2 Preparation for the Atlantis/Alvin Cruise

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2 Preparation for the Atlantis/Alvin Cruise

Author: Nicholas Ellis
Host Vessel: R/V Atlantis

Greetings! I’ve completed my second week aboard the R/V Atlantis and we’ve just finished the first two days of our cruise along the East Coast. My second week has consisted of continued preparation for the cruise, and I’ve also included information about my first two days at sea!

Monday I woke up early and started the day with the usual briefing meeting. It was kind of funny because the focus of much of the team’s work/discussion was fixing the Titan 4 manipulator, and I happened to have a shirt from Schilling with a diagram of the Titan on the back. One could say that I wore it for good luck. After briefing, I got to work cleaning the entire mech shop in preparation for the Titan to be taken to the shop. It was greasy, dirty work but I enjoyed it and was pleased with the result afterwards. The shop was in good shape and I worked on the cleaning the rusting tools with de-rusting chemicals and then cleaning and coating them with a protective spray. I found this interesting because I didn’t really realize that tools would corrode quickly like everything else in a marine environment. Afterwards I did some small jobs here and there to help out like inventory and storing things in the hold. I also was able to re-install the sphere cushions in Alvin and got to see what it looked like completely furbished. It looked comfy and small, but I could imagine that the view from the crystal clear acrylic portholes must be well worth it. After that, I worked with Max to mount a new 4K camera onto the forearm of the ISE manipulator. After that, 1630 came around the corner, so I stopped working and headed to dinner. The rest of the night consisted of relaxation and increased excitement about leaving port to begin the cruise.

Tuesday was pretty fun and relaxing. I started the day by gathering all of the emergency breathing masks in the sub and bringing them out for inspection and maintenance. I then watched the more senior members of the mech team figure out how to disassemble the Titan 4 manipulator (which was in the mech shop) at its elbow to figure out why it was stalling when the forearm was stalling out. I was also able to find and look at the CAD drawing of the joint disassembled and follow along with where they were at. Later, I helped mount the spare Titan 4 manipulator on the port side of Alvin which was hooked up for hydraulics testing and seemed to work well. This was good because it took the time crunch out of rebuilding the other manipulator since we now have one that works. Max and I worked on checking all of the compensation bladders in the thrusters to make sure that oil levels met our standards. We did this by poking a small rod down a hole (of known length) and stopping once we touched the bladder, then measuring the actual length it took to reach the bladder. In one of the thrusters, the oil seemed low so we decided to pump some more oil into its system. I learned that there are three different types of oils used on Alvin. Carnation oil is used for compensation in most electronics containers and cables, hydraulic fluid is used for all hydraulic purposes/compensation fluid for moveable parts, and brayco micronic is used as a fire-resistant oil. I also helped to work on some more inventory and stashing supplies in the hold. Towards the end of the work day, I helped begin maintenance on the Observation Vehicle (OV) which is a very simple ROV that is meant to only observe Alvin. I also helped untangle the tow cable that attaches to the OV. Tuesday’s work consisted of many smaller jobs since the Titan 4’s repair was of highest importance. After taking apart the joint, some of the mech team (Jefferson, Danik, and Nick) concluded by looking at the different components and seals that what happened was there was leakage in one of the elbow’s seals. To move the forearm forward and backwards, hydraulic oil is pumped through one compartment of the elbow allowing for pressure and movement in one direction, while pressure in the other compartment allows for movement in the reverse direction. Symptoms included that when approaching the 90 degree position, the pressure in the elbow would decrease and the arm would stall. After ruling out any electrical issues (valves and the resolver) it was determined that when pressure in the elbow reached a certain threshold, fluid would leak from the one section of the elbow into the other, creating the slight loss of pressure in the elbow that was found and preventing the arm from going higher. Nick worked on replacing the faulty seals and reassembling the Titan for final testing.

