetation created a primeval setting. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">With the help of some occasional and mutual encouragement, we reached the lookout where we took pictures of each other standing in front of the "view" which was a blanket of clouds and fog. Even though I was tired and soaked after the hike back down, it felt really good to get out into the forest and hike amid green living plants again. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">An afternoon of shopping and touring and an evening out with good company certainly improved my attitude!</div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-74878741181615744252007-05-30T06:55:00.000-07:002007-09-10T20:20:34.238-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 29: The Thomas G. Thompson, The Chief Mate, and The Rocket Man<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqsjSOvBHNontdanvASE2TdFsil-C-ZZ6GT_cFNHYGzB7i_E8DoBDLieipfKDMWxbRPQCrLqqoHSwKUzJeRTVldOkjnybtZCMEGmV9D3i1SpELAMMhUtxJqdRFxUp587-QvWNjG497oc/s1600-h/RobertMe.jpg"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j3gduWlzfTQrSP9jdyE826a772T-s0vEJzfGnL1H6-CD4iZJoDMHIreE4PCcnyJV-_z3ztyz9rvaygE0nU_d6XlpDs1g3EJi62U9CagqeAuGhou_Cgo3Cj1rktCIeW9nqjAU8BK9dqY/s1600-h/RobertBridge.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084306614983439938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j3gduWlzfTQrSP9jdyE826a772T-s0vEJzfGnL1H6-CD4iZJoDMHIreE4PCcnyJV-_z3ztyz9rvaygE0nU_d6XlpDs1g3EJi62U9CagqeAuGhou_Cgo3Cj1rktCIeW9nqjAU8BK9dqY/s320/RobertBridge.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Robert Symonds, the Chief Mate, on the bridge. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div></div><div></div><div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPd9HYGdIFMbwpTG23k8y-LAxzqbLrVs8LeRidbBuWixWcMuROpET3MBg56NDrHxkhv16Zg6SyDSM-4AW3lbc23-6j2p4CWR-s7KTOYubnS1wWRs_IUdrNw5TjNG2medCNvheTHXMJ5I/s1600-h/RobMeSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082603321148158610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPd9HYGdIFMbwpTG23k8y-LAxzqbLrVs8LeRidbBuWixWcMuROpET3MBg56NDrHxkhv16Zg6SyDSM-4AW3lbc23-6j2p4CWR-s7KTOYubnS1wWRs_IUdrNw5TjNG2medCNvheTHXMJ5I/s320/RobMeSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Robert, the Chief Mate, was kind enough to give me a tour of the bridge. </span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Mike Hansen)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hrGGLchlb2FHZtmU02W5jtmVIB83UqXZ5dNSU0kJhRJ5al9YEiS0RpJjUuHysY03A82Wxu-Je32duqyWdhhcxsIDX7VMaiAPWmeYhCrNShbwbo9qU6WWy02_FPPrFtM55UrmVM_xn7s/s1600-h/Mike.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082601847974376050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hrGGLchlb2FHZtmU02W5jtmVIB83UqXZ5dNSU0kJhRJ5al9YEiS0RpJjUuHysY03A82Wxu-Je32duqyWdhhcxsIDX7VMaiAPWmeYhCrNShbwbo9qU6WWy02_FPPrFtM55UrmVM_xn7s/s320/Mike.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">For each cruise, an AB is assigned to be on watch with the mate, Mike Hansen was on watch with Robert. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFRMLm6m6XT30ThMOoBzClWDBzaHfij5GcX0tU9r-1JyKTTKC19UjeLHKXuJjmEsOKlRE_Dov69Mm8VSpdtcqEjS1iAzZes30y-Wez1HVnhO8TWPLhefrtzsHvJskO1cv-oRkeNMptxk/s1600-h/mark.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082601774959932002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFRMLm6m6XT30ThMOoBzClWDBzaHfij5GcX0tU9r-1JyKTTKC19UjeLHKXuJjmEsOKlRE_Dov69Mm8VSpdtcqEjS1iAzZes30y-Wez1HVnhO8TWPLhefrtzsHvJskO1cv-oRkeNMptxk/s320/mark.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Chief Scientist Mark Wells aka Rocket Man. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9DLqi1-deot-pzGrWZQx61eBX_P7a9alNLH9YTMLHkJ-CadOAaRbWJpbEo1RmdmVZKGg-QnLfzJOFBwop9FvCcwrs9h5PmtHyEsQZgluegVEUPfYMRiZ9i-HSLaX8cPLAZ-juteIdeI/s1600-h/AB.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082601701945487954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9DLqi1-deot-pzGrWZQx61eBX_P7a9alNLH9YTMLHkJ-CadOAaRbWJpbEo1RmdmVZKGg-QnLfzJOFBwop9FvCcwrs9h5PmtHyEsQZgluegVEUPfYMRiZ9i-HSLaX8cPLAZ-juteIdeI/s320/AB.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Bob was the AB on watch earlier in the day. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJj5Du1d-MYiT80x8liSrfP_6Zw6vzn1izC5FU-SFCL7PoCWhNnIUwDWgdrtuDvfp6bujenEk9_6yuj1dQ97B8tjmoRUP9DKh1tpMwmthWe5MZc75bQTG7I6YO55xR4_uNlDQ3OVkgd8/s1600-h/BugJuice2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082601628931043906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJj5Du1d-MYiT80x8liSrfP_6Zw6vzn1izC5FU-SFCL7PoCWhNnIUwDWgdrtuDvfp6bujenEk9_6yuj1dQ97B8tjmoRUP9DKh1tpMwmthWe5MZc75bQTG7I6YO55xR4_uNlDQ3OVkgd8/s320/BugJuice2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Because we were a riding in the trough a bit, the ship was rolling between 10° and 15° with an occasional tip to 18° or so. The "bug juice" dispenser is a good indicator of the pitch and roll of the ship. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">(May 29 pm, 2007): Tonight I’m organizing the sampling plan for May 31 and June 1. I am excited to have a day off tomorrow, but it also means more work to catch up with on the following day - good planning now is key.</div><br /><div align="left">A little bit about the ship. The Thompson was named for Thomas Gordon Thompson who was born in New York in 1888 and died in 1961. He received his PhD at the University of Washington (where the Thompson is based), was on the faculty there and was instrumental in the development of their marine sciences program. He was the first researcher to study seawater chemistry. For more information about the ship, you can go to the ship web site: <a href="http://martech.ocean.washington.edu/" target="new">[LINK]</a>. Unfortunately, several of the web pages are outdated, but it will give you an idea of what the ship is like. </div><br /><div align="left">I asked the <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/STCW/new-jobsums.htm">Chief Mate</a>, Robert Symonds, if I might be able to come up to the bridge for more pictures and he was kind enough to show me around. The Chief, Second and Third mates split the watch on the bridge. Robert's watch is from 4-8 am and 4-8 pm. The Thompson is well equipped with high tech gear. She has two radar displays and three control consoles. On one console there are controls for the autopilot. One console has manual steering controls, one for each engine. The other console is used when the ship is on station and it can be set to automatically hold the position of the ship or the position can be controlled from the console with a joystick. There are other high tech gadgets as well. If other ships are within radar range, there is a display which shows the name as well as other pertinent information about the ship. All large vessels are equipped to send and receive this information. </div><br /><br /><div align="left">A little about the crew. The Thompson, unlike most of the other large ships I have been on, has no <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/STCW/new-jobsums.htm">boatswain</a>. Which means, that in addition to the normal duties of a Chief Mate, Robert supervises the deck crew and all of the deck operations. When I said that seemed like a lot of work to me, he just shrugged it off, “It’s easy if you’ve got a good crew.” he said. He has been in this business for a long time and my impression is that it would take a lot to rattle Robert’s cage. Which means he is exactly the kind of person you want running the show when the going gets tough. It was nice of him to take the time to explain things and I really enjoyed talking with him.</div><br /><br /><div align="left">And a little about the scientists: <a href="http://www.marine.maine.edu/~wellsm/Homepage.htm" target="new">Mark Wells</a>, (aka Rocket Man since the flare incident ) is the Chief Scientist on this cruise. He is on the faculty of the University of Maine School of Marine Science. Mark grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia and came to the University of Maine to earn his PhD. He left the Darling Center (the marine lab of the University of Maine where I work) shortly before I arrived. Eventually he returned to take a faculty position. A few years back I was looking for a change and Mark needed someone to manage his research lab at the Center, so I took the job. We have been on several cruises together over the years. Mark is a great person to work with and also a great cook, working several years as a sous chef. </div><br /><div align="left">As Chief Scientist on this cruise, Mark has more administrative and organizational duties than he would like and less time than he would like to actually do science. But, one of the perks of being Chief Scientist is that he gets a cabin on the 03 deck next to the Captain, far above the rest of us common folk. </div><br /><div align="left">Mark has been on many research cruises over the years as well as conducting research in Antarctica. When asked what his scariest cruise moment was, he related that once he and another marine scientist were deploying a sampling device on a line over the rail in rough weather. A wave came over the bow and when the ship rolled, a wall of water poured off the 01 deck and over the two men on the rail knocking them off their feet. Mark grabbed the line, hanging on while literally dangling in the air. He was finally able to reach down and grab the rail and pull himself back onto the deck. Fortunately, both men regained their footing and were safe. Even with modern technology and gear, if someone goes overboard in rough seas, it is very difficult to find them. This is why the Captain posts the Heavy Weather rules.<br />But enough oceanography, tomorrow I will be a tourist in Ketchikan!</div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-37075769261637648722007-05-29T18:41:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:49:18.381-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 28: Give Me a Break!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdjWMzsoODaPek69I1j-c1S5YMecHGfBNgNSsv00WEnlTiinlG8WA8Pbagv3rsd2DXfVBhKeDn56HKBXYwfWPhmgxZSlqLSw9AK0jidEm5gzi2-yEAG1JDQsi0kLVcbRZSylD1KCPnJo/s1600-h/KetIceFields3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082595328214020658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdjWMzsoODaPek69I1j-c1S5YMecHGfBNgNSsv00WEnlTiinlG8WA8Pbagv3rsd2DXfVBhKeDn56HKBXYwfWPhmgxZSlqLSw9AK0jidEm5gzi2-yEAG1JDQsi0kLVcbRZSylD1KCPnJo/s320/KetIceFields3.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Ketchikan, Alaska Mountainside. (Photo by Dane Wojcicki)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnSBmuhdt43EUFmaH1br_KmvRxw0i067Q4ooMw2o1DxnmHwjFdqmeYEiK8hBITUnzl7uGRsFx0GsSu_030lrsxkTn0d5bf1kwFz73TeLzGsWzfOvMdZCrPaMCt57dDotNcpr9ERDShT0/s1600-h/KetIceField2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082595255199576610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnSBmuhdt43EUFmaH1br_KmvRxw0i067Q4ooMw2o1DxnmHwjFdqmeYEiK8hBITUnzl7uGRsFx0GsSu_030lrsxkTn0d5bf1kwFz73TeLzGsWzfOvMdZCrPaMCt57dDotNcpr9ERDShT0/s320/KetIceField2.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Ketchikan Ice Fields. (Photo by Dane Wojcicki)<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijgSfzosmDBQV04mEJteYep-txSPtIX0DybxzjWqer80einOa9mJ7ncvWdDEPflqDrsa_FENqBx441WP4K2nhe2qJWNKyRNXwmo7CVtMv1p0AwFqScgCqZTTsPoBOQqmq3-ksQTPgmHg/s1600-h/KetIceFeids.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082595195070034450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijgSfzosmDBQV04mEJteYep-txSPtIX0DybxzjWqer80einOa9mJ7ncvWdDEPflqDrsa_FENqBx441WP4K2nhe2qJWNKyRNXwmo7CVtMv1p0AwFqScgCqZTTsPoBOQqmq3-ksQTPgmHg/s320/KetIceFeids.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The ice fields tower above the town of Ketchikan, Alaska. (Photo by Dane Wojcicki)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxm63EGN7LGnBrpUVrTBftToT6GV2N5MSZZoMZjqC7DMdiYGo-IOrg-2CO77ubujgX8XhxD-HX1HIBaH89rhHgbYVmVZ-JSI5Nt1hg3xasXMmGemJqopsWuiU_8-EToShyphenhyphenR_l7xR5XgE/s1600-h/Bridge2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082595122055590402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxm63EGN7LGnBrpUVrTBftToT6GV2N5MSZZoMZjqC7DMdiYGo-IOrg-2CO77ubujgX8XhxD-HX1HIBaH89rhHgbYVmVZ-JSI5Nt1hg3xasXMmGemJqopsWuiU_8-EToShyphenhyphenR_l7xR5XgE/s320/Bridge2.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The bridge of the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdHfcMYBfybqEc3trcBLXUAoDaqNEjzYqLC6fpUq7Kv9qkivcXMr7C03S8AJE8o66CRnNGiuPYtFLgD-EQsYPK3J1sbr5nNuL2es8tdASsMyqJp1MxkXgBZyh8icQ6eARAMjIUG-dIUg/s1600-h/Bridge1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082595031861277170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdHfcMYBfybqEc3trcBLXUAoDaqNEjzYqLC6fpUq7Kv9qkivcXMr7C03S8AJE8o66CRnNGiuPYtFLgD-EQsYPK3J1sbr5nNuL2es8tdASsMyqJp1MxkXgBZyh8icQ6eARAMjIUG-dIUg/s320/Bridge1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Radar display on the bridge. