Search Results for CTD
Life on the Falkor requires a balance of being in the flow and keeping on your toes. I sketch in many breezy corners of the upper decks, observing science operations from all sorts of interesting angles. In the library, I have read an account of Jacques Cousteau, as well as former artist-at-sea Lucy Bellwood’s “Tall … Continued
Conducting research with multiple underwater vehicles takes a huge amount of deliberation and coordination that is based on data gathered well before the work even takes place. But what happens if the environment you work on is constantly changing?
As the third largest port on California’s coast, San Diego Bay showcases the grip of humanity’s hands on the ocean. From our location, we can see the domineering San Diego-Coronado bridge, flanked by multiple aircraft carriers. We watch as commercial shipping vessels loaded down with cargo make their way into port. But for all of … Continued
I sit awkwardly, muscles tensed, waiting for my target to float into view. My weapon, a glass pipette, poised to strike. Suddenly something gently glides into view, looking deceptively relaxed, with its’ six legs splayed wide, gently feeling the water currents. I slide the pipette carefully into the water, quietly sneaking upon the baby zooplankton … Continued
When you build a house, you do not use only a hammer, but a variety of specialized tools in an organized and collaborative manner to construct a complex structure.
It is early in the morning and the day is barely starting for most of those on R/V Falkor – but not for Dr. Amanda Netburn or PhD. Candidate Elan Portner. Immune to the long hours behind them, the duo remains cheerful and lively as they sort the different samples they have collected through the night, including … Continued
I really can’t stop moving. There are two reasons for this. One is that I am on a ship. The other is that I am on a ship. Yes, these are distinct reasons. First, life as a scientist on a research vessel is busy. I am running (or rather walking briskly; we do not run … Continued
It is an amazing sight to see: water 360 degrees around you and nothing else. However, taking repetitive measurements every day in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for weeks at a time can take its toll, especially when the majority of our sampling consists of pushing water through a filter. A seemingly simple task … Continued
It is midnight, and the ship’s lights are dimmed to limit interference with some extremely light-sensitive instruments. Fernanda Henderikx and Mathilde Dugenne lower an optical float into the water with the moon as their main illumination source. It is an unusually beautiful scene to be conducting experiments in. Many microbes have diel rhythms, just like … Continued
Jan Witting is a biological oceanographer with long-running interests in the Sub Tropical and Equatorial Pacific, where he has served as Chief Scientist on more than 20 research cruises. His work broadly addresses the linkage between climate variation, circulation, and biological production in the tropical and subtropical oceans, where he studies the effects of changing … Continued