Wednesday was slower than most because much of the mech leadership was out participating in a testing event for an upcoming pilot. I started the day by inspecting and wiping down the transducers mounted on Alvin, and afterwards I got training for the ‘extra guy’ position. The extra guy is in charge of prepping cameras, memory cards, blankets, towels, lunches, and CO2 scrubbers to be loaded into Alvin before launch. He works in conjunction with the pilot to make sure that Alvin’s interior is ready for the day’s dive. CO2 scrubbers are basically canisters filled with a pebble-like filter that cleans the excess CO2 out of the air. After that, I helped load the ship’s food into the freezer, cold storage, and pantry. It was an interesting and fast-paced operation because we had to load all of the frozen/cold store food before it melted/went bad. Much of the crew and the ops guys helped out to form a chain of people passing food from the freight elevator to storage. There were things ranging from kitchen supplies to meats, cheeses, vegetables, and even a large slab of chocolate. After lunch, I compiled pictures taken of the Titan 4 during disassembly and created a visual reconstruction manual to make rebuilding the Titan easier and as accurate as possible. After doing that I had free time until 1630 (when work ends), so I read through some of the Titan 4 manual and looked through some of the diagrams/drawings of the various parts/systems. I also tried to understand Alvin’s hydraulic systems more -- specifically the compensation systems. I looked at some hydraulics schematics for the box filled with brayco micronic oil and containing the battery connections. I learned that in most of the compensation systems, there are 4 routes for the oil: the bladder, fill, drain, and vent. The bladder is the part that is filled with oil and as ocean pressure increases, it squeezes the bladder forcing the oil in the electronics box to match the outside pressure. The fill point is where new oil is pumped into the box while the vent is at the top where any air can escape during the filling process. The drain point can double as a fill point, but is installed to allow water (which is denser than the oil used) to sink and drain out of the box if necessary. After reading for a bit, it was time for dinner where I had some delicious scallops cooked in lemon and garlic, and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Thursday was a bit slow, but I mainly worked on mounting the large basket to the front of Alvin. First, we bolted the frame in and then bolted in the HDPE grating that sits over the frame. Afterwards, we attached skids to the bottom of the frame and tested its weight capacity. The basket is designed to carry about 400 pounds of weight and can also be supported by two suspension cables. In addition to this, the basket can also be released from the sub should it become entangled in anything. The bracket it is mounted to is attached to the sub via two frangibolts which are bolts that can be broken if necessary. Frangibolts are a safer version of explosive bolts and function by thermally activating a certain compound that expands as it gets hot which snaps the bolts in a designated weak spot. I was also given the task of designing and making a new support jack for the basket to reduce the amount of stress the sub’s mounting brackets receive when people are standing/working on the basket. The new support jack is expected to be more stable and provide restraints to how tall it can get (in order not to damage the basket by wedging it up too far). I was given the previous support jack as a reference and began drawing out some new ideas and modifications to make including a grip centered directly over the jack as opposed to the side and a slot system that restricts the jack’s potential height to avoid basket damage.

On Friday I focused on three main things: getting hatch and window training, working on the new basket supporter I designed, and draining most of the air out of the compensation systems. I started out by getting window training from Jefferson which consisted of learning how to properly clean the acrylic windows on Alvin. The five viewports on Alvin need to be cleaned with great care because even a small scratch can turn into a stress point on the window at high pressures. I learned that to clean Alvin’s viewports you need to first wipe away any grit carefully and then use a kimwipe with a polishing agent to remove marks left on the window. After wiping it all away and inspecting the window thoroughly for scratches and dents, the windows are good to go. Alvin’s viewports are interesting themselves because they taper down into the sphere. This is because as Alvin goes deeper into the ocean, the windows are pressed into their sockets by the sea pressure making the o-rings useless at such depths. I also learned how to grease the hatch and prepare it for use. This method is also incredibly important and requires a careful greasing/inspection of the o-ring and all mating surfaces. When not in use, the surfaces are covered by protective plastic rings to avoid scratches and dents. As far as my design for the basket supporter, I was able to find the necessary parts and spent the day taking measurements and working on the basket jack. I was also able to include rubber padding on the basket grip to help preserve its paintjob and provide a little flexibility as far as exact height. For the rest of the day, I helped Jefferson and Drew remove the air bubbles from the compensation lines in the starboard manipulator and the junction box. We did this by having a vent valve open at the highest point and providing oil pressure at the bottom so that the air would find its way out of the system. Getting rid of as much air as possible from the oil systems is important because air is much more compressible than oil which causes problems when it comes to the maintaining a consistent compensation system.

