Peter McAuliffe was instrumental in the deployment and recovery of many the casts and tow-yo's. Angie Opiola in the ship's science lab analyzing water column samples for pH. David Farr cutting up copper tubing for the helium samples.

Teacher Logbook - R/V Wecoma

Missy Holzer 's Sealog:
CTD Cruise Day 16
Weather at 1630 hours PDT:
Weather at 1630 hours PST: Cloudy skies with winds of 14 knots from the northwest, and visibility of 12 miles. Barometric pressure is 1020.2 mb, and the temperature is 59O Fahrenheit. Ocean swells are 4 feet out of the northwest, and the seas are 2 feet out of the northwest.

It's 0200 hours and it's time for a cast? Whether it's 0200 hours or 1400 hours, science on board an oceanographic vessel doesn't stop because the sun went down. Science occurs around the clock on the NeMO CTD Cruise thanks to having capable staff on each of the watches. Joining the staff this year on the R/V Wecoma are a few students that are helping out in all aspects of the data acquisition from the casts and tow-yo's. After adjusting to the motions of the ship, Peter McAuliffe, Angie Opiola, and David Farr have been a tremendous help in the lab and on the deck.

A 2001 graduate from Carleton College in Northfield, MN, Peter McAuliffe is back for a second year with the NOAA-PMEL Vents Program. Last year as Peter was finishing his coursework for obtaining his BS on geology he came on board to gather research for his senior thesis. He enjoyed the work immensely, and was delighted to be coming back on board for a second year, as was the science staff when they knew they were getting him back to pitch in. From his experiences of doing science on a ship in the ocean he realizes that fieldwork takes a lot of planning and foresight because research science is unpredictable. He also noticed that research is a slow process where the results aren't evident until the data is analyzed back on shore. Peter noted a couple of significant challenges while out at sea: 1. You have to be emotionally ready to be out in the confines of a ship away from all the things you are used to, and 2. Even though the work can be repetitious, the work cannot be looked at as repetitious while working around the heavy equipment. One of Peter's memories from being out at sea is the beauty and grandiose nature of the ocean, and that we are merely "a cork bobbing in a big pond" at the mercy of the ocean. He feels that this opportunity wouldn't be nearly as beneficial if it wasn't for the support of the staff and crew, and there willingness to be patient with his inexperience. The rest of the summer for Peter will be set aside for making some career decisions, and getting back to the Seattle area to do the things he enjoys like spending time with family, friends, and his girlfriend, playing sports like soccer, playing percussion, and spending time outdoors.

Angie Opiola has never been out to sea and saw how joining the staff on the NeMO CTD Cruise would be a great experience, as well as an opportunity to develop some contacts for the future. Angie is a May graduate from DePaul University in Chicago where she acquired a BS in Environmental Science. While on the R/V Wecoma she has worked predominately as Dr. Joe Resing's research assistant where one of her roles is to calculate the pH of the hundreds of water column samples acquired on the cruise. There is electronic instrumentation on board that calculates the pH by using a combination of a millivolt reading and a temperature reading, and Angie is the one carefully using the probes to facilitate this operation. Angie, like Peter, recognized that fieldwork in the ocean can be a challenge, and that having 2 of everything is a necessity. She noticed that nothing goes as planned as far as the schedule goes; the work is either ahead of schedule or behind schedule, but there is always something to do so that time can be used wisely. One of the challenges that Angie met while working in the lab was getting familiar with the equipment and lab procedures, and trying to avoid contaminating the samples. She was captivated on how great everyone has been, and kind of thankful to realize that scientists can have a sense of humor. Something that will stand out in her memory of working out at sea is that she was on the boat constantly working with the same people day in and day out. She feels that life on the ocean is wonderful and a great change of pace being out in the middle of nowhere. Angie will be looking forward to get back on land where she'll be able to walk and run for miles, as well as spend time with her family and friends. The balance of the summer will be devoted to wrapping up her senior thesis, possibly going on a vacation, and preparing to move to Wisconsin where she'll be attending graduate school at the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay to major in Environmental Science and Policy. She plans on a career in research, but hopes to channel it an area of an environmental concern or in environmental restoration.

Often parents are pushing their teenage children out the door in the summer and telling them to get busy doing something. David Farr is not one of those teens that needed a push. A junior at Ballard High School in Seattle, David is the youngest participant on the NeMO CTD Cruise where he's helping the science staff in most capacities of data acquisition and data entry. David was looking forward to the experience of being out at sea, but had no idea about what he was getting himself into. He thought the world of science in the field meant for the most part that data was predominately collected by hand data, and was surprised to see how much of it is actually acquired through the use of computers. David has been out on the deck deploying the CTD, and gathering water samples, and has been in the lab performing data entry and assisting Chemist Ron Greene in preparing the copper tubing used for gathering helium samples. Before he came on board David was unsure about how science was actually "done," but now he may even chose a career that entails a bit of fieldwork. One of the challenges that he faced while out on the R/V Wecoma was getting used to how rough it can actually get out at sea, as well as how vast the ocean actually is. A lasting memory for him will be the work he did in deploying and recovering the CTD as well as the< motions of the ocean under the ship. David is looking forward to getting home to his family, eating Mexican food, playing basketball, playing piano, and getting sleep at night (David had the 0000 hours to 1200 hour watch). The rest of the summer will find him with his church youth group building a home with Habitat for Humanity, and camping with his family in the Cascades.

The enjoyment and success of the cruise was in part due to the positive enthusiasm of the students on board. Their experiences on the NeMO CTD Cruise provided them with a golden opportunity to participate in research science, and a number of memories that will last forever. Peter, Angie, and David are to be commended for all the work in helping out their watch crews.