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (May 28, 2007): I just returned from a science meeting in the main lab where chief scientist Mark Wells confirmed that we will indeed have a day of shore leave in Ketchikan! We will be arriving at about 10 am and will be staying until 9 am the following morning. I am sorry to say that four of the science crew will be leaving the ship in Ketchikan, including Peggy and Charlie. It will be a struggle to keep up with the incubations without them. Peggy is leaving us early to make it to her grandson’s high school graduation in Oregon. </div><br /><div align="left">Peggy and I can both be a little intense when we are working, but all in all the incubation work has been going really well. The only time we ever work together is on cruises, so we can get on each others’ nerves a bit. We both work for Mark Wells, who is based at the University of Maine but also has a lab in Santa Cruz. Peggy is Mark's only employee in Santa Cruz. Before becoming a marine scientist, Peggy worked as a paralegal for many years and was also involved in a women’s production company. She lives in California with her husband, 3 horses, 2 dogs and a cat who rules the house. </div><div align="left"><br />I am very excited about setting foot on Alaskan soil for the first time. I have always wanted to travel to Alaska. We have one day of shore leave and I plan to make the most of it. Terrance, who works in the galley, told us about some hiking trails and I plan to go online when the net is up and check out some web sites. Since it has been so dark and stormy the last few days, our incubation cultures of phytoplankton are growing very slowly (since they are photosynthetic, they require sunlight to grow just like terrestrial plants). This means that our sampling schedule is pushed back, which means that (Yay!) I have a light work load tomorrow! What that means is that all of us in the Wells and Trick labs will be able to spend the afternoon and evening exploring Ketchikan. We are all very grateful that Mark and the Captain are allowing the scientists and crew permission to disembark. After being thrown around the ship for the last 2 ½ days and being unable to even go out on deck, it will be a nice break. Even though the storm has largely dissipated, the ship is still rolling and pitching and walking upright is a bit of a chore. </div><div align="left"><br />I've had some requests for more pictures of the ship and crew, so I've included a couple of the ship here. Unfortunately I'm finding the crew rather camera shy. I'll see what I can do about posting more pictures and details about the ship. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">And since we are on our way to Ketchikan, I have also included some photos that were taken by Dane Wojcicki during our last stop in Ketchikan. Dane is a MFA student at UM in Natural History Film Making and Photography. He is interested in underwater photography and is doing his thesis work on the Atlantic Salmon. Dane took some fantastic shots of the ice fields above Ketchikan and was kind enough to let me post three of them here. </div><div align="left"><br />Click on the link below to track the last reported location of our ship, the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. <a href="http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=KTDQ" target="new">CLICK HERE TO TRACK</a> </div><div align="left"><br />Email comments or questions to:mailto:kathleen.umaine@gmail.com</div></div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-20096192608637367592007-05-28T06:25:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:48:29.585-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 28 pm: Riding the Storm to Ketchikan<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZXaF5NDun7gFG_a1KZCwJiD8AHqQ9ZqtBitOxZzGbgTQQvPh6_PlE3hvZ0HaIfHUfVZVNATekwJ_EqK23x7wcz7sQIxhwrRPsNpKXdB0Ra7fSuIzyiIS2kuS_-G79N9oiA_fMx33z1U/s1600-h/HeavyWeathSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082593043291419106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZXaF5NDun7gFG_a1KZCwJiD8AHqQ9ZqtBitOxZzGbgTQQvPh6_PlE3hvZ0HaIfHUfVZVNATekwJ_EqK23x7wcz7sQIxhwrRPsNpKXdB0Ra7fSuIzyiIS2kuS_-G79N9oiA_fMx33z1U/s320/HeavyWeathSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The ship is operating under heavy weather rules. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwdVKiWPJ6L_qEPaG5qTEHNAFK575yHNT2TJH3Vq9TwIB-caXlk5jsHrL25gSMDlQ3Ne1v4jrX0qAxv3Tij0bojqp52car0q_SHPschyMKbS-1R-ArfkFl8upG3n5ZHqQW7yD0zNWh5I/s1600-h/Heavy+weather.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dmtBhVgtbPGyLu10rb0aj1GsRxopmBFird5MPXn6nsG0Bp0jXy0Cy4wUHBuZEoeIjdc9mzv3bO9F1qOy6fagrNFiZe0MTPHgKGcvFyoT9AeCoGFhj-XAhGfbJw-6k-Ar_MQIiQzWm78/s1600-h/BowStorm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082591222225285570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dmtBhVgtbPGyLu10rb0aj1GsRxopmBFird5MPXn6nsG0Bp0jXy0Cy4wUHBuZEoeIjdc9mzv3bO9F1qOy6fagrNFiZe0MTPHgKGcvFyoT9AeCoGFhj-XAhGfbJw-6k-Ar_MQIiQzWm78/s320/BowStorm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">View from the bridge. Conditions have calmed from last night's 50 mph winds and 18-20-foot seas, but are still formidable. The storm was the result of 2 low pressure systems coming together in the north Pacific; we got out of Station P just in time. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4mQxXlFxgJT2d4NwunVEgiOFtyVymsmcxGsavgKahY0clhBvmtldr1RAaaL_CUEnYUnKhjsB3RlBfDwXpqh6Z8dsnmCIlZF66y14vV3rplneEucftKRa1EPz0Zeje4QO6VZTqQ_19F0/s1600-h/Wave1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082591136325939634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4mQxXlFxgJT2d4NwunVEgiOFtyVymsmcxGsavgKahY0clhBvmtldr1RAaaL_CUEnYUnKhjsB3RlBfDwXpqh6Z8dsnmCIlZF66y14vV3rplneEucftKRa1EPz0Zeje4QO6VZTqQ_19F0/s320/Wave1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">I snapped this shot of the crest of a large wave going by my cabin porthole on the 01 deck (the deck above the main weather deck). (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirow9GLVKineS8wOBR8ISXIxsGQ4SJxxLMTQ9bFhBPtxYjRWcvgOnpEU2Mx9i0ABASIOCQRyWOX422gqgqu5EejOV6VkqEe0SMnE-kVCY3wibxfq5Ghf6Hen_FXLnYudjqiyUhDAxeXCc/s1600-h/Storm2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082591063311495586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirow9GLVKineS8wOBR8ISXIxsGQ4SJxxLMTQ9bFhBPtxYjRWcvgOnpEU2Mx9i0ABASIOCQRyWOX422gqgqu5EejOV6VkqEe0SMnE-kVCY3wibxfq5Ghf6Hen_FXLnYudjqiyUhDAxeXCc/s320/Storm2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The storm is generating some pretty big swells. That, combined with the speed of the ship and the heading we are on, meant that few on board slept well last night. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg994RfZ5ggShc26kIll12iMYl_TNGmKyMWh5hPVr-4jUtKM0N4dDzsKDAeYH5pS4Kz-oy0g16k2aGdkTczxKvcokVKrTEjtzzHf_rJdWQ1HAXQ_xsB1fbekrAGvAZIcHp1FV0_hXW9ZIk/s1600-h/Storm1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082590925872542098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg994RfZ5ggShc26kIll12iMYl_TNGmKyMWh5hPVr-4jUtKM0N4dDzsKDAeYH5pS4Kz-oy0g16k2aGdkTczxKvcokVKrTEjtzzHf_rJdWQ1HAXQ_xsB1fbekrAGvAZIcHp1FV0_hXW9ZIk/s320/Storm1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The ship is rolling so badly that walking is tricky business. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><div align="left">NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (May 28, 2007): The storm caught up with us in the wee hours of the morning. It was a sleepless night for most of the scientists and crew. The ship rolled and pitched continuously, with frequent shudders and the groan of metal on metal. The storm is raging on today. My cabin is on the 01 deck (one of the upper berthing decks) and there are some waves crashing by that look almost as high as the porthole. The storm is huge, covering most of the north Pacific. </div><br /><div align="left">I heard from the Captain at breakfast that the storm will be with us all the way to Ketchikan but shouldn’t get any worse. We have postponed whatever work we could. No one is allowed on the weather decks except for emergencies and then only after notifying the bridge. Everyone going outside must go in pairs and must be wearing life vests.<br /><br />As I am writing this, the seas have calmed a bit, but the ship is still rolling so much that it is an effort to keep my chair upright. In the common areas, it is kind of funny to see everyone walking at an angle but it is the only way to stay upright. After a couple of days of this, we will all be ready for a break in Ketchikan. </div><div align="left"><br />Click on the link below to track the last reported location of our ship, the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. <a href="http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=KTDQ" target="new">CLICK HERE TO TRACK</a> </div><div align="left"><br />Email comments or questions to:mailto:kathleen.umaine@gmail.com</div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-5684933923037338902007-05-28T05:59:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:47:32.197-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 27: Approaching 30-ft Seas; Autographing Al Gore's Head<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGx1wGT9dtSrAV6U5RgZ2Z7GEkozwNjN94kXkwCUex9BmYsJK3M93CD204YWEy_Ha87tJGKHtXBGEk9_nQ_GUfndwxjeFJQ_Rvb4ApmDITcd4QtLnk5kk8Tbeny4-JujoWX_gP0tO8Ixc/s1600-h/GoreNewSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082588464856281474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGx1wGT9dtSrAV6U5RgZ2Z7GEkozwNjN94kXkwCUex9BmYsJK3M93CD204YWEy_Ha87tJGKHtXBGEk9_nQ_GUfndwxjeFJQ_Rvb4ApmDITcd4QtLnk5kk8Tbeny4-JujoWX_gP0tO8Ixc/s320/GoreNewSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The Al Gore Hat (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ9TFj1H1M_bg1QiOAxTbTxsLfLBqBSbaL-Ej4buNCk5kkpLUdNzuRaNUxsBNvRzb5I8vLHUbZM7fyykZPhJcECg09_sprrpIEwVfWX2p8UpmLnAjb5o0zrSER-ld4IspgxdnCvZoD2o/s1600-h/AlGoreHat.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8BIFWH5vPDD3nUkCJj5PbBui6AySUvZ83xOTkCYt6Tm4zB1XTssAsGwfxSzQ9tFh7tAqU8pf3QLADk2f7CUUPV1cY5xsCq6WQ0MFQqTtJBeeVAQk-3lipPHAtu9u60w8-fshxN1Y2a8/s1600-h/path2ketchikan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082584736824668514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8BIFWH5vPDD3nUkCJj5PbBui6AySUvZ83xOTkCYt6Tm4zB1XTssAsGwfxSzQ9tFh7tAqU8pf3QLADk2f7CUUPV1cY5xsCq6WQ0MFQqTtJBeeVAQk-3lipPHAtu9u60w8-fshxN1Y2a8/s320/path2ketchikan.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> As we finally leave PAPA, we have nearly 800 miles of open ocean between us and safe harbor at Ketchikan, Alaska.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOIhZya7Zup8XMDLMuHppuFE87YMvQp2Lng6bBS8eNMUtBr41KGorz-M0plA9NMJ1HeZ-dorjvYw29fQA_3chpOe99uc-bT1Zd7f_oQK7aj0Q2MFi6iWxdJREcHNkzam7J3Z7ABvhPb0/s1600-h/sat_img.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082584590795780434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOIhZya7Zup8XMDLMuHppuFE87YMvQp2Lng6bBS8eNMUtBr41KGorz-M0plA9NMJ1HeZ-dorjvYw29fQA_3chpOe99uc-bT1Zd7f_oQK7aj0Q2MFi6iWxdJREcHNkzam7J3Z7ABvhPb0/s320/sat_img.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">A massive storm dominates the North Pacific and is threatening us with 20-30-ft seas.</span></div><div align="left"><br />OCEAN STATION P, NORTH PACIFIC (May 27, 2007): Things have been incredibly busy for the last two days. This afternoon everyone and his/her brother were in the bubble collecting clean water from the fish so they can finish their experiments and clean up before heading back to Alaska. Peggy and I are starting as many incubations as possible before we leave tonight. The latest we can leave PAPA to make it to Ketchikan in time is 0700 hours tomorrow morning. To make matters worse there is a large storm bearing down on us. We are now waiting for Mark Wells to fill the last of several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboy" target="”new”">carboys</a> with seawater, then the crew can pull the fish back on board and hightail it for Ketchikan. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">I can tell that some of the scientists are a little uneasy and I have to say I am also a little worried about facing a large storm out here at PAPA. We are nearly 800 miles from safe harbor at Ketchikan; a long way from help if we need it. But, I have a lot of confidence in the crew of the Thomspon, I am sure they could get us safely through anything. </div><div align="left"><br />The Dall’s porpoises are still playing around the ship. They are so fast, they pop up in one spot and reappear somewhere else in what appears to me to be a random pattern. I did get some ok video but no stills yet. The wind has picked up an it has started to rain too hard to take my camera out on deck, so no more photos tonight..... </div><div align="left"><br />We are finally underway. I think we are in for a rough night because at this point we can’t outrun the storm, so some time tonight it is going to catch up with us. I have heard that it is the remnant of a typhoon and that we may be in for twenty to thirty foot seas. </div><div align="left"><br />I also recently heard that Bill, the “teacher at sea” is going to turn fifty on this cruise! An occasion we can’t let go unnoticed. </div><div align="left"><br />I was disappointed to find out today that Charlie Trick is leaving us in Ketchikan. Al Gore is visiting the <a href="http://www.uwo.ca/">University of Western Ontario </a>to open a new building and Charlie is facilitating the event. He bought an R/V Thomas G. Thompson hat for Al and asked people to sign it. If the former VP wears it, I will be right next to his temple! </div><div align="left"><br />Click on the link below to track the last reported location of our ship, the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. <a href="http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=KTDQ" target="new">CLICK HERE TO TRACK</a> </div><div align="left"><br />Email comments or questions to:mailto:kathleen.umaine@gmail.com</div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-50652364814636133262007-05-27T19:38:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:46:59.702-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 26: Dall’s Porpoises; Charlie Trick, Superhero Scientist & Renaissance Man<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxD3ViwBcM2puWHlNB7qqZI2l60V0ILgTfvORNBf2shyPldj4t9dB3EfEa3pOKfZ2ZyovU2kpXcPi1IdDGiVt7b8X6Zmh3okgEhAptqBZlAdMAK9Z0F20-1-bdlxohxe9nvdbZmqiDaA/s1600-h/may25morning.