Saturday was full of final preparations for the upcoming cruise. Most of the day, I worked to organize the mech shop and the Alvin hangar as well as stow all loose items. Stowing all loose items, I learned, is very important because the ship is constantly rocking and if there are rough seas, things can be thrown everywhere and even break. It was a pretty busy day, but there was a lot of excitement in the air for the cruise.

On Sunday I woke up at 0530 to see the ship leave port. It was incredible to see the ship slowly pull out of Woods Hole right as the day began. After Woods Hole fade away in the distance, I went back to sleep and later woke up to start the work day. It was a full day of work that included safety briefings, science basket preparations, and final touches on Alvin. I started the work day by helping measure the water weight of objects that would be mounted on the science basket. We did this with a fish scale and large bin of saltwater and the expedition leader used the data figure out what kind of adjustments we should make to Alvin to accommodate the weight. I also worked on mounting various tools onto the basket that the science team brought which included ore samplers, vacuum pumps, and collection cases. I found it incredibly interesting that all of this equipment had to be made in a way that interfaced well with the manipulators. Later, I bolted on Alvin’s skins which are thin pieces of plastic/fiberglass that make up its outer shell. This was the first time I had seen Alvin fully equipped and ready to dive. I also worked on helping Drew (an electrical technician) clear more air out of the compensation systems and also learned through experience that clearing air out of all the oil systems is a very time consuming task. The process basically consists of raising the various oil-filled cables so that the air bubbles will float to the top and then opening a vent to allow the air to escape while pumping in new oil to displace it. We also had our safety briefing where we learned protocols and stations for ship emergencies. One of the things we did was try on immersion suits (gumby suits) that each person had to protect them from the harsh ocean environment if we had to abandon ship. These suits were very bulky, but were very snug and warm, which I suppose are good things when lost at sea. Overall, we ended the work day around 2130 which was my longest day so far. It was understandable of course because we needed to make sure everything was ready for the diving to begin in the morning.

Since Monday was a dive day, we got to work at 0530 in preparation for our first dive at 0800. We all took part in the pre-dive checks which included cleaning the windows, hatch, testing components, and loading the sub with its necessary in-hull equipment/consumables. As part of the pre-dive I cleaned all of the windows with window polish, bolted on the remaining skins and helped load equipment like sphere blankets and food into the sub. When we were ready to launch, I got to operate the sled mechanism which rolled Alvin out on tracks leading to the A-frame. When that was finished I dawned a safety helmet and a lifejacket to help with the final preparations. I watched as others loaded weights onto the sides using wheel-mounted winches that helped them lift the weights under that attachment points. These weights are used to get Alvin to sink down and are dropped when the pilot wants to return to the surface. Right before diving, someone must pull six safety pins and show them to the pilot in order to confirm that the weights are primed for release. After wheeling Alvin out all the way, I watched as the A-frame was lowered and the main line guided down to the T piece on Alvin. After all lines were attached, Alvin was lowered into the water with Max/Todd (the swimmers). I watched as the swimmers finished their work in the water and made their way to the small boat that would bring them back to the Atlantis. Then Alvin slowly lowered beneath the waves and began its dive. While waiting for Alvin to finish its dive, Nick and I cleaned the hangar out as well as the mech shop then had some lunch. We also visited the top deck where someone is always monitoring the position and keeping in contact with Alvin. The top deck is at the same level as the bridge, so there was an amazing view of the horizon and I could see seemingly forever. A couple of hours later, the Alvin dive was cut short due to lack of good visibility and strong currents that the sub had to contend with. Per protocol, Alvin surfaced off the side of Atlantis’ bow where swimmers went out and attached a tow line. The Atlantis then moved forward past Alvin so that Alvin would end up behind Atlantis. After the sub was reeled in enough, swimmers attached the main cable and other necessary lines to the sub and the A-frame raised it out of the water and placed it onto the sled. I helped clean off Alvin and moved it back into the hangar where we proceeded to complete a post-dive check. This post dive check consisted of re-adjusting anything that might have changed during the dive and checking the hydraulic/compensation lines for leaks. I helped unload some of the equipment from the basket that the scientists needed and helped test the torque on the frangibolts around the sub. I also helped unload the used equipment from inside Alvin and learned more about testing/maintaining the hydraulics systems after each dive.

