By Pedro Ribeiro, IMAR-DOP, University of Azores.
Sailing out here on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge can be a very solitary affair. Day after day we look outside in search of anything that can assure us that we’re not alone in the ocean. Alas, for weeks nothing emerged above the horizon, and I was beginning to lose hope. Today, however, we spotted one cargo ship just a few miles away. So far this was the closest experience I’ve had to a mirage because, after all this time seeing nothing but water all around, I guess my brain got used to it, and for a few seconds I just couldn’t believe my eyes. Strange feeling…
Ever since we crossed the sub-polar front, we’ve been surrounded day and night by many sea birds. Fulmars, shearwaters, kittiwakes, skuas and other species are constantly showing off their flight skills up in the skies or zigzagging between the waves. Many of our winged friends usually stay at a reasonable distance from the ship, but the more audacious ones keep flying by to have a look, and a few of them even venture landing on deck, while people on-board attempt some sort of interaction.
Gary attempting to feed a pair of kittiwakes, who didn’t trust the human or just weren’t too fond of fish liver.
For some people the first day of September started long before sunrise. The OTSB had been running since midnight when, at 4 A.M., it had to be interrupted due to wire jumping off the A frame block sheave. As a result, the catch was very small, consisting only of seven unfortunate fish, which Nikki promptly processed. After such an exciting start to her day, with the adrenaline still pumping and lots of time on her hands before breakfast, Nikki went on to watch the movie “Blades of Glory”. We definitely can’t say this has been a wasted dawn.
Next up was the deployment of the megacorer around 5 A.M. Now, I have to express my admiration for everyone involved in this task. For some reason, megacoring always happens during the night or just before dawn, when the chilling wind and the pitch black scenery are most effective at making us long for our warm cabin. Luckily, after the gear is recovered, it is possible to find shelter in the cold room (kept at 4 °C), where the sediment is processed. Because all good things come to an end, soon it is time to leave the cold room, because the upper layer of sediment that is brought up in the core tubes has to be sieved under flowing water in a cozy corner of the aft deck. Another successful coring session was thus completed, and soon afterwards Alan, Holly, Natasha and Tonya were able to warm up with a hot cup of tea.
Recovery of the northeast mooring started at 8 A.M. with pleasant weather and calm sea. The unusually good conditions were more than welcome, since things always work out better when there is no need to battle against the elements. After pulling in two sediment traps, several current meters and many floats, the whole procedure had to be repeated, this time in the opposite direction, with the release of a new mooring which will be recovered in 2010. Deployment of the mooring was done swiftly, and soon after 3 P.M. Victor and the crew were able to cast the optics rig for another measurement of the inherent optical properties of the water.
Recovery of the mooring started at sunrise and went on through most of the day.
After dinner both PAL and ICDeep landers were retrieved in record-breaking time and were soon being serviced in the hanger. The two baited traps mounted on the ICDeep lander came up full of amphipods, giving Jess and I the opportunity to win the breakfast challenge. All the amphipods had to be sorted and tested for bioluminescence as quickly as possible, because they cannot survive for long at the surface. Under the tyranny of a stopwatch, batch after batch all the amphipods were tested and occasionally there were fireworks to be seen.
Securely harnessed, Thom pulls the ICDeep lander onto the deck, and releases it from the mooring line.
After a long night of experiments, it’s time for a drink.
Science will be over in two days, and after that we’re steaming towards land and our loved ones. It’s been a long and tiring journey, and therefore everyone is looking forward to disembark and head home. Since this is the last time I’m doing the blog I just want to say that this cruise has been a fantastic and very rewarding experience for me. The first of many more to come, I hope. Thanks, everyone!