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082427592561242434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxD3ViwBcM2puWHlNB7qqZI2l60V0ILgTfvORNBf2shyPldj4t9dB3EfEa3pOKfZ2ZyovU2kpXcPi1IdDGiVt7b8X6Zmh3okgEhAptqBZlAdMAK9Z0F20-1-bdlxohxe9nvdbZmqiDaA/s320/may25morning.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Another sunrise at Ocean Weather Station PAPA (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIx2oBDioxvotET6DOoF5M8JJDoHHCCqoKl5qCOkJBqvRk5arkT7316hUnmm7sxTq7mRwjgCrUSqBh57pd5Mpsynw7O4Zv6jtySg2s70MNubMMVOEXylfTd6HP14IA4ZwQZ-Gh6W0JM4/s1600-h/DaneNatalie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082427223194054962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIx2oBDioxvotET6DOoF5M8JJDoHHCCqoKl5qCOkJBqvRk5arkT7316hUnmm7sxTq7mRwjgCrUSqBh57pd5Mpsynw7O4Zv6jtySg2s70MNubMMVOEXylfTd6HP14IA4ZwQZ-Gh6W0JM4/s320/DaneNatalie.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Dane, a student from UM, joining the cruise to make a documentary film and Natalie, one of Charlie Trick's students enjoy some down time in the main lab. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzhciaw6BxKJUPtUjp8M0j-cmVowmo8g-cO_tE8_00oP7ESzNBixwjOho1ItTmGO_A6gvZyh3NDd8EZkyyGwrAcTtZQbDXJ2KxMpw9huZOaq9piqkSWb958FKprqNAZ_gUBa-7uoFR84/s1600-h/CharlieCTD.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082426858121834786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzhciaw6BxKJUPtUjp8M0j-cmVowmo8g-cO_tE8_00oP7ESzNBixwjOho1ItTmGO_A6gvZyh3NDd8EZkyyGwrAcTtZQbDXJ2KxMpw9huZOaq9piqkSWb958FKprqNAZ_gUBa-7uoFR84/s320/CharlieCTD.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Professor Charlie Trick poses with the CTD sampling unit. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><div align="center"><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbXQr_BJElxBwrdQolrwvwQANydDT2QcjBmyM_GRXl3GtxEFYnnSbcqH66i87qMrNow27Ii3XGS4kJjdYSAUpq0ryDjinPtptffDBX2_vqaNk4usX1euzlb_0-fjWq0dcx0pYyWV_ko4/s1600-h/pn+%26+cylindrothecaSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082425195969491218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbXQr_BJElxBwrdQolrwvwQANydDT2QcjBmyM_GRXl3GtxEFYnnSbcqH66i87qMrNow27Ii3XGS4kJjdYSAUpq0ryDjinPtptffDBX2_vqaNk4usX1euzlb_0-fjWq0dcx0pYyWV_ko4/s320/pn+%26+cylindrothecaSm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The long thin chain of phytoplankton cells at the top of the photo are <em>Pseudo-nitzchia</em>. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Ben Beall)</span></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HIsDQLKM-nuNcOqnYwBnl279FL3aM68eZECjmI9ggZJIhihZ6zDFmHPk6P9beCtu6bZO3T8k2L2CwWuZsxFvQ26mcYlMZPA9LKZxm0tK94pnU-qlKbsTBy_lkgzNtiVqD3sWEUwriEw/s1600-h/Tanker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082424521659625730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HIsDQLKM-nuNcOqnYwBnl279FL3aM68eZECjmI9ggZJIhihZ6zDFmHPk6P9beCtu6bZO3T8k2L2CwWuZsxFvQ26mcYlMZPA9LKZxm0tK94pnU-qlKbsTBy_lkgzNtiVqD3sWEUwriEw/s320/Tanker.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">We see an occasional ship out here. They are mostly container ships or tankers such as this one that passed by yesterday. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMh7hVNX1pmySsn6_NvC_CrY39_uOyAI-IKSPsgrUlACExOkUM8jNNjzcNFEToslhdHMvjK4sji__R0NV0mboRaYx-E9eOid9Y-XDB4VPT2ILBIYwd7o8RXUvhz5oghlR1Ct32C220YU/s1600-h/BlueWater.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082424440055247090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMh7hVNX1pmySsn6_NvC_CrY39_uOyAI-IKSPsgrUlACExOkUM8jNNjzcNFEToslhdHMvjK4sji__R0NV0mboRaYx-E9eOid9Y-XDB4VPT2ILBIYwd7o8RXUvhz5oghlR1Ct32C220YU/s320/BlueWater.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Partly due to the lack of phytoplankton, the water at PAPA is an azure blue. It is also cold! Only</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">40 degrees Fahrenheit. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><div align="left">OCEAN STATION P, NORTH PACIFIC (May 27, 07): We started our first incubations at <a href="http://www.ocean.us/node/462" target="new">PAPA</a> yesterday. The nutrient levels are really high here, but because of the shortage of iron, not much grows in the water. We periodically dip a net over the side to catch phytoplankton. Our net samples show that they are here but none present in large numbers. <a href="http://knox.villagesoup.com/blogs/story.cfm?StoryID=92874" target="new">Pseudo-nitzchia</a> is apparent in the net tow. Partly because of the low numbers of phytoplankton, the water is an azure shade of blue that I have never seen in Maine. It looks a bit like tropical water, though not exactly. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">In the morning a pair of <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/dall-s-porpoise" target="new">Dall’s Porpoises</a> were speeding back and forth along the starboard side of the ship. They have a very distinctive dark gray and white coloration. I wasn’t able to capture a picture of high enough quality for the web. They came back in the afternoon, but I was stuck at the filtration rig and missed them. </div><div align="left"><br />The sun actually poked through the cloud cover for a few minutes, I finished the filtrations in time to step out on deck and watch the gray skies return. I can discern a pattern in the weather at PAPA: fog, mist, clouds, rain, a few rays of sun, a patch of blue sky, fog, mist, clouds, rain, a few rays of sun, a patch of blue sky… Now that I think about it, not so different from May in Maine. Of course without the black flies. And without the trees and the flowers and the green grass. </div><div align="left"><br />It is actually pretty warm out here, surprising for being so far north this time of year. We are at between 50° and 51°N lattitude which on the East Coast is at the top of Newfoundland and the air temperature is still 50-60°F during the day. </div><div align="left"><br />We have basically been going in large circles collecting water for various experiments from the "fish".</div><div align="left"><br />In the afternoon one of the other scientists alerted me to a tanker going by on our port side. I was a little surprised to see another ship out here. But, Robert, the Chief Mate says we aren't that far from the shipping lanes. </div><div align="left"><br />Today, I spent 12 hours in the clean room "bubble". I was setting up the stable isotope experiment that I mentioned earlier. There were some swells and the ship took a few good rolls while I was in there. My bottles and solutions went sliding. It’s a bit of a challenge to pipette a chemical addition into a bottle when it is sliding by like a drink across a bar. </div><div align="left"><br />Also, it’s tiring to be in the bubble all day; there are three huge HEPA filters running all the time which is noisy and with the motion of the ship and the fact that most of the work can’t be done sitting down, a day of work in there can seem like two or three. At least today some other people were in and out, LeAnn and Tracey, and Eric and Morgan were all working at various times in the bubble. Morgan is an undergraduate at UM who is joining us on this cruise and has really helped out a lot. </div><div align="left"><br />The weather is... you guessed it! Overcast, damp, foggy, misty and gray. </div><div align="left"><br /><a href="http://publish.uwo.ca/~cyano/Charlie%27s%20Site/Trick.html" target="new">Charlie Trick</a> is one of the Professors whose lab is participating in this cruise. He grew up in Cuiahoga, Ohio, which he says is famous for having its river catch on fire in 1968. Gotta love the sixties. He is at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. He and <a href="http://www.marine.maine.edu/~wellsm/Homepage.htm" target="new">Mark Wells</a> are the masterminds of the incubation experiments and both have graduate students on the ship.<br />Charlie and I first sailed together several years ago. On that cruise, we were working in the radiation van with <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/iron-59" target="new">radioactive iron-59</a>. He was showing me how to do filtrations of the radioisotope and I was a nervous wreck. I hate working with iron-59. Particularly when the radiation van is rolling. At one point, the hose that carried the isotope waste came loose and the isotope spilled on my boot. Fortunately I was wearing rubber boots. I can remember Charlie on his knees washing off my boots with radiation decontaminant. I think I made him do it three times. </div><div align="left"><br />In addition to being a successful scientist and a great shoeshine, Charlie is an all around good guy. When Peggy and I need an extra hand he is always willing to help out. He was helping me carry the forty or so bottles from the experiment that I set up today out to the incubator on the fantail, when a fire alarm went off. I was pretty sure it was not a real emergency, because the fire alarms on the ship are really sensitive and go off if someone showers without closing the bathroom door. When an alarm goes off, we all go to our cabins, grab our survival gear and muster in the main lab. Charlie said, “Go get your gear!” and grabbed the bucket of bottles that I was carrying. By the time I got my gear and arrived back in the lab, Charlie was already back with his own gear. Somehow he had put my bottles in the incubator, secured it, ran and grabbed his gear from his cabin and made it back to the lab before me which was quite a feat considering that his cabin is next to mine! </div><div align="left"><br />Besides having superhuman speed and being very helpful, Charlie is involved in a lot of really cool research; things you wouldn’t expect an oceanographer to do. He is chair of a program called <a href="http://publish.uwo.ca/~cyano/Charlie%27s%20Site/Ecosystem%20Health.html" target="new">Ecosystem Health</a>. The idea being that human health and ecosystem health are integral. A healthy environment creates healthy people who create a healthy environment. He is involved in projects ranging from mercury contamination studies and developing clean water technology for First Nation (the Canadian equivalent to our term "Native American") tribes to a project in Tanzania that has enabled women there to start a yogurt making business which provides healthy food and income for their families. </div><div align="left"><br />Charlie is not your typical marine scientist, that's for sure. </div><div align="left"><br />Another day down. Most of the time out here I have no idea what day of the week it is because it really doesn’t matter. Every day is the same. So, essentially we work for 30 days straight. And unfortunately, I do not get overtime pay. Instead, I get comp time. I usually take a month off after a cruise. But this year I am thinking maybe the month of August... </div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-27990596359512788142007-05-24T19:28:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:46:18.722-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 24: Circles or Figure Eights?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUGV8REMSLsny8uuu4K64t6zcWLEitM-icpwwkDUlPFLgnCuryeM2NBXCh8cwFnK9wHpQ8j4gS5-vyhiQ2J0SRvSDijZMqaVEsDQRjQ6Lvvv0MXTyOIGBd7D7ynfWDmn6UYZ1LVgw7aU/s1600-h/Fish+line.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082422163722580194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUGV8REMSLsny8uuu4K64t6zcWLEitM-icpwwkDUlPFLgnCuryeM2NBXCh8cwFnK9wHpQ8j4gS5-vyhiQ2J0SRvSDijZMqaVEsDQRjQ6Lvvv0MXTyOIGBd7D7ynfWDmn6UYZ1LVgw7aU/s320/Fish+line.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> We will be collecting lots of sea water from the clean sampling fish during our stay at Station P. This boom holds the sheave for the kevlar sampling line running to the fish.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Mark Wells)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">OCEAN STATION P, NORTH PACIFIC (May 24, 2007): We are at Station P and collecting liters and liters of clean water from the fish for our experiments. The ship is slowly going in large circles. At one point Charlie suggested we do Figure Eights to break up the monotony. For the next day or so we will be in overdrive completing our work at Ocean Station PAPA and then securing the lab and gear for the trip back to Alaska. Depending on the heading, the net can be unreliable while the ship is underway, so it may be a day or two before my next post. We've been told that we will have an afternoon and overnight docked at Ketchikan Harbor. I'm excited to be going ashore in Alaska as I have always wanted to go and never have. </div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-89596259144233172652007-05-24T19:15:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:45:40.291-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 23: Never Trust a Scientist with a Flare Gun<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5ETwvY8flFN7boQh_6CrUig8ljAcpoVLs1xoigRi2wzH8M15hZNB10HmtvzOw5lnwa6TuxCc1ZiQ-nqjvry6oWv4_H8XwLm-ISV_My5RwVYjUSADWw1D0a0p_crU_TKed5mE0zh2mpA/s1600-h/Alb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082398180625199154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5ETwvY8flFN7boQh_6CrUig8ljAcpoVLs1xoigRi2wzH8M15hZNB10HmtvzOw5lnwa6TuxCc1ZiQ-nqjvry6oWv4_H8XwLm-ISV_My5RwVYjUSADWw1D0a0p_crU_TKed5mE0zh2mpA/s320/Alb.