Thanks for reading and joining me in my adventure aboard the R/V Atlantis with the Alvin Group! I look forward to seeing many more dives and learning as much as I can about the hard work put into making Alvin operational.

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Blog Archives

December 2022

Week 8: Final Week aboard the Armstrong! - 12/16/2022
Week 7: INSURV - 12/10/2022
Week 6: Inspections, 3D prints and CTD Terminations! - 12/03/2022

November 2022

Week 5: End of OOI and Happy Thanksgiving! - 11/27/2022
Week 4: Finishing OOI Leg 1, Jumping straight into Leg 2! - 11/18/2022
Week 3: Leg 1 of the Final Coastal Pioneer Array OOI Cruise - 11/11/2022
Week 2: Terminations Terminations Terminations! - 11/04/2022

October 2022

Week 1: CTD lanyards, Linux, Mario Kart, Oh Yea! - 10/28/2022
Pre- Internship stop in Iceland - 10/21/2022
Pre-Internship Introduction - 10/14/2022

May 2022

WEEK 3: R/V Sharp - 05/31/2022
Week 2 R/V Sharp - 05/30/2022
Walton Smith Week 2: Finishing the second cruise - 05/30/2022
First week with the JASON team - 05/27/2022
Week 1: First Trip with the F.G. Walton Smith - 05/26/2022
WEEK 2: R/V Sharp - 05/24/2022
Walton Smith Week 1: Arrival and first cruises - 05/23/2022
Preparing to venture out! - 05/20/2022
Week 1 R/V Sharp - 05/19/2022
Week 1 R/V Sharp - 05/19/2022
Pre-Cruise Introduction - 05/16/2022
Introduction - 05/12/2022
Introduction - 05/10/2022
Pre-Cruise Introduction - 05/05/2022

April 2022

Leg 2 of OOI Pioneer 18 and Internship Conclusion - 04/30/2022
Excitement from Leg 1 of OOI Pioneer 18 - 04/19/2022
Week 2: Time in Port and Beginning of OOI Pioneer 18 - 04/11/2022
Week 1: First Cruise - 04/04/2022

March 2022

Pre-internship: Introduction - 03/22/2022

February 2022

Week 7: The End - 02/26/2022
Working on the RV Sikuliaq - some pics - 02/17/2022
Week 6: Setting Sail - 02/15/2022
Week 5: Finally Floating - 02/09/2022
Week 4: Drydock part two: Electric Boogaloo - 02/02/2022

January 2022

Week 3: Drydock part one - 01/24/2022
Week 2: Stormy Seas - 01/14/2022
First Week(kind of): Alaska - 01/05/2022

December 2021

Pre-Internship Intro Blog - 12/29/2021

September 2021

Weeks 10 and 11 - 09/17/2021
Week 9: Loading Alvin - 09/08/2021
Week 8 - 09/01/2021

