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10/15/05 - Getting ready |
On Sunday, October 16, 2005, a small crowd of Life on the Edge 2005 scientists,
technicians, and educators will gather at the state port in Morehead City, North
Carolina. At the dock we will use big cranes and pulleys to load our gear onto
the R/V Seward Johnson. Our “gear” is much more than duffel bags
containing toothbrushes and extra socks—it is all of the equipment that
will be needed to conduct 20 days of around-the-clock scientific research at sea.
The scientific gear falls into three categories: things for collecting, things
for storing what we collect, and things for recording our discoveries.
Our collecting equipment includes things like nets, traps, and buckets. We use
many types of nets to collect samples. Some nets, such as plankton nets, dip nets,
and otter trawls, are lowered overboard from the ship. The Neuston net is very big
(about 6 feet by 6 feet) and is made of mesh, metal, and additional weights, which
makes it quite heavy. We also bring a selection of collecting equipment to use during
dives taken in the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible: traps for catching crabs and fish, giant “forks” for collecting
coral, and long tubes for sampling sediments from the ocean floor. In addition to the
collecting gear, we bring along a huge “tool box” so that we can make
modifications or repairs to the gear while at sea. The tool box has a wide range of
materials from wire cutters and tin snips to duct tape, fishing line, and cable ties.
After we collect specimens, we need to prepare and store them. To do this, we bring
along a large selection of glass and plastic jars and bottles in all shapes and sizes,
from tiny vials for storing DNA samples to large wide-mouth jars for storing fish and
sponges. Every specimen needs to be placed in some kind of preservative. Alcohol and
formaldehyde are the two most common preservatives used during our mission. Instead of
taking up precious cargo space with many barrels of prepared preservatives, we bring
only a few barrels of highly concentrated preservatives. When we need to store specimens,
we dilute the preservatives to the correct concentrations. Every specimen that we collect
gets a waterproof paper label that tells the date and time it was collected, the location
from which it was collected, the type of gear that collected it, and the name of the
person in charge of that collection procedure. These labels are vital to the science
that goes on long after the mission is complete. Using information contained on the labels,
we can begin to construct an understanding of the organisms and their relationships within
the deep sea ecosystem.
The final selection of gear is what we need to record data while we are out at sea. Cameras
and computers have replaced scientific sketchbooks and handwritten notes. We use both video and
still cameras to record our collection. Many of the animals lose their 
colors and patterns when
they are preserved, so photographing them from the sub while they are in their natural environment
is a priority. To record and help identify unique specimens, we take pictures of the specimens on
a black backdrop with their collection labels and a ruler (to show dimensions) alongside.
All of the photos and videos are stored and backed up on computers, DVDs, and CDs. Additionally, we use
computers to write descriptions of what we observe during dives and to record data, such as dive
locations, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen levels. Every computer is “bungee-corded”
to the workspace so that it does not crash to the floor or slide across the workbench during high seas.
We also bring about 40 reference books with us to create our own “at sea library.” With
no access to a regular library or to the internet, we must choose our reference materials carefully
so that when we see or catch something unusual, we can identify it. The books are “bungee-corded”
onto the bookshelf as well.
We will spend several hours getting the scientific equipment loaded and secured before stowing our personal belongings. Our small duffel bags with rain gear and clothing require minor attention when compared to setting up the mission’s lab. After pulling away from the dock and steaming towards our first sample site, we will have a safety briefing and our first science team meeting. Hopefully, Monday morning will find us on location and ready to use all the gear we have brought on board.
10/15/05 - No Data
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