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Albatross at Station P. (Photo by Traci Haddock)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dByzGSJBjjrEZ6ixB_kjeDU6tnw6A3m-Dn1yJaruHMeRBo6iZOO3dxuMRuPeYNewk-KpkM7PGngK7BT67yLWg_6cIk3S3euEQkMYySs_domXOM8NekmCBDdlevmRKk1QbYJbkuvLRVI/s1600-h/23May07+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082396131925798946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dByzGSJBjjrEZ6ixB_kjeDU6tnw6A3m-Dn1yJaruHMeRBo6iZOO3dxuMRuPeYNewk-KpkM7PGngK7BT67yLWg_6cIk3S3euEQkMYySs_domXOM8NekmCBDdlevmRKk1QbYJbkuvLRVI/s320/23May07+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Ocean Station PAPA: 50-deg N / 145-deg W; There is a strange fog here, bright but gray. Those who have been here often say it never goes away. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzJkh1f7vRXebKdenj83Gm_8zIyjw4cZrAT88QhXNe4XWY1DXNRr4YYEsk2KVqUrwC1Vxk_F2JdQRqS4HtS-tbTnEyzAlcOcApVfqPO2Gb8KXDIAW8lXBatGk1ORuhD6t4TMgCXN1uns/s1600-h/23May07+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082396007371747346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzJkh1f7vRXebKdenj83Gm_8zIyjw4cZrAT88QhXNe4XWY1DXNRr4YYEsk2KVqUrwC1Vxk_F2JdQRqS4HtS-tbTnEyzAlcOcApVfqPO2Gb8KXDIAW8lXBatGk1ORuhD6t4TMgCXN1uns/s320/23May07+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Some things just don't go well together, like the Chief Scientist and a flare gun. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xfW92_sgpBM/RohBN7NBsAI/AAAAAAAAAHY/-kpdaKw7Ics/s1600-h/23May07+008.jpg"></a><div align="left"><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xfW92_sgpBM/RohBG7NBr_I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/fHvXcB2pu-Q/s1600-h/23May07+007.jpg"></a>OCEAN STATION P, NORTH PACIFIC (May 23, 2007): This morning I tested out a clean filtration rig which I will be using to filter an incubation experiment that I am starting when we get to Station P. I will be adding stable isotopes of iron and copper to sea water samples. Iron isotopes are forms of iron that differ in their molecular weight. Stable isotopes are nonradioactive isotopes. Because their molecular weight is different than the most common form of iron, they can be detected by a sophisticated instrument we have at UM called an ICPMS (<a href="http://web.missouri.edu/~umcreactorweb/pages/ac_icpms1.shtml" target="new">inductively coupled mass spectrometer</a>). I will be binding the 2 stable isotopes of iron to 2 different chemicals. The use of stable isotope analysis will allow me to see if the organisms can utilize the iron bound to these chemicals. The filtration rig uses compressed air to force the sample out of the bottle and through an inline filtration rig, which keeps the sample from being exposed to any contaminants. It is a good thing I tried it out with water first instead of using real samples. There were several leaks and water was squirting everywhere. It looked kind of like the guys that do the Belagio Fountain with Mentos and Diet Coke, only not so pretty. I still have to practice a few more times before the real thing.</div><div align="left"><br />This afternoon, there was a <a href="http://web1.audubon.org/waterbirds/species.php?speciesCode=layalb" target="new">Laysan Albatross</a> soaring back and forth behind the ship. A few times it got pretty close and it was huge. The wingspan is the same as a bald eagle. </div><div align="left"><br />This afternoon there was a bit of excitement. While on the ship, we have weekly training sessions or drills. Today’s drill was on flares and several people got to try shooting off a flare. Unfortunately, something went awry when Chief Scientist Mark Wells stepped to the back of the fantail to shoot off his flare. It hit the A frame and ricocheted back through the crowd of assembled scientists and crew and hit the portable lab that sits on the front of the fantail, burning a hole in the paint. Fortunately the crew were ready with fire extinguishers and no one was hurt, but it took a few seconds for the smoke to clear and for shocked bystanders to regain their composure. </div><div align="left"><br />Tonight we are at <a href="http://www.ocean.us/node/462" target="new">Ocean Weather Station P</a> or PAPA as we call it. It is roughly N50 W 145. About 900 miles from land. There is a strange fog here, bright but gray. Those who have been here often say it never goes away. </div><div align="left"><br />I am glad that we will only be out here for four days. </div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-54684221813865779322007-05-24T18:05:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:44:21.482-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 23: Life Aboard The R/V Thompson<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6obHLUNaisR1Rj1RqpqkPK1_39qAyCb9ScoC7r19CCu7JKv0KkoSQTU74kZr33NjGP3oUZf8F0IUXx-BXPOppdy7VPGbn1q5z2yMzjFqIhHVHwwzTUAY2ZLidB4aGQKt69sSapHRPYJU/s1600-h/thompson1.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083144594401637490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6obHLUNaisR1Rj1RqpqkPK1_39qAyCb9ScoC7r19CCu7JKv0KkoSQTU74kZr33NjGP3oUZf8F0IUXx-BXPOppdy7VPGbn1q5z2yMzjFqIhHVHwwzTUAY2ZLidB4aGQKt69sSapHRPYJU/s320/thompson1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> I took this picture of the Thompson last fall from the work boat. It is included here because I like it.<br />(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /></div><div align="center"><div align="center"><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U7WRbRuo35t8_jnWYrOiug9pz6JalsJAmQUTQWAEvkKOnSQkTjA0fd1af5ibnRl1EXn31_xA3s5VdcymejiaLxAUVJwT_1ZqH02eQn-TYanhVFqvV9-d_VJo9m-FAQMBnoU6wGWOlQE/s1600-h/GalleySm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082406620235935858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U7WRbRuo35t8_jnWYrOiug9pz6JalsJAmQUTQWAEvkKOnSQkTjA0fd1af5ibnRl1EXn31_xA3s5VdcymejiaLxAUVJwT_1ZqH02eQn-TYanhVFqvV9-d_VJo9m-FAQMBnoU6wGWOlQE/s320/GalleySm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The galley (Photo by Bill Caddigan)</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fOsZBVUCrBHwVr3jEL5nA_ZmErd1u9MoPA1hYAoeU8zP52K5cXtgELoxkb2Ljq7AONdjPhAdR8QRwuGn9yZDY7i1kUnSe7rBuY1l7kq6_8Tp-xVMMyhj5i5fYEX8F6yWq6Lu2lyr570/s1600-h/Pam.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082404940903723074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fOsZBVUCrBHwVr3jEL5nA_ZmErd1u9MoPA1hYAoeU8zP52K5cXtgELoxkb2Ljq7AONdjPhAdR8QRwuGn9yZDY7i1kUnSe7rBuY1l7kq6_8Tp-xVMMyhj5i5fYEX8F6yWq6Lu2lyr570/s320/Pam.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Pam, one of the ABs on the Thompson. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (May 23, 2007): One great thing about these cruises is meeting and getting to know the crew. There are some great people on these ships. From what I hear, there is better money to be had on commercial ships, but most of the crew are here because they prefer to be on research vessels. Sort of like me, I could make more money working in a commercial lab, but here I am in the middle of the ocean.<br /><br />One of the crew that I have had he pleasure to sail with a couple of times is Pam, who is an <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-able-seaman.htm" target="new">AB</a>. She grew up in a Pennsylvania mining town. Before she began working on research vessels, she worked on a coal ship in the Great Lakes. She was telling me that one ship she worked on hauled coal on lake Superior to a coal fired power plant. It was 1000 feet long and held 50,000 tons of coal! There were three of these ships that made the trip to that same plant each day to supply a total of 150,000 tons of coal for one day’s power output! Talk about greenhouse gases!<br />Pam and the other ABs keep the ship clean and in good repair. They also operate the ship's cranes and other heavy equipment. She is the only female crew member currently on the Thompson. Pam is up and about early and is always busy. The only time I see her not working is sometimes at night or mid afternoon if we happen to be taking a break at the same time. I like Pam, we always have interesting conversations in the galley and we have had some awesome gripe sessions as well!<br /><br />Speaking of the galley. You may wonder what it is like. It’s like a mini cafeteria with 5 tables. There are special chairs that are weighted on the bottom so they won’t tip. When it is really rough, the tables are covered with plastic mesh that keep everything from sliding off. There are snacks out 24 hours a day and there are soft drinks and juices in the fridge that we can help ourselves to. I have never been on a research cruise that had bad food and this is no exception. It is almost impossible to not gain weight with the combination of tasty food and being confined to the ship. Dan is the Head Steward and he and his crew do a great job with the meals. </div><div align="left"><br />Because of the satellite internet, it is possible to keep in touch with friends and family on land. I have heard stories from the early days of oceanography when researchers were out of touch for an entire cruise. Having the luxury of email is great and it allows for things like this blog.<br /><br />Modern technology also allows anyone that is interested to track the Thompson's course online at <a href="http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=KTDQ" target="new">LINK</a><br /><br />I really miss my dog, though. Becasue even though she is the most intelligent dog ever, she hasn't yet mastered email. I also miss plants; large green plants; something bigger than phytoplankton. Out here there are no flowers, no trees, no lawn, nothing even remotely springlike. The ship is a totally man-made iron and steel environment.<br /><br />I am fortunate in that I have never really gotten seasick. If it is really rough, sometimes I feel a little queasy, but never really sick. There are so many sea going people that get violently ill in rough seas without some sort of medication. I am really glad that I am not one of them. Athough, whenever I make a statement like I just did, someone always says, "Just wait, someday the conditions will be just right and you'll be seasick like the rest of us." It reminds me of a thing that we Mainers do if we get an unexpectedly tolerable day in the winter. If someone says, "What a beautiful day!" Someone else will always pipe up with, "We're gonna pay for it later!" But, I guess I have the luck of the Irish and hopefully it will be with me even when I get hit with that perfect combination of seasickness conditions. </div></div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-83229066232913343192007-05-23T19:12:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:44:59.921-07:00May 22: Twelve Knots for PAPA<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0p3KnQnUv9d06QCLbxSiMZxq0z9Bl7g4rO1Cj-FY9Zp0B1w9MdsHJSmHCb-Y_R1ERFWUH9hNchgDgTenAc-VffQTMoliw6NAOiqIBXji-GpGQ4-Cy_YJt1TUfyxQvD3VYV_nsRY66nI/s1600-h/My+Desk.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082418371266457810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0p3KnQnUv9d06QCLbxSiMZxq0z9Bl7g4rO1Cj-FY9Zp0B1w9MdsHJSmHCb-Y_R1ERFWUH9hNchgDgTenAc-VffQTMoliw6NAOiqIBXji-GpGQ4-Cy_YJt1TUfyxQvD3VYV_nsRY66nI/s320/My+Desk.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">I am fortunate this cruise to have a private cabin with a desk! This is where I write my blog and work on data analysis. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-DNlknahg_kGRIAoKih1k7Q1ettsWGZvfYjRXW1Zkg8jrfI-9O5RJFYe0G5beBTMA58jjt_4hOCazki5AQdZNBpeAMqVipLMiVMbnkUu320-gchvvqGNax6pGFEAHAaYBZNB3IJ-kWY/s1600-h/LeAnn+%26+Traci.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082418152223125698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-DNlknahg_kGRIAoKih1k7Q1ettsWGZvfYjRXW1Zkg8jrfI-9O5RJFYe0G5beBTMA58jjt_4hOCazki5AQdZNBpeAMqVipLMiVMbnkUu320-gchvvqGNax6pGFEAHAaYBZNB3IJ-kWY/s320/LeAnn+%26+Traci.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">LeAnn Pritchard (front) is another Maine native on the cruise. She grew up in Machias. LeAnn and Traci Haddock (behind LeAnn) are students at the University of Rhode Island. Here</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> they are filtering seawater samples. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><p><br />NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (May 22, 2007): We had no incubations to set up or sample today, so it allowed me some time to catch up on data analysis and house keeping. Our clean bubble had gotten a little dirty. I spent some time this morning cleaning it again. As we go further out to sea, the iron content of the sea water becomes much less, such that any little bit of iron contamination could ruin our samples. So, we have to keep the clean bubble extra clean.<br /><br />We are doing about 12 knots steaming for <a href="http://www.ocean.us/node/462" target="new">PAPA station</a>. When we are speeding through swells, you get a sense of weightlessness as the ship falls out from under you, followed by a sensation of instantaneously gaining about 50 pounds as the ship rises again. Walking a straight line is a challenge as your muscles are constantly overcompensating one way or another. It’s kind of like trying to walk a straight line after having way too much to drink. </p><p><br />A few people have disappeared at various times throughout the day, probably to a bout of seasickness or exhaustion. I feel sorry for those on board who never seem to shake the seasickness and spend their entire time at sea looking green around the gills. </p><p><br />The sky is gray and overcast and it has been raining off and on throughout the day. The sea is a monotonous dark blue gray. </p><p><br />Much to my surprise, there are several native Mainers on board besides myself.