August 2021

Day 38 - 08/19/2021
Week 5 with Alvin - 08/11/2021
Week 5: Arrival - 08/11/2021
Week 6 - 08/11/2021
Day 28 - 08/09/2021
Week 4: To and Through the Panama Canal - 08/06/2021
Day 23 - 08/04/2021
Week 4 with the Alvin team - 08/03/2021
3rd Week at Sea (In Route to Panama) - 08/02/2021
Week 3: A Sweaty Set Up - 08/01/2021

July 2021

Weeks 2 and 3: Electrical Testing - 07/30/2021
Day 18 - 07/30/2021
2nd Week at Sea (Anacortes, WA to SF, CA) - 07/26/2021
Week 2: Methane Seeps! - 07/25/2021
Day 12 - 07/24/2021
1st Week at Sea - 07/18/2021
Day 5 - 07/17/2021
Week 1 of My Internship - 07/14/2021
Week 1: Predeparture - 07/12/2021
Introduction - 07/11/2021
Getting Ready to Fly Out - 07/05/2021
Sailing off on a New Horizon - 07/01/2021

December 2020

Week 35 & 36: On The Walton Smith - 12/11/2020
Week 45: Wrapping things up - 12/11/2020
Week 44: Soldering Penetrators - 12/04/2020

November 2020

Week 43: Cleaning and Holidays - 11/27/2020
Week 42: Video Killed the Video Hub? - 11/20/2020
Week 41: Messy Work - 11/13/2020
Week 40: In the Ring - 11/06/2020
Week 34: On The Walton Smith - 11/02/2020

October 2020

Week 39: Some of the Pieces Come Together - 10/30/2020
Week 38: Verification and Inventory - 10/23/2020
Week 37: More Moving and Wires - 10/16/2020
Week 33: On The Walton Smith - 10/12/2020
Week 36: Circuit Board Soldering - 10/09/2020
Week 32: On The Walton Smith - 10/05/2020
Week 35: Soldering work - 10/02/2020

September 2020

Week 31: On The Walton Smith - 09/28/2020
Week 34: Headphones and Loud Noises - 09/25/2020
Week 30: On The Walton Smith - 09/21/2020
Week 33: Circuits! - 09/18/2020
Week 29: On The Walton Smith - 09/14/2020
Week 32: Running in Circles with Motor Controllers - 09/11/2020
Week 28: On The Walton Smith - 09/09/2020
Week 31: Simulating Alvin - 09/04/2020
Week 27: On The Walton Smith - 09/02/2020

August 2020

Week 30: Under Pressure - 08/28/2020
Week 26: On The Walton Smith - 08/24/2020
Week 29: Soldering in Circles - 08/21/2020
Week 25: On The Walton Smith - 08/18/2020
Week 28: Smaller Disassembly - 08/14/2020
Week 27: Fail to Pass - 08/07/2020
Week 24: On The Walton Smith - 08/07/2020
Week 23: On The Walton Smith - 08/06/2020
Week 22: On The Walton Smith - 08/05/2020

July 2020

Week 26: Real Work with Real Problems - 07/31/2020
Week 25: Start and Stop - 07/24/2020
Week 24: Fuses and Writing - 07/17/2020
Week 21: On The Walton Smith - 07/14/2020
Week 20: On the Walton Smith - 07/13/2020
Week 23:Keep on Working - 07/10/2020
Week 22: Starting Maintenance Projects - 07/03/2020
Week 18-19: On the Walton Smith - 07/03/2020

June 2020

Week 21: Preparing the Shop - 06/26/2020
Week 20: Life without Alvin - 06/19/2020
Week 17: On the Walton Smith - 06/16/2020
Week 16: On the Walton Smith - 06/12/2020
Week 19: Alvin? What Alvin? - 06/12/2020
Week 18: Very Little Sub Left - 06/05/2020
Week 15: On the Walton Smith - 06/03/2020

