mission
Dress Rehearsal
Tuesday, September 27, 2005Theresa Pinilla and Terence Singerline
Daily Report
Last night the ten new members of the science party arrived, and we said goodbye to friends. The Frosti was in view just after dinner and gradually came closer as the transfer time approached. Lots of equipment was stowed quickly, to be off loaded in Seattle next week. The sun set and only the lights of the Frosti were visible. One by one, our departing colleagues appeared on deck, dressed warmly for the short ride over to the Frosti. To make the transfer safer in the dark the captain did not want people climbing ladders on the side of the ship. The water is mighty cold and no one wanted to take a late swim. Instead, all boarded the small Hurricane craft from the stairs on deck as it sat in its support. Once loaded, the small boat was lowered to the water, the engine revved, and the whole group was off to the Frosti. This process was repeated three times until everyone was safely moved.
We woke to sunny skies and decreased wind speeds of around 5 knots. It’s a much more gentle ride today. The forecast calls for another weather system to move in tonight. J2 dive 179 launched at 16:37 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which translates to 9:37 am Pacific Time. A long dive is scheduled. The plan calls for installation of another MSI (Microbial Sulfide Incubator), osmosamplers, a hydrophone, a seismometer, and rehearsal and broadcast of the video transmissions.
The live broadcast is fast approaching and today’s Jason dive was originally planned to set the stage and test equipment for the last time before we go live to the world. Three more members of the TV crew arrived last night, joining engineer Dave Robertson, who has been here since Sept 16. The weather forecast for Wednesday and Thursday is questionable. Because rough seas could keep Jason out of the water and possibly keep us from linking up with the satellite, today’s “dress rehearsal” was broadcast live to select locations on land. Weather permitting, the broadcasts scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday will still be live from sea. If not, then the studio at UW will have to rely on HD footage that has been recorded earlier in the cruise.
After the “dress rehearsal” science activities include the placement of a microbial incubator, which is filled with sensors and small packets of media (nicknamed “burritos”) for microbes to settle on. The incubator has four chambers. When it’s inserted into a hole drilled in a sulfide structure, each chamber will be exposed to different temperatures and fluid chemistry. The media in the “burritos” includes different combinations of anhydrite, pyrite, glass wool, and graphite. There is also a water sampling tube in the third chamber. This particular incubator also has a pump that adds labeled sources of carbon and nitrogen. If microbes use any of these nutrients it will be found in their cells. This will show that they are metabolically active. The incubator that went down today was recovered yesterday from Roane, where it had been in place since early in the cruise. Data from the third chamber showed temperatures ranging from 140 to 230 °C. It would be amazing if microorganisms were active at these temperatures. Graduate student Min Lin worked through the night painstakingly removing and cataloging the old burritos and minerals that had accumulated. She preserved them for further analysis back on land, some in fixative and others frozen in liquid nitrogen. She had help from Peter Girguis and Spence Nyholm to get the instrument ready for deployment today. Preparing it for redeployment essentially involves taking it apart, cleaning it out, and reassembling it. The last part required some muscle, and a hair dryer.
ABE was recovered late last night and is being prepared for its next dive. After each dive, there is some maintenance work that has to be done. The picture on the right shows Andy Billings resetting the release mechanisms, looking like a mechanic under the car. Dr. Dana Yoerger is very pleased with ABE’s performance so far. He’ll review the latest data with graduate student Deb Glickson, who has been immersed in mapping the vent fields since 2003. ABE is launching again tonight, so there will be even more data to work with tomorrow.
Impressions
Terence Singerline, R/V Thomas G. Thompson
Life at Sea
I never thought of my job at sea as a career. Traveling is my career and working at sea is the vehicle that takes me to many different places. I grew up exploring places like old railroad beds, watching Jacques Cousteau and NOVA programs and thought that I would like a life of adventure. In my early twenties, I left my small town in New Jersey and headed to Florida to train for a life at sea. Working on coastal freighters, tankers, and sail boats was a tremendous experience, but the research vessels, such as the RV Thompson offer the extra benefit of visiting wonderful places like Fiji and the Galapagos Islands where many of the larger ships generally do not stop.
After going to school for sports training, I opened a physical fitness facility and really enjoyed working with people, but the hours were too rigid and the job was restrictive. In contrast, when I am working at sea, I never watch the clock, although I am conscious of my time to get the job done. The days go quickly, because it is not a dull routine, even though I work long days. I work 6:00 am to 7:00 pm with an hour off in the morning and the afternoon. I like the time off in-between my work hours to do things to take care of myself. This is the time I relax and exercise.
Being at sea equalizes everything. Whether you are the captain, crew, scientist, cook, or engineer, everyone has to work together to make the ship work. It is imperative in this small environment that you maintain a good attitude, maintain self-control, and be respectful of other people on the ship. For example, you have to remember that the ship runs twenty-four hours a day every day at sea and there is always someone sleeping to prepare for the next shift.
When you are on board this ship, you leave behind the land and the routines that people are so connected to. Sailing forces you to do with less and get away from many of the distractions on land. My stretch at sea, which is approximately three to four months, gives me time to formulate a plan of what I want to do when I am on land like kayaking, diving, backpacking and mountain climbing.
The lessons I have learned through my experiences on land and at sea is to listen to your intuition and don’t dismiss any of your ideas about what you want to do. You may want to be a pro-kayaker, a rock star, or an explorer. Don’t settle for something because it is the safe mode. Check it out, because the safe option may lock you into something that doesn’t make you happy.
Daily Question
Midge Yergen REVEL 1998 West Valley Middle School, Yakima, WA
Answer
Funny you should ask that!
In 1998, four sulfide structures were cut and brought to the surface for further scientific study and for exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Three of those were active, and one of them, named Phang, was extinct. We’ve been back to Mothra during this cruise and it has changed. Phang is now active, as are the other three. Just yesterday our report stated that one of the structures cut in 1998, Finn, has grown 5 to 9 meters. Gwenen also has new growth on top with three Christmas tree like structures growing out of it. Roane still has a fairly flat top where it was cut. It is topped with a small bush of tubeworms and was the site for one of Deb Kelley’s Microbial Sulfide Incubators. In general the hydrothermal activity in Mothra has changed since you worked here in 1998. Some of the scientists think that it has increased, but John Delaney is reserving judgment until data proves it. Venting activity may have just shifted around within the field.