<br />Bill Caddigan (for Bill’s picture see yesterday’s blog posting) is a teacher from Bethel, Maine who is funded to come along on the cruise and incorporate what he learns here into a curriculum for his students. Check out his web site at <a href="http://www.teacheratsea.mainelearns.org/">http://www.teacheratsea.mainelearns.org/</a>. Bill really seems to be enjoying his time at sea.<br />Eric Roy is a student from UM. For Eric’s picture see my May 12 blog posting. Eric is studying and building sensors that detect chemicals in sea water. He is measuring iron and copper concentrations at the very low levels that are present in seawater on a cutting edge instrument designed and built by a Maine company called Waterville Analytical.<br />LeAnn Pritchard grew up in Machias. She is a student at the University of Rhode Island with Dr. Bethany Jenkins, who is one of the professors on the cruise. She is studying iron uptake mechanisms of diatoms. Diatoms are phytoplankton that have hard shells of silica. LeAnn is a pleasure to go to sea with. She’s really nice, capable, intelligent. She works hard and is conscientious. What more could you ask? Traci Haddock, although not from Maine, is also in the Jenkins lab. As well as working on her own projects, she has been helping us with chlorophyll filtrations now and again when we are swamped.<br />We also have lots of Canadians on this cruise. At least 7 that I can think of, including two of the professors. </p><p><br />Because we are going full speed ahead, most of the scientists had a little time for relaxation during the evening hours. I joined a game of Trivial Pursuit 80s version. It wasn’t a great night for me as it was a Canadian version of the game and I think I must have slept through the 80s, at least concerning politics, movies, television.....</p>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-63663749921697072582007-05-22T18:53:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:42:46.919-07:00May 21: Swirling Eddies and Lullabies<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHGJFizBz1mF4_fR85Yp3czHeNewz0o6UesXfnIdSe3jwwpSCLoEtJZ21RAU_gyoole2K0R1b35Oj_a4m8ZcWeeanTigbqcaWU_69G3jHkdKa7WOts3ZmGO63Y0BCTCcaltDXO2rxH0s/s1600-h/Eddy1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082415089911443634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHGJFizBz1mF4_fR85Yp3czHeNewz0o6UesXfnIdSe3jwwpSCLoEtJZ21RAU_gyoole2K0R1b35Oj_a4m8ZcWeeanTigbqcaWU_69G3jHkdKa7WOts3ZmGO63Y0BCTCcaltDXO2rxH0s/s320/Eddy1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The Haida Eddy seen as a sea surface height anomaly in this satellite image.</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="center"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_kgoaupZunqyhk9tls91OafpuXq1onbEus8lgZBNbbVlIsJA4SSo5R1_9G8amVs7BJlELHCXkPNPLxO3HGqgQlcgZj-QD2TqkMTACAE6ZQH6Wcy75FZJZB7rcmIsvBQaYS-tX0XlXgQ/s1600-h/CTD2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082413681162170530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_kgoaupZunqyhk9tls91OafpuXq1onbEus8lgZBNbbVlIsJA4SSo5R1_9G8amVs7BJlELHCXkPNPLxO3HGqgQlcgZj-QD2TqkMTACAE6ZQH6Wcy75FZJZB7rcmIsvBQaYS-tX0XlXgQ/s320/CTD2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Mark Wells, the Chief Scientist and Bill Caddigan, a teacher from Bethel who is along for some hands on marine science, help repair the CTD. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5UGgRc00NCm8LB4t-HCmZ36AtMPU0dd3LEBG9_Vh8GWC7oYosZrk0UIXwpUH14FqBbTZJrUrEjUcMoU6fSHAXr8qDjzByB2GKGzifwxdY32_MNTV3fK-Mg2O2DD-jpbrNjPdA6vVEKE/s1600-h/CTD+repair.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082413612442693778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5UGgRc00NCm8LB4t-HCmZ36AtMPU0dd3LEBG9_Vh8GWC7oYosZrk0UIXwpUH14FqBbTZJrUrEjUcMoU6fSHAXr8qDjzByB2GKGzifwxdY32_MNTV3fK-Mg2O2DD-jpbrNjPdA6vVEKE/s320/CTD+repair.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Scientists and crew repair the CTD which had a damaged cable. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cEDJqHQa490LV4FeyEFwoMAXndvFBQ1Ffgw34UD3F0BkfFDvr5M3d6m5TVHYW23IK3mRgwjr-uv512HHK4W34f47ddE7-h8KGOBzYlybyhaBfJbrjmgvoTM9wSGU7c7HSiYa5CrCcpE/s1600-h/21Mayam+038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082413487888642178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cEDJqHQa490LV4FeyEFwoMAXndvFBQ1Ffgw34UD3F0BkfFDvr5M3d6m5TVHYW23IK3mRgwjr-uv512HHK4W34f47ddE7-h8KGOBzYlybyhaBfJbrjmgvoTM9wSGU7c7HSiYa5CrCcpE/s320/21Mayam+038.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> A northern fur seal visited the ship throughout the day. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div align="left"><br />QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, BC (May 21, 2007): Today we are checking out an eddy. We are about 25 miles off the coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The eddy is called a Haida eddy and consists of a counterclockwise spinning column of in shore water that has broken away and is moving out into the open ocean. These eddies may be an important phenomenon in the transport of nutrients and organisms to the open ocean. This eddy also gives us an opportunity to see how the in shore organisms caught up in the eddy respond to the changing nutrient levels as they are carried offshore. The eddy is about 70 miles across and 6000 feet deep. We are taking sea water samples and setting up several incubation experiments in the area. The Haida eddies can exist as distinct entities for months or even years. </div><div align="left"><br />I usually take an early morning stroll around the decks; this morning I saw a few <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrel">petrels</a>, but they zip by so fast I couldn’t tell what kind they were. I noticed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulmar">fulmar</a> later in the day. We were visited throughout the day by a <a href="http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=MA0022">northern fur seal</a>, which frolicked in the prop wash and came up to the side of the ship when people were on the rail. By evening, several others had joined in and many of us were lucky enough to watch them rolling and splashing as the pink hues of the setting sun flickered on the waves. </div><div align="left"><br />Another day of incubation set up and sampling ended. We have gotten a lot done in the first few days of the cruise. Tonight we start steaming for Ocean Station P (PAPA). </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">The seas have remained amazingly calm. Tonight as I sit in my bunk writing late into the night, the ship is gently swaying back and forth, with a slow easy rhythm. I can hear the music the night crew is playing in the lab one deck below my cabin, only occasionally discernable above the continuos rumble of the ship. There is something peaceful and secure in the fact that on the ship people are up and about in the middle of the night. In the fact that someone is on watch on the bridge plotting a safe course; that someone is down in the engine room making sure all is well. I feel safe and at ease tonight and the motion of the ship is rocking me to sleep.....</div><div align="left"></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-57088739376720586552007-05-20T19:25:00.000-07:002007-07-07T21:03:06.904-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 19: The Acetone Bubble and the QCs<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjMmy5-VUw7idMbLi00eoTHUF-Ss1XUNofITzHPkLpglh9GYezlbvHnV5wbSXZh2eSUAC-nAhhjYUNqXR_2Hh0eoy3vbXGJivAgKTO0-kDyUlQ0OtH9Wi8j9lT_fakBpTZI1mkNS3fSE/s1600-h/RobSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083512892142237138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjMmy5-VUw7idMbLi00eoTHUF-Ss1XUNofITzHPkLpglh9GYezlbvHnV5wbSXZh2eSUAC-nAhhjYUNqXR_2Hh0eoy3vbXGJivAgKTO0-kDyUlQ0OtH9Wi8j9lT_fakBpTZI1mkNS3fSE/s320/RobSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Rob, the Marine Technician with Bethany Jenkins and Bill Caddigan in the computer lab where the data from the CTD is collected. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIO87VHiQ332qi23Ss-G8lTkG754gD_SgsSuzjIX4QHYjNMVD6yYBIZfNa0g_0vg_uGA0rP2giIY-mcKvOLn8OoEAxt5Kky5UnxhHq80AOXI5Ndo62FRWIhNmbIDpw6aFevY3gDIIlXY/s1600-h/QCSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082053861687013106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIO87VHiQ332qi23Ss-G8lTkG754gD_SgsSuzjIX4QHYjNMVD6yYBIZfNa0g_0vg_uGA0rP2giIY-mcKvOLn8OoEAxt5Kky5UnxhHq80AOXI5Ndo62FRWIhNmbIDpw6aFevY3gDIIlXY/s320/QCSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqXmHv3ZnzoSUnECVvZW_0pReivOD7UDXlDm8z4lDOyB72yIoB6Civha_RxBKp6Y9oYXZaHTo6jFny8VqNazaZxAZYHVcSz60_CKUyaK1r2ccoAIne6GErfMG_kTnM2QV8JF6uyGLCu4/s1600-h/DSC_0229.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Queen Charlotte Islands (Photo by Bill Caddigan)<br /></span><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-mACQBk6tzpZTeplYpp7JxTuEw1KiNaYmRVeUr8jG23nOxoG-JtSYCS3sSKBCW7hBg6jf-OCQ8zQ2RiBDLZMIqVpi-6GI3atIW1abj6BkxyQAarrkHuBtJ4metFxF7VXyrGKiXhM7Ig/s1600-h/CTDSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082052358448459474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-mACQBk6tzpZTeplYpp7JxTuEw1KiNaYmRVeUr8jG23nOxoG-JtSYCS3sSKBCW7hBg6jf-OCQ8zQ2RiBDLZMIqVpi-6GI3atIW1abj6BkxyQAarrkHuBtJ4metFxF7VXyrGKiXhM7Ig/s320/CTDSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Deployment of the CTD (Photo by Bill Caddigan) </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXnv1XH0FiM32I5_q9tTE9tOEk52NY_NjxcumHAOdpVkw0pLLyEmU_9TaLtRfgovw9W5c4_e82UnzH9hiNXlFxSh-wFeFJKD_acm_4iJj7AuZEHR2wJFaRaFtMYUEtlZZkxqnKVco1Q4/s1600-h/CTD1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082050687706181282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXnv1XH0FiM32I5_q9tTE9tOEk52NY_NjxcumHAOdpVkw0pLLyEmU_9TaLtRfgovw9W5c4_e82UnzH9hiNXlFxSh-wFeFJKD_acm_4iJj7AuZEHR2wJFaRaFtMYUEtlZZkxqnKVco1Q4/s320/CTD1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The CTD sits on the deck. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGtAS9V_1o3Xo2e-Rf0JS5gSVhYP3VIpTOdB6ZtV4a4bzbd6KD3bpAuj1HEVadbjXaUSfAm3WJhnkGW2Fn1zRNxlAO2xrxYDYb0CgHovcX9GiQ0Uk2_RnF1jV2WW1z3Mmp_36ESJbGSI/s1600-h/QC1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082050176605073042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGtAS9V_1o3Xo2e-Rf0JS5gSVhYP3VIpTOdB6ZtV4a4bzbd6KD3bpAuj1HEVadbjXaUSfAm3WJhnkGW2Fn1zRNxlAO2xrxYDYb0CgHovcX9GiQ0Uk2_RnF1jV2WW1z3Mmp_36ESJbGSI/s320/QC1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> From a distance, the Queen Charlotte Islands look very volcanic, much like the Hawaiian Islands. </span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="left">QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, BC (May 19, 2007): Peggy and I, with a little help from our friends, sampled 2 of our incubations and measured chlorophyll levels from the samples that we collected yesterday. To keep the extracted chlorophyll samples from degrading while we are processing them, we have to keep them in the dark. So, we build a “black bubble” out of garbage bags, where we do our measurements. It lets in just enough light so you can barely see what you are doing, but not enough to ruin the sample. So, picture yourself stuck in a big black trash bag that smells like acetone (nail polish remover) and you will get an idea of what chlorophyll analysis is like. Peggy and I had 8 hours worth of samples to read in the bubble. Needless to say, without help we would have either succumbed to madness or a close second, boredom </div><br /><div align="left"><br /></div><br /><div align="left">After taking some time this morning to troubleshoot the CTD unit (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth), we are back on schedule just outside the Queen Charlotte Islands. The CTD is a large submersible instrument that collects samples and takes sensor readings at various ocean depths (see picture). The tube-like bottles around the perimeter collect the water samples. They are open as the CTD is lowered over the side of the ship and descends through the water column. When the desired depth is reached they are triggered to close by the technician in the control room in order to capture the water sample. In this way, water can be collected from any depth for analysis in the on-board lab. Besides temperature and salinity, other sensors are also attached to the CTD; this morning we were having trouble with an oxygen sensor. The Thompson has 2 Marine Technicians who work with the scientists and maintain the shipboard science equipment and computers. </div><br /><div align="left"><br />The fog mingled with clouds over the Islands. From my vantage point they looked a lot like the Hawaiian Islands, only covered with evergreens instead of tropical trees.<br />I really can’t get over the fact that it is 10 pm as I write this and the sun is just dipping below the horizon. It was already light when I woke up at 6 am. It makes me think, though, of how dark it must be in the winter time. Again today, we have been fortunate to have calm seas which makes the lab work much easier. </div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-7637330538528198032007-05-19T22:00:00.000-07:002007-07-08T19:25:48.993-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 18 (Part 2): Ketchikan, Alaska<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcuRU0Li4N_pUWEdaRa26gButSkK1gWO0RtEzrGPHmaEYI27Nf62g7F-2KSnQEfFgi7bvM2lw9krtcrxipllAvyVeeo7DR-BIaK3b-3tKuOGOt5J7ruQ-058UzhpSTUrHk5c_EHk23Do/s1600-h/Sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085017496495437442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcuRU0Li4N_pUWEdaRa26gButSkK1gWO0RtEzrGPHmaEYI27Nf62g7F-2KSnQEfFgi7bvM2lw9krtcrxipllAvyVeeo7DR-BIaK3b-3tKuOGOt5J7ruQ-058UzhpSTUrHk5c_EHk23Do/s320/Sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Ketchikan (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7WiEJ1huYHMYE_VIfIUxfxDfUdv9ItiAVA4bsJBWVoQz6msLmHCngEGX7I-RS26uI7CgrYAyTSP-e3sB7P7FZfJPqOmH4l6p3xAvtJDKVFYjGbUfvYEzXhL7zbEqho9SkOpC97-FO4Y/s1600-h/WorkBoat800.