May 2020

Week 17: Continued Alvin Deconstruction - 05/29/2020
Week 14: On the Walton Smith - 05/27/2020
Week 16: Barely There Alvin - 05/22/2020
Week 13: On the Walton Smith - 05/20/2020
Week 15: Alvin Insides - 05/16/2020
Week 12: On the walton smith - 05/13/2020
Week 14: Return to Work - 05/09/2020
Week 11: On the walton smith - 05/06/2020
Week 13: Read On - 05/03/2020

April 2020

Week 10: On the walton smith - 04/29/2020
Week 12: The Reading Continues - 04/26/2020
Week 9: On the walton smith - 04/22/2020
Week 11: More Reading - 04/19/2020
Week 8: On the walton smith - 04/14/2020
Week 10: Continued At Home Reading - 04/12/2020
Week 7: Saying Goodbye - 04/10/2020
Weeks 6 & 7: On The Walton Smith - 04/07/2020
Week 9: At Home Research - 04/05/2020

March 2020

Week 6: Heading Home - 03/30/2020
Week 8: On Ship, Off Ship - 03/29/2020
Week 7: The Alvin Has Landed - 03/22/2020
Week 5: Changing out an Antenna - 03/22/2020
Week 5: Thinking Mud, Part II - 03/21/2020
Week 4: On the Walton smith - 03/16/2020
Week 6: Finishing Up At Sea - 03/15/2020
Week 2: Constant Change - 03/14/2020
Week 3: Preparing For Haul Out - 03/11/2020
Week 2: First time out - 03/10/2020
Weeks 3&4: Thinking Mud - 03/10/2020
Week 5: Smooth Seas Do Not Make Skillful Sailors - 03/08/2020
Week 1: Welcome to Bermuda - 03/07/2020
Week 4: Work, Work, Work - 03/01/2020

February 2020

Week 2: Barbados - 02/26/2020
Week 1: Arrived at the Walton Smith - 02/24/2020
Week 3: Out and Back Again - 02/23/2020
Pre Cruise Introduction - 02/19/2020
Week 1: Aboard the Endeavor and off to Barbados - 02/17/2020
Week 2: Finally Underway - 02/16/2020
Pre-Cruise Introduction - 02/10/2020
Week 1: On board (kinda) - 02/09/2020
Pre-Cruise Introduction - 02/03/2020
Pre-Cruise Introduction - 02/01/2020

November 2019

Week 10: Homeward Bound - 11/02/2019

October 2019

Week 8: Conte Cruise - 10/31/2019
Week 9: Gulf of Alaska - 10/26/2019
Week 7: Second BATS Cruise - 10/24/2019
Week 8: Port Call - 10/19/2019
Week 6: Wilhelm Cruise - 10/17/2019
Week 7: Sea Gliders - 10/12/2019
Week 5: Return to Bermuda - 10/10/2019
Week 6: Marginal Ice Zone - 10/05/2019
Week 4: BATSVAL Cruise and Puerto Rico - 10/03/2019

September 2019

Week 5: Back to Beaufort Sea - 09/28/2019
Week 3: Port Days - 09/26/2019
Week 4: Ice Station - 09/20/2019
Week 2: Humberto - 09/19/2019
Week 3: Sea Ice - 09/13/2019
Week 1: First Cruise - 09/12/2019
Week 2: Bering Sea - 09/07/2019
Week 16 - 09/05/2019
Test Blog - Preparation and Arrival - 09/04/2019
End of Internship - 09/04/2019
Last Cruise aboard the RV Atlantic Explorer - 09/01/2019

August 2019

Week 1: Dutch Harbor - 08/31/2019
So Long Reykjanes Ridge - 08/30/2019
FINAL WEEK on Healy- no longer an Iceworm - 08/26/2019
Last Multiple Day Cruise - 08/25/2019
Week 14 - 08/24/2019
Week 4 on Healy - Near the end of HLY1901 - 08/19/2019
Week 4 On the Healy - 08/19/2019
Second to Last Cruise - 08/18/2019
Week 11 - 08/13/2019
Week 3 on Healy - HLY1901 - 08/12/2019
Roughest weather since I've been in Bermuda - 08/11/2019
Week 3 on the Healy-First week of science - 08/11/2019
Week 2 on Healy - Kodiak to Nome and Science - 08/06/2019
Holiday in Bermuda - 08/04/2019
Week 2 on Healy - 08/04/2019