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083149331750565010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7WiEJ1huYHMYE_VIfIUxfxDfUdv9ItiAVA4bsJBWVoQz6msLmHCngEGX7I-RS26uI7CgrYAyTSP-e3sB7P7FZfJPqOmH4l6p3xAvtJDKVFYjGbUfvYEzXhL7zbEqho9SkOpC97-FO4Y/s320/WorkBoat800.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Bill Caddigan took this awesome picture of the crew lowering the work boat in Ketchikan.</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEq4zD3V0pqYbKc2KoJUX6oTDlpM6ZxidQHQgKnf3ZYgn05T_nFk4R6n-kJ2P270X-UZHsl44nK1-MabGlQ_HLJTSMBt37dtG2Ze4LvSVVyIN5uNp6U-XnTg_yXKFols2gW5LjIBSsyg/s1600-h/LeavingKet.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082345820678893538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEq4zD3V0pqYbKc2KoJUX6oTDlpM6ZxidQHQgKnf3ZYgn05T_nFk4R6n-kJ2P270X-UZHsl44nK1-MabGlQ_HLJTSMBt37dtG2Ze4LvSVVyIN5uNp6U-XnTg_yXKFols2gW5LjIBSsyg/s320/LeavingKet.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Leaving Ketchikan for the open ocean. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JRO-iizrZK9UxJcRfbCpkLfc8vCJj891znQt9qQkWPuIzTbGNh8K5tl4NvRXvqKM0BYFPRws18bNYEnQliizPsGfaRASHBqdTf8mL8m4kpTPvopRMEDG0NFzUmzUY40WA_9OLrZ2Zx4/s1600-h/PaulLeaving.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082345713304711122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JRO-iizrZK9UxJcRfbCpkLfc8vCJj891znQt9qQkWPuIzTbGNh8K5tl4NvRXvqKM0BYFPRws18bNYEnQliizPsGfaRASHBqdTf8mL8m4kpTPvopRMEDG0NFzUmzUY40WA_9OLrZ2Zx4/s320/PaulLeaving.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The departing First Assistant Engineer, Paul, climbs down to the small boat for the short hop to shore. </span><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zv27s2dxvq26TL8u5yS8ejiyvKD2F8lxlT-b0wF_tlzVLVVpoTIn8AZXreIeInKEpn_B8SofQzNYI7t_IItfaobHtEVIfmZbFAORITPUnHlIdRQJJVIvTVE4_YACrAKXMtQe5hwNxYA/s1600-h/GradsKet.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082345580160724930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zv27s2dxvq26TL8u5yS8ejiyvKD2F8lxlT-b0wF_tlzVLVVpoTIn8AZXreIeInKEpn_B8SofQzNYI7t_IItfaobHtEVIfmZbFAORITPUnHlIdRQJJVIvTVE4_YACrAKXMtQe5hwNxYA/s320/GradsKet.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Graduate students: Natalie, Ben and Bill from Univeristy of Western Ontario and Lisa from the University of Maine. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrazJhEPayH2b-HwaBnj9CBkO4Jq0uB7rvCq6iBqxGR2-UImnqx5WIRf8Kc1c3MM4_vFDaXvMNFtge2N15-0UDUS52eqdCVb-KnkIbx-iUTwsnIJtvpHnZIAmxv8p6CpE8PrKmVCaPII/s1600-h/BoatsKet.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082345404067065778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrazJhEPayH2b-HwaBnj9CBkO4Jq0uB7rvCq6iBqxGR2-UImnqx5WIRf8Kc1c3MM4_vFDaXvMNFtge2N15-0UDUS52eqdCVb-KnkIbx-iUTwsnIJtvpHnZIAmxv8p6CpE8PrKmVCaPII/s320/BoatsKet.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Boats in Ketchikan Harbor (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">CLARENCE STRAIT, BC (May 18, 2007): In Ketchikan we dropped off our First Assistant Engineer Paul (another "Maineiac"), who was flying back to his home in Portland. I have been surprised over the years at how many of the crew of different research vessels actually live in or have relatives in Maine. We also picked up a new <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-able-seaman.htm" target="new">AB</a> and a film maker from the Creative Services department at the University of Maine who is shooting a promotional film for the Department of Marine Sciences. He will be with us until we return to Ketchikan in two weeks. We will have to get used to having a camera wandering about the ship. </div><br /><br /><div align="left">On the way back out of the Strait, a humpback whale surfaced a few times very close to the ship. Just another splash picture for me. </div><br /><div align="left"><br />One of the members of the science crew received the news via email that her father in law had become gravely ill and wasn’t expected to make it through the night. She had only a few hours to decide if she would disembark in Ketchikan or continue with the cruise. Even though her departure would have caused hardship for those left onboard, all were supportive of her decision, whatever she decided to do. It is nice to work with people who have their priorities in order. In the end, with her husband’s insistence that he was ok dealing with the situation alone, she decided to stay. </div><br /><div align="left"><br />This incident though, illustrates one of the realities we face when we go on a cruise like this. Soon we will be a couple of days from land. There will be no way to leave immediately. I think, in the back of our minds, we all worry about something happening while we are at sea and not being able to get home. </div><br /><div align="left"><br />Tonight we are headed back out to the open ocean.</div></div></div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-51025899343730062472007-05-19T19:47:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:40:35.256-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 18 (Part 1): Visiting Ketchikan, Alaska<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnKaqcfH2J3DJNLA7nFVaT2jvnsxRzxeLTwNP7gnsuPmRJvN3YdAaK0G-q95Sxr0QcJo4ckectR40UAa8Y1-EI0dEZxjfjwrmO8LuLd0EOKZE3XtgO5I4vomzW6yJSK4N1772GWdSLqw/s1600-h/SunriseKet1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082059994900311970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnKaqcfH2J3DJNLA7nFVaT2jvnsxRzxeLTwNP7gnsuPmRJvN3YdAaK0G-q95Sxr0QcJo4ckectR40UAa8Y1-EI0dEZxjfjwrmO8LuLd0EOKZE3XtgO5I4vomzW6yJSK4N1772GWdSLqw/s320/SunriseKet1.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Sunrise in the Clarence Strait (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="center"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq26fkGiuP92p5BsCqvpi8SLZpA5Lg0QxoXmvUqja_0184wZSSdwsd052HXW7PhZbODAZH2Fakx6eSRdfpgRfcwL04Le0yON8zK6Zj5GaM7gZZl-zpoYWL-5MJvytwctcJoyYykHPSFI/s1600-h/SunriseKet2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082059621238157202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq26fkGiuP92p5BsCqvpi8SLZpA5Lg0QxoXmvUqja_0184wZSSdwsd052HXW7PhZbODAZH2Fakx6eSRdfpgRfcwL04Le0yON8zK6Zj5GaM7gZZl-zpoYWL-5MJvytwctcJoyYykHPSFI/s320/SunriseKet2.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Snow covered mountains in the early morning light on the way in to Ketchikan </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GCZtot4jikVXikewl03YJuJtFhbLP05lbshVac0Ha_VL0rhRxUO3zk-23yTTx0xolmDqxqxnEPrCeyVFIN4E9FevJArkRE7AR66Iewp21NsgknzwOeM7lWpnGXqUE5HksmwihAW816A/s1600-h/Mine+orTown.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082058736474894194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GCZtot4jikVXikewl03YJuJtFhbLP05lbshVac0Ha_VL0rhRxUO3zk-23yTTx0xolmDqxqxnEPrCeyVFIN4E9FevJArkRE7AR66Iewp21NsgknzwOeM7lWpnGXqUE5HksmwihAW816A/s320/Mine+orTown.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">I snapped this shot on the way to Ketchikan. Not exactly sure if this is a mine encampment or a very small town. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><div align="center"><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKejyOaigkM2aA0l4t-6j-DLzrcT78SJP-PjFxHJ-tLJPmcKwy-pT_61pLxossr_ypao_ybG9SNSjxsbvsSp2_sr5Ls0qIwgtCmOAy_KGpwY4E70K0ZNiU-Td6kzWKroRixcT6m2G-Fw/s1600-h/SeaPlanelanding.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082057177401765698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKejyOaigkM2aA0l4t-6j-DLzrcT78SJP-PjFxHJ-tLJPmcKwy-pT_61pLxossr_ypao_ybG9SNSjxsbvsSp2_sr5Ls0qIwgtCmOAy_KGpwY4E70K0ZNiU-Td6kzWKroRixcT6m2G-Fw/s320/SeaPlanelanding.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Sea Planes were continuously taking off from and landing in Ketchikan Harbor. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><div align="center"><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKz99gLvvk6Fcmz-JCeIBjkN_bJSO0RiB1JGkRRcfl2S8lC1c4B3sAmvTUqaFuuDdbFxpR7xT8a5BlEh55KiJLIcUEC9k5MJo_2llh2B23xXLCkm2uk3a3Cx1ZImffKl3i_PmkeELKaM/s1600-h/BoatsKet.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082056704955363122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKz99gLvvk6Fcmz-JCeIBjkN_bJSO0RiB1JGkRRcfl2S8lC1c4B3sAmvTUqaFuuDdbFxpR7xT8a5BlEh55KiJLIcUEC9k5MJo_2llh2B23xXLCkm2uk3a3Cx1ZImffKl3i_PmkeELKaM/s320/BoatsKet.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Boats moored in Ketchican harbor (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWYXfssHu3DopAzlhYkd9C2dzBEU2O20rLUfUdPesqi5hvkziayhYrJeggrLwTAPrAKUsB4x50dxQwu0Z9AdaoMEGwEUSyjl9OLX6VQq8eKUbtq7KQYx3olJxgBWo5OmvYaBc0gKRiUM/s1600-h/Ket1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082056348473077538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWYXfssHu3DopAzlhYkd9C2dzBEU2O20rLUfUdPesqi5hvkziayhYrJeggrLwTAPrAKUsB4x50dxQwu0Z9AdaoMEGwEUSyjl9OLX6VQq8eKUbtq7KQYx3olJxgBWo5OmvYaBc0gKRiUM/s320/Ket1.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Ketchikan, AK has the look of an Alpine Village. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAvJJl_kTiPUafK-sbC7K6EA2aiqZsau32TZdIeCUOgGBsVo4Y1nRFWh61TmhaefxmQCXgCzexrEKhq3dJZwqgpQeILG_OnQoNDyqaMbPdX_qjcmJ9PDBdOkxYi3ttqqQMERVf7LTCVA/s1600-h/CoastGuard.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082056060710268690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAvJJl_kTiPUafK-sbC7K6EA2aiqZsau32TZdIeCUOgGBsVo4Y1nRFWh61TmhaefxmQCXgCzexrEKhq3dJZwqgpQeILG_OnQoNDyqaMbPdX_qjcmJ9PDBdOkxYi3ttqqQMERVf7LTCVA/s320/CoastGuard.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">A Motor Lifeboat from USCG Station Ketchikan. (Photo by Kathy Hardy) </span><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZkO3CE1OTzZCdCY4GpYnXCUTgHwHOOZtQxvMGhu7KmVxQ0pSXXGjTyFwHudcgC7DTznWFDHWMH0bH7WMJUROtZ8Z5PPz1bReaAEocaxvINXCXpUfOJYBmvOHY5LgKRRI01nQf9TLEOY/s1600-h/cruiseship.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082055760062557954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZkO3CE1OTzZCdCY4GpYnXCUTgHwHOOZtQxvMGhu7KmVxQ0pSXXGjTyFwHudcgC7DTznWFDHWMH0bH7WMJUROtZ8Z5PPz1bReaAEocaxvINXCXpUfOJYBmvOHY5LgKRRI01nQf9TLEOY/s320/cruiseship.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">One of the cruise ships at anchor in Ketchikan. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">CLARENCE STRAIT, BC (May 18, 2007): I woke up early this morning and snapped some pictures as we entered the Clarence Strait on our way to Ketchikan, Alaska. It was just after sunrise and there were very few people about the decks. It was cold with a wintry wind. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">The scenery became more dramatic as we wound our way up the Strait to Ketchikan. Snow covered mountains towered over the tiny town, contrasting with the new spring leaves on the shore side trees. Three cruise ships sat at anchor in the harbor and there was a constant roar of seaplanes taking off and landing on either side of our ship. Bald eagles soared overhead and disappeared into the evergreen covered hills. If you ignore the jagged mountain peaks behind them, the hills surrounding Ketchikan actually look a lot like western Maine. </div><div align="left"><br />Ketchikan is a cute little town that kind of reminds me of a village in the Italian Alps. There is also a cute little ferry that takes people and vehicles from the town across the channel to the airport which looked to me to be only a few hundred feet. </div></div></div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-59508098493263130252007-05-18T18:58:00.000-07:002007-07-13T19:32:27.771-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 17: I don't feel so good.....<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5g-2dEp0OZRHyNn0oymue9YR0x0b2bqG1YIqCxr6P5McG9QBx4MG2tLyA1pSjp_we3MCSnk1qgjfD-7gO5r6SIL5CwM6Q4uifKfONxDe6peWHBhMJ9Vam2-YmZOqDebNIvKDwyrbibE/s1600-h/Sunset2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082047157243063938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5g-2dEp0OZRHyNn0oymue9YR0x0b2bqG1YIqCxr6P5McG9QBx4MG2tLyA1pSjp_we3MCSnk1qgjfD-7gO5r6SIL5CwM6Q4uifKfONxDe6peWHBhMJ9Vam2-YmZOqDebNIvKDwyrbibE/s320/Sunset2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">At 54 degrees north latitude, sunset was at about 9:30 pm. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="center"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpCDF0phYX-T2mNdn3lDumk02b2VUabLsNwDPvv0TfNz8TH9XUkaq-XPK8hC8qB4hJnmAC4hjuRSMUKHiUpeT4olepfnb-uApUqsbUNvI3dN7x7NzupR-GNWnJyV8zoIynbgBHwfQKgY/s1600-h/Sunset1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082047088523587186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpCDF0phYX-T2mNdn3lDumk02b2VUabLsNwDPvv0TfNz8TH9XUkaq-XPK8hC8qB4hJnmAC4hjuRSMUKHiUpeT4olepfnb-uApUqsbUNvI3dN7x7NzupR-GNWnJyV8zoIynbgBHwfQKgY/s320/Sunset1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Not only was the sunset late, but it lasted for a very long time. Even an hour after the sun set below the horizon, the western sky still had a faint glow of dying sunlight. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXm594YQRjLQTTZiU_uQgVAr7V5EwdUzsj6KcZOfWH1qtZtr0ggSSPrqm3swYz8-H9NO704kxQglK5HTfjrMxxrUa93zPH9IA-8IHoyxOFG_fNxuP6BzA6Hdy4WhFR1WKPpgXD2O43Go/s1600-h/WhaleWatching.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082046225235160674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXm594YQRjLQTTZiU_uQgVAr7V5EwdUzsj6KcZOfWH1qtZtr0ggSSPrqm3swYz8-H9NO704kxQglK5HTfjrMxxrUa93zPH9IA-8IHoyxOFG_fNxuP6BzA6Hdy4WhFR1WKPpgXD2O43Go/s320/WhaleWatching.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Some of the science crew watching a pod of humpback whales frolic in the distance.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1Tk3hPTPKyvvIPmRFqEo2rkqw8c6fiTohaGoytx9iNRbz9LttFMcVRn_vmV-dUfUGG8UDwFDSsRnrfSW_aFyz7VQXKZo4r61iu8lOmffZSDAoxxt6_Xq4YADu4puV6HMdWw7P7kdd3g/s1600-h/NoNameIsland.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082045864457907794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1Tk3hPTPKyvvIPmRFqEo2rkqw8c6fiTohaGoytx9iNRbz9LttFMcVRn_vmV-dUfUGG8UDwFDSsRnrfSW_aFyz7VQXKZo4r61iu8lOmffZSDAoxxt6_Xq4YADu4puV6HMdWw7P7kdd3g/s320/NoNameIsland.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">One of the smaller islands north of the Queen Charlotte Islands. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy) </div></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rxRiCSWDW_JMOPUX54liV5JxGbkMJMX2bojHJnNe3P5FKaytyDmHma8uLN57e8-neKkXEcbVASnHbARfqgRdmsiEWTvUkDkpC58QkYZONl08Ku7FUzn-_oShWiMvpxz82jMNQ7EBNkg/s1600-h/SeaOrSky.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082045301817192002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rxRiCSWDW_JMOPUX54liV5JxGbkMJMX2bojHJnNe3P5FKaytyDmHma8uLN57e8-neKkXEcbVASnHbARfqgRdmsiEWTvUkDkpC58QkYZONl08Ku7FUzn-_oShWiMvpxz82jMNQ7EBNkg/s320/SeaOrSky.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> For most of the day there was a bright gray haze over a bright gray ocean. It was sometimes hard to discern the horizon line between ocean and sky. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdie-DGbvp2nVNoY715roZu2mSZtsrz0jCldRm40vjxv07ICQZCkqAnTviXFOXMXbetMrWKCP-bAfQmaKSEQ6AeiEckDBwT_bfCyNshPdabfgGM8F3-qDoSx8-izsoV-VRKjAWG53-y8/s1600-h/Birds.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082044777831181874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdie-DGbvp2nVNoY715roZu2mSZtsrz0jCldRm40vjxv07ICQZCkqAnTviXFOXMXbetMrWKCP-bAfQmaKSEQ6AeiEckDBwT_bfCyNshPdabfgGM8F3-qDoSx8-izsoV-VRKjAWG53-y8/s320/Birds.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> This flock of seabirds flew away as the ship approached them near the Queen Charlotte Islands off British Columbia. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWt_WZpX0M3ZKxc5tApme-DZyqf9gX1WFBsTQafv1wMFqylBviFxD3IgtD6F_H0XOd3HwPnrjIiyU_eX2QZZCseXDDBbf3ggjzKKPVZxKz3Xm6TImID_a2zxPpSpbAZoshk9F5rkybK0I/s1600-h/GrahamIsland.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082044026211905058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWt_WZpX0M3ZKxc5tApme-DZyqf9gX1WFBsTQafv1wMFqylBviFxD3IgtD6F_H0XOd3HwPnrjIiyU_eX2QZZCseXDDBbf3ggjzKKPVZxKz3Xm6TImID_a2zxPpSpbAZoshk9F5rkybK0I/s320/GrahamIsland.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Buy the lot for your vacation home now-for cheap! Graham Island shrouded in mist. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="left">QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, BC (May 17, 2007): Well, it was bound to happen. Despite all of my precautions, the cruise ship virus got me. I went down to the lab yesterday morning and was there just long enough for a coworker to tell me that I looked like crap before I had to sprint up to my cabin to the bathroom. I spent yesterday in my cabin sick as a dog. I won’t give you the nasty details, but believe me, it was nasty. I am glad that I am not on a cruise ship, because I would be really upset if I had paid a lot of money to spend yesterday the way I spent it. Captain Phil Smith came by to check on me and give me some Gatorade. He has been making the rounds visiting the sick, handing out Gatorade and Pepto. And Peggy and Lisa, two of my lab mates, brought me some soup and crackers. By evening I was feeling quite a bit better. Today, I feel pretty good, but am tired. Mark Wells, the Chief Scientist is down with the virus today. It seems like everyone is taking their turn.<br /><br />Today Peggy and I filtered the samples from one of our bottle incubation experiments. We filter each sample through 2 different size filters. One catches just about every living thing in the sample with its small pore size and the other catches the larger phytoplankton. After we have the critters on the filters, then we put the filters in a glass tube and add acetone. This extracts all of the chlorophyll. Then they sit in the freezer for 24 hours, after which, we measure the amount of chlorophyll extracted from each filter with an instrument called a fluorometer. The amount of chlorophyll indicates the level of growth of the phytoplankton. If we see a lot of chlorophyll, it means the phytoplankton liked the chemicals we added to the seawater and grew well; conversely, if chlorophyll levels drop, then we know that the treatment we added inhibited growth.<br /><br />For most of the day there was a bright gray haze over a bright gray ocean. It was sometimes hard to discern the horizon line between ocean and sky. The sea has been very still. It is a good day for spotting albatross and whales because the calm waters allow us to see long distances across the water. I have seen a couple of far away spouts which I think were humpback whales and a black footed albatross.<br /><br />This morning we were near Graham Island, one of the Queen Charlotte Islands, where Charlie Trick, one of the lead scientists and a resident of Canada, says ocean front real estate is really cheap. Coming from Maine, I find that shocking, but probably true, given the fact that it is almost impossible to get to Graham Island. Mostly, the island was covered with mist and clouds, but occasionally they would drift away to reveal a dramatic landscape of steep mountain slopes and small hills covered with evergreens. Seems to me like a great place to get away from it all.<br /><br />As the afternoon wore on, the haze covering sky and sea took on a blue hue. After dinner the skies cleared.<br /><br />PM: We were lucky just before sunset to come upon a pod of humpback whales. They were a bit far away, but there were a lot of them. One photo I snapped had 3 spouts and 2 dorsal fins in one picture! Of course, they are so small that it would take some effort on my part to convince you that they were actually whale backs and not floating logs. I had given up trying to get whale pictures a couple of years ago after returning home with lots of pictures of splashing water and open ocean. But I have taken up my camera again in hopes of getting a whale shot for this blog. So far all I have to show are a few Loch Ness monster type shots.<br /><br />The sunset tonight was beautiful. Right now we are near Porcher Island and are at about 54° degrees north and because of the high latitude the sunset was around 9:30 pm and lasted forever. Even an hour after sunset there was still some lingering light in the west.<br /><br />Tomorrow morning we will send a small boat in to Ketchikan, Alaska to drop off our First Assistant Engineer and pick up a film maker from the University of Maine who is going to make a short film about the cruise. They say he is bringing a high def camera. I hope he brought some makeup too. Of all the situations I find myself in, I would have to say, being on a research cruise is one of the last places I would want to be filmed in high def! Although I did come prepared with the latest in 2007 cruise chic.</div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-60499239801637422452007-05-16T17:47:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:35:54.059-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 15: The Fish, the Norwalk and the Albatross<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SJMlI-YRotmCEliGJdG2PpWi4mMymN6Vkj_ae2krxrZ1zWUC6vEPkqD2K_ejl0DdXQpOMODauJE0CEI7hFTMFNpXHGRimLXQ5VZH9HmIRoaoeXkycGjt8c7OkoUplPjbnuGeDYaJpOM/s1600-h/WatchuLookinAtSm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081659828502375954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SJMlI-YRotmCEliGJdG2PpWi4mMymN6Vkj_ae2krxrZ1zWUC6vEPkqD2K_ejl0DdXQpOMODauJE0CEI7hFTMFNpXHGRimLXQ5VZH9HmIRoaoeXkycGjt8c7OkoUplPjbnuGeDYaJpOM/s320/WatchuLookinAtSm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Cruise chic, fall 2006. (Photo by Denis Costello)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4jgBQomrORIAXnxBcGYSsZM3AmjD207eK_QOOFF7VbZnhb_g7_pqzd4sDQjgmxbIsdtJZLGDiJbZ9DSHSlVAmmdrKywepLLJui1_K_xQSQG7A7k9tAek_dgVRqo2MoaQegTRF8Lnzl8/s1600-h/Fish+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081313224641588690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4jgBQomrORIAXnxBcGYSsZM3AmjD207eK_QOOFF7VbZnhb_g7_pqzd4sDQjgmxbIsdtJZLGDiJbZ9DSHSlVAmmdrKywepLLJui1_K_xQSQG7A7k9tAek_dgVRqo2MoaQegTRF8Lnzl8/s320/Fish+1.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The iron sampling "fish". (Photo by Denis Costello)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoQisSHs0Iq8xusSUePC1XYF6Lrx_OIR4lT-GV3QW1LXEI1RQZs2nHWAEDyfjxt6HH6UQeBUNfL_akxJywfdNhk0jp0iKAA1Z6ckhcgr9r1b1KT1Pyfqdp0_76YZpQJDCgKkOqX5G0QI/s1600-h/MeFish.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081311163057286594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoQisSHs0Iq8xusSUePC1XYF6Lrx_OIR4lT-GV3QW1LXEI1RQZs2nHWAEDyfjxt6HH6UQeBUNfL_akxJywfdNhk0jp0iKAA1Z6ckhcgr9r1b1KT1Pyfqdp0_76YZpQJDCgKkOqX5G0QI/s320/MeFish.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Putting the iron sampling fish in the water. Here I am with the Kevlar wrapped Teflon line that carries clean water to the lab from the fish. I am holding the line taught while it is being tied off. (Photo by Jen Boehme)</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2h2KtNTLthDmgTj1laTzvzD6snZXyl4VR80bUZGtckBBWIxVDb4f58i76XJoEe-UgYru15IfpweA-g9LpMXfDI2SsdcFmCWzcCijTaYbxE0n0nIOiNi200-zpNnOeBW_yoT41bEOFRA/s1600-h/EricBenCRMay15.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081310682020949426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2h2KtNTLthDmgTj1laTzvzD6snZXyl4VR80bUZGtckBBWIxVDb4f58i76XJoEe-UgYru15IfpweA-g9LpMXfDI2SsdcFmCWzcCijTaYbxE0n0nIOiNi200-zpNnOeBW_yoT41bEOFRA/s320/EricBenCRMay15.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Ben and Eric (2 graduate students participating in the cruise) put up a HEPA filter in the clean room or 'bubble' as we call it. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></span><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUCmyWLF4tCB8WAlR9HfwnF_XxqpAqcy15Q4vU0VIUVzmbbWGLly62FxYX4BDsNGKdGmVabEWAsX8vnwCQLUfu0WQmmPMqcqyM-7nxzitB3ex8HYVt7thti79Oj5xSZb4aOIVHCt6KSU/s1600-h/MeCRmAY15.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081309548149583266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUCmyWLF4tCB8WAlR9HfwnF_XxqpAqcy15Q4vU0VIUVzmbbWGLly62FxYX4BDsNGKdGmVabEWAsX8vnwCQLUfu0WQmmPMqcqyM-7nxzitB3ex8HYVt7thti79Oj5xSZb4aOIVHCt6KSU/s320/MeCRmAY15.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Here I am in the bubble filling bottles for an incubation experiment. We have to wear the Tyvek coats and gloves to prevent contaminants from entering our samples. (Photo by Jen Boehme)</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YAExG-czwdKTz9VYWeDuShjgi59EsBVPg4CD4jspcdWeqPj6y4DDK2TAiRWv_8IJq8QZ19naAb6bMlLcLn6ghAWgcFeNvdvS-2V_Ct5AnVrtsln3eLuuip7xeigvngyawdT47Klstm4/s1600-h/DeckIncubators.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081309127242788242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YAExG-czwdKTz9VYWeDuShjgi59EsBVPg4CD4jspcdWeqPj6y4DDK2TAiRWv_8IJq8QZ19naAb6bMlLcLn6ghAWgcFeNvdvS-2V_Ct5AnVrtsln3eLuuip7xeigvngyawdT47Klstm4/s320/DeckIncubators.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">These are two of our on deck incubators which hold our bottle samples.</span> </div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="left">NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (May 18, 2007): Yesterday we started 3 incubation experiments using sea water collected with a metal-free collection system which we call “the fish” because it is towed alongside the ship from the end of a boom and it looks somewhat like a fish swimming along next to the ship. We added the collected water to clear bottles and then added various nutrients and chemicals to see how they effect the growth of the critters in the sample. </div><br /><br /><div align="left"><br />All of these experiments are set up in a make shift clean room. We basically take one of the ship board labs and cover every surface with plastic. Then we install <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA">HEPA </a>filters which filter all of the incoming air and create a positive pressure in the room. This prevents dust particles from contaminating our samples with metals. There’s a lot of iron in one little dust particle, enough to ruin our experiments. After the bottle samples are prepared, we take them out to the deck where they sit in plexiglass incubators which are cooled continually with sea water to maintain ambient temperatures. The clear bottles allow the sunlight through to the organisms growing inside. After a few days, we will collect and analyze the samples.