July 2019

Week 10 - 07/31/2019
First Blog Post - 07/30/2019
Week 1 on Healy - Seattle to Kodiak - 07/29/2019
Week 1 Healy - 07/29/2019
NSF Inspection - 07/28/2019
Modern life at sea - 07/24/2019
Sweet somber sailing - 07/22/2019
Bermuda Atlantic Time Series Study - 07/21/2019
Learning From Different Perspectives - 07/21/2019
Introduction - 07/20/2019
Birthday on Board - 07/16/2019
Pre-Internship Introduction - 07/16/2019
XBT gonna give it to ya - 07/15/2019
Week 9 - 07/15/2019
Always Saying Yes to Learning Experiences - 07/14/2019
First Week in Bermuda - 07/14/2019
The speed of sound - 07/11/2019
Week 2, What to Do - 07/08/2019
Week 2 - Ping it on - 07/08/2019
Reality on a research vessel - 07/04/2019
The Midnight Sun Has Set on Week 1 - 07/02/2019
Week 1 in the N. Atlantic - 07/01/2019

June 2019

Orienting ourselves on an ocean mapping cruise - 06/24/2019
Week Six: The Final Week on the R/V Hugh R. Sharp - 06/24/2019
Pre-Cruise: Preparing for a Month Under the Icelandic Midnight Sun - 06/23/2019
Don't mind if I do... - 06/21/2019
Week 7 - 06/19/2019
Week Five: The Last Week of the Scallop Survey - 06/15/2019
Week 5 - This is how the survey ends - 06/15/2019
Week Four: Lost in the Abyss - 06/08/2019
Week 5 - 06/05/2019
Week Three: Eat. Sleep. Dredge. Repeat - 06/01/2019

May 2019

Week 4 - 05/29/2019
Week 2 - Scallop Survey Shuffle - 05/28/2019
Week Two: Endless HABCAM - 05/25/2019
Week 3 - 05/22/2019
Week One- The Beginning - 05/18/2019
Happy HABCAM'ing - 05/18/2019
Week 2 - 05/15/2019
Pre-Intern - 05/11/2019
Pre-cruise test - 05/10/2019
Week 1 - 05/08/2019

November 2018

Week 5: All Good Things Must Come to an End - 11/23/2018
Week 4: As the Sun Sets, Winter Awakes. - 11/16/2018
Week 3: Pancakes, Polynyas, and Polar Bears - 11/09/2018
Week 2: Shoot for the STARcS - 11/02/2018
7. Time to Say Goodbye - 11/01/2018

October 2018

Week 1: Up up up and Underway - 10/26/2018
6. CLIO is on Board - 10/25/2018
Week Five: Inport Dutch Harbor - 10/20/2018
Week Four: Finishing Science Ops and Steaming Towards Dutch - 10/13/2018
Final Week: Full-Circle Reflection - 10/13/2018
5. Back in Bermuda - 10/12/2018
Preparing for an High Arctic Expedition - 10/11/2018
Week Three:80 degrees north - 10/06/2018
4. Arrival in Puerto Rico - 10/05/2018

September 2018

Week Two: The Start of the SODA Moorings. - 09/29/2018
3. En Route to Puerto Rico - 09/28/2018
Week Twenty-Two: Part of Something Big - 09/23/2018
Week One: Underway from Dutch Harbor and into the realm of the Arctic Circle - 09/22/2018
2. Arrival, but no boat - 09/22/2018
Week Twenty-One: Hello, Old Friend - 09/17/2018
1. Time for an Adventure - 09/14/2018
Pre-Internship Healy 1802 - 09/12/2018
5: The turn of the tide - 09/09/2018
Week Twenty: Last Days In Alaska - 09/09/2018
4 My Final Week with the Alvin Group Aboard the Atlantis - 09/05/2018
Week Nineteen: Aleutian Appreciation - 09/02/2018