<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="left">Many people on board are sick right now. My estimate is that a third of the crew and scientists didn’t show up for lunch today. The Captain thinks we have a <a href="http://www.dhpe.org/infect/norwalk.html" target="”new”">Norwalk virus</a> lurking on board. Norwalk is the “cruise ship” virus which causes an unpleasant and violent combination of throwing up and diarrhea. The crew is scrubbing everything down and we are advised to be extremely careful about washing hands. I have never experienced an illness like this going through a ship. It is a bit unnerving, like being locked in a large house with 30 highly-contagious people. From what I hear, it should only last a couple of days. Coincidentally, as I write this, I can hear the sound of some one being sick in a nearby bathroom. Like I said, a little unnerving... </div><div align="left"><br />Yesterday I saw a <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Black-footed_Albatross.html" target="”new”">black footed albatross</a>. Albatross, along with the <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Fulmar.html" target="”new”">fulmars</a> and <a href="http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/seabird_foragefish/seabirds/index.html" target="”new”">shearwaters</a> are birds of the open ocean. Albatross spend almost all of their life at sea and only come to shore to nest. In fact, young albatross spend years at sea before they nest for the first time.<br />Seeing these birds is one of the benefits of these cruises. The one I watched yesterday glided just above the waves, I watched for about 5 minutes and never saw him flap his wings. Albatross skim close to the ocean surface to take advantage of the difference in air pressure caused by wind blowing across the surface of the ocean. Because the air next to the water moves slower due to drag exerted on the air by the water, it creates a pressure build up near the air water interface. This higher pressure at the surface allows the albatross to fly without flapping his wings! The faster the wind speed, the easier it is for them to fly. It is an amazing thing to watch an albatross use its 7-foot wing span to glide across the surface of the ocean.<br />The albatross is designed for the open ocean and rides the waves with seemingly effortless ease. Although to live at sea we require tons of machinery and fuel and the expertise of the crew of the ship; we too have become, at least temporarily, creatures of the open ocean. </div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-45629652545073773842007-05-14T17:47:00.000-07:002007-07-07T20:36:28.527-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 13: We're Back! Got Any Twinkies?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uKw1inXIRekiGh0yTH4951wPRu9-dDiI5CD0Ym076CqpY58vStkKL_iQz_7NVTMbsiammuUplSizbmLm5cNDZN3Y11bZQNVyfbxELzpJnncOXT7wMx74FEGYb4rflMLzh-WfR_xyR3o/s1600-h/IMG_0807.JPG"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnnauDy9_3-ida_ghR5bjKgW2f9EzGffGdsWJYflUNzW2vEw4gd9q2izkMcPyykNIGMIUMc6U6NoZpKgH2m9VQ3Z5j4Prih1asWXVcEZRBumpOd3LfScDQXmUtLTyFxQuo-YUK7k08TA/s1600-h/IMG_0808.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081304020526673266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnnauDy9_3-ida_ghR5bjKgW2f9EzGffGdsWJYflUNzW2vEw4gd9q2izkMcPyykNIGMIUMc6U6NoZpKgH2m9VQ3Z5j4Prih1asWXVcEZRBumpOd3LfScDQXmUtLTyFxQuo-YUK7k08TA/s320/IMG_0808.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGLU4amppmt7-TVJWc3dQlzT-Pqcln67P-PsnebEwZBDlkXDqSrLy9imqppuloCWTiTUILhi36gChCg8Lw44MBBrzJB9CnjvLdPt3qYkAHNUEFve1c63xmMh-hCMsAXkU4aLsNMCGPdU/s1600-h/DSC00629.JPG"></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Wells group has been on three cruises on the Thompson within the past 12 months. This photo of Mark and I going out in the small boat to collect sea water samples is from last September. We analyzed the water samples for iron. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Denis Costello)<br /></div></span><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div>VANCOUVER ISLAND COASTAL WATERS (May 17, 2007): Today I unpacked some of my equipment and prepared for our first set of experiments which will be looking at the uptake of iron by bacteria and phytoplankton. Why does it matter? Iron chemistry in seawater is really complex; I don’t think anyone understands it completely. But the toxicity of blooms (a bloom is a large increase in numbers, like what happens when we have a red tide on the coast of Maine) of Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms seems to be related to 1) the level of iron in the seawater and 2) what form the iron is in. You may have heard about the recent toxic “algal” bloom in California. That was the very same Pseudo-nitzschia.<br /><br />Iron in seawater is, in a sense, sticky, in that it gets attached to different organic materials, (dead phytoplankton debris and various other forms of dead stuff along with chemicals purposefully given off by bacteria and phytoplankton ). Some bacteria and phytoplankton can “unglue” the iron from this organic sticky trap and others cannot. The ones that can, get to the iron first. The early bird gets the worm sort of thing. </div><br /><div><br />Why do they want it? Because, despite the thousands of rusty ships out here, iron is in short supply. In fact without iron, it doesn’t matter how much other food or nutrients there are, these little phytoplankton can’t grow. It’s kind of like having a lifetime supply of <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17303919/site/newsweek/">Twinkies</a>, but nothing else. It wouldn’t matter how many Twinkies you ate, eventually you be starving for nutrients that Twinkies can’t supply. Which, to my knowledge would be most of them. But, enough with the science! </div><br /><div><br />It was raw and cold this morning as we began our trek north along the coast of <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ulyssesguides.com/loa/bc/vancgulf/maps/vancouver-island.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ulyssesguides.com/loa/bc/vancgulf/vancgulf.htm&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;h=485&w=850&sz=94&tbnid=Q20YCP9d4mRFXM:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;tbnh=83&tbnw=145&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvancouver%2Bisland%26um%3D1&start=3&ei=H3WORqquDYyQeszaubwK&sig2=65g3rYCpGJz8VHr5ud68pg&sa=X&oi=images&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=image&cd=3">Vancouver</a> Island. We are about 10 miles out. Unfortunately, the clouds and fog have hidden the mountains most of the day. Even so, I can occasionally catch a glimpse of a peak which appears to rise straight out of the sea with no surrounding lowlands. As if one submerged Mount Katahdin half-way into the sea. Covered in the fog and mists, these hills have an otherworldly appearance. No whales today and not many seabirds. Although, to be honest, I haven’t had much time to look. </div><div></div><div>It is interesting to be back on the Thompson so soon, as we were out here on another cruise just last September and October and before that some of our group were out on the Thomopson last May. I am beginning to feel like this ship is my home away from home. It is nice to see a few new faces this cruise. </div><div><br />Well, I guess it is time to get back to work.</div></div></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242897643198891764.post-25137243044243935202007-05-12T17:47:00.000-07:002007-07-13T19:28:22.512-07:00Cruise Log ~ May 12: R/V Thompson Leaving Seattle<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3afKHbkVQPtIRqmrFCR8ZuCK58u2m-pWvbld0ajvfYtFhreVRGsqxF2wcOwcE0zHuiEHnauQMBdiZVP0dgpSogPIbP2IYxhEXXZwpwWWvzN-mKDCq9Fhdosjaq77AiBVQGGE4kvIUkc/s1600-h/12MAY2007+103Sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086873260227111394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3afKHbkVQPtIRqmrFCR8ZuCK58u2m-pWvbld0ajvfYtFhreVRGsqxF2wcOwcE0zHuiEHnauQMBdiZVP0dgpSogPIbP2IYxhEXXZwpwWWvzN-mKDCq9Fhdosjaq77AiBVQGGE4kvIUkc/s320/12MAY2007+103Sm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">The Thompson passing through one of several drawbridges leaving UW. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9h0W4Pw3A8cRdmm4VEpZ9Y-4PCdBp6bt6Cp7N5hDJ_TYI_gKgw9GCoJG92nraXplLreLEepW9WXu6eiEA1T-ZOVZsRMDckKTnP38t0x6mGWHO2_hrZdq1nXavjQTSuLBq0RNWkkeje-U/s1600-h/LocksSm2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083530321119524354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9h0W4Pw3A8cRdmm4VEpZ9Y-4PCdBp6bt6Cp7N5hDJ_TYI_gKgw9GCoJG92nraXplLreLEepW9WXu6eiEA1T-ZOVZsRMDckKTnP38t0x6mGWHO2_hrZdq1nXavjQTSuLBq0RNWkkeje-U/s320/LocksSm2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> View of the locks from the bow of the Thompson. (Photo by Natalie McCulligh)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRghmgLX5XxZ0ThFNhDbBfagvoOOR9d9Q_IVU6oSSnjrZqIAr3xJRTi0E6U2D_WIBukeexxiDIUf6AUyP8_KiLeM9FHuFxVNIqp9RzJWlEY5w2QXWlaQ-YVqpu3Jn3-4xZ-pKkp6BMy0/s1600-h/ThompsonDock.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081293381892680978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRghmgLX5XxZ0ThFNhDbBfagvoOOR9d9Q_IVU6oSSnjrZqIAr3xJRTi0E6U2D_WIBukeexxiDIUf6AUyP8_KiLeM9FHuFxVNIqp9RzJWlEY5w2QXWlaQ-YVqpu3Jn3-4xZ-pKkp6BMy0/s320/ThompsonDock.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">R/V Thomas G. Thompson at University of Washington dock.</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></div></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaW5ziiv_6aBtR6ELqMgHn1OcAHQlSQzN1nDpssR2Q1Ehn4cFjQwmWpOuTF0-q3yO_TaluefFWDq0c4fVvEHN1PkYHnHqwoSdh3-nDVJlxGTpbUgwvoz2hzbd_kUtXBPQXrzYbsgYXjbk/s1600-h/SeattleSkyline.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081293287403400450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaW5ziiv_6aBtR6ELqMgHn1OcAHQlSQzN1nDpssR2Q1Ehn4cFjQwmWpOuTF0-q3yO_TaluefFWDq0c4fVvEHN1PkYHnHqwoSdh3-nDVJlxGTpbUgwvoz2hzbd_kUtXBPQXrzYbsgYXjbk/s320/SeattleSkyline.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Seattle Skyline from the Fuel Dock. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginpw4JLNwBAq05REK3yf3FyBmfHEis2WXB2XW6udeRIeG9JBOzpliDGkChDkcjNLQi5e_x2CRqfusU3o6Y_mCfQ1JhwAcNvdi_qe8bvsAl_GyS1RVGm8GpI6vLE-PuRVXCsUjlqcZXbc/s1600-h/Ore+ship.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081293132784577778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginpw4JLNwBAq05REK3yf3FyBmfHEis2WXB2XW6udeRIeG9JBOzpliDGkChDkcjNLQi5e_x2CRqfusU3o6Y_mCfQ1JhwAcNvdi_qe8bvsAl_GyS1RVGm8GpI6vLE-PuRVXCsUjlqcZXbc/s320/Ore+ship.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Ore hauling ship at the fuel dock. (Photo by Kathy Hardy)</span> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><br /><br />SEATTLE, WA (May 12, 2007): After a couple of long days loading, unpacking and setting up our gear on the ship, we are underway. It is about 11 pm as I write this entry and we are heading out to the Pacific via the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Juan_de_Fuca" target="new">Juan de Fuca Straight</a>. By morning will exit the Strait and enter the Pacific Ocean. We will be studying <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoplankton">phytoplankton</a>, which are marine microscopic plantlike organisms which inhabit the world’s oceans. Like trees and other land plants they are photosynthetic meaning they use the energy of the sun to manufacture nutrients out of carbon dioxide and water. We are primarily studying phytoplankton that produce chemical compounds which are toxic to people and wildlife. One of the things we are researching is the influence of different metals and chemicals that interact with those metals on phytoplankton growth and the production of toxin. More about the research later.<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="left">It was a beautiful trip out of Seattle. At one point we were passed by an ambitious and fast group of scullers. After leaving the University of Washington dock, where the R/V Thomas G. Thompson is based, we went through the <a href="http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/waseattle/a/wasealocks.htm" target="new">locks</a> which connect Lake Union to Puget Sound. Each time that I have gone through the locks on one of the large <a href="http://www.unols.org/info/vessels.htm">UNOLS</a> vessels, it looks to me like we are not going to fit. The Thompson is almost as wide as the lock. I like to watch the whole process. It takes a fair amount of skill and teamwork to get the vessel safely through. It is also cool because we are so close that we can talk to people standing on shore at the locks. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">In Puget Sound we saw an amazing assortment of ships, tugboats, fishing boats and private yachts. From the locks we then headed to a refueling station. We were joined there by a couple of container ships, some cruise ships and tankers and the ship in this picture which looks to me like something out of a Star Wars movie. The Chief Engineer, Paul says that it is a type of vessel used to haul ore. Also, at the station, there were a pair of <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Surf_Scoter.html" target="new">surf scoters</a> swimming around the ships and calling. It took most of the day to refuel and then we headed out through the Strait. </div><br /><br /><div align="left">Before going to my cabin for the night, I could just make out the snow covered peaks of the mountains south of the Strait in the darkness. At their feet the lights of a small town lit up the shore. The waters of the Strait were calm; it was a peaceful end to a hectic day.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div></div></div>Kathy Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095373757307546046noreply@blogger.com