August 2018

3 First Week at Sea with the Alvin Group - 08/29/2018
Week 3: Ahhh-tlantis - 08/27/2018
4: Into the abyss - 08/26/2018
Week Eighteen: To-Do List - 08/26/2018
Week Seventeen: Staying Cool Under Pressure - 08/20/2018
3: Across the horizon - 08/20/2018
2 Preparation for the Atlantis/Alvin Cruise - 08/20/2018
Week 2: Leaving Land - 08/18/2018
Week 1- On board R/V Atlantis - 08/13/2018
1 Aboard the R/V Atlantis with the Alvin Group - 08/13/2018
2: New beginnings - 08/13/2018
Week Sixteen: Arctic Chill - 08/12/2018
Week Fifteen: Iceworm no Longer - 08/05/2018
1: From one boat to another - 08/05/2018
Anticipating Alvin - 08/03/2018

July 2018

Week Fourteen: Cruising to Kodiak - 07/30/2018
Week Thirteen: 47deg N at 85deg F - 07/23/2018
0 Pre-Internship Post: R/V Atlantis - 07/23/2018
Challenging Myself - 07/17/2018
Week 2-aka Last Week at BIOS - 07/15/2018
Week 1-Into the Bermuda Triangle - 07/08/2018
Week Twelve: Troubleshooting - 07/08/2018
Week 1-Into the Bermuda Triangle! - 07/08/2018
Week Eleven: Spruce and Sea Spray - 07/02/2018

June 2018

Pre-Internship Blog Post - 06/29/2018
There and Back Again - 06/25/2018
Week Ten: The Quick Turnaround - 06/24/2018
R/V Atlantic Explorer Week 2 - 06/22/2018
Stateside - 06/21/2018
Week Nine: Science and Salvage - 06/17/2018
All Hands On Deck - 06/14/2018
The HABCAM Returns - 06/12/2018
Week Eight: Night Fishing - 06/11/2018
Smooth Seas and Proper Preparation - 06/04/2018
Week Seven: Dirt Don't Hurt - 06/03/2018

May 2018

Higher Latitudes, Lower Temperatures - 05/30/2018
Ready to Depart! - 05/29/2018
Week Six: At the Dock - 05/28/2018
Wait it's only been a week? - 05/22/2018
Week Five: Hit Ground and Run - 05/20/2018
Week Four: Countdown to Reykjavik - 05/14/2018
Ready to Depart - 05/13/2018
Week Three: Transit to Iceland - 05/06/2018

April 2018

Week Two: A Return to the Day Shift - 04/29/2018
Week One: Rough Seas - 04/22/2018
Arrival - 04/14/2018

November 2017

USCGC Healy - Final Week - 11/19/2017
USCGC Healy - Slide into Seward - 11/12/2017
USCGC Healy - Happy Healy-ween! - 11/05/2017

October 2017

USCGC Healy - Science and Seinfeld - 10/29/2017
USCGC Healy - Getting Started - 10/22/2017
Saying Goodbye - 10/13/2017
I'm going to name my dog, Niskin! - 10/10/2017
USCGC Healy - Internship Starting Next Week! - 10/08/2017
Don't tell the bears, I'm stuck! - 10/02/2017
Leaving for Puerto Rico- Did I mention Hurricane Maria JUST passed? - 10/01/2017

September 2017

Nature's Discotech - 09/25/2017
Cruisin' to the Big City - 09/24/2017
Everyone's grows up sometimes: Holding my own shift - 09/17/2017
Preparing to go meet USCGC Healy - 09/16/2017
Week 3 Aboard the USCGC Healy - 09/12/2017
Storms, Cruise Prep and my First Milli-Q Installation - 09/10/2017
Week 2 Aboard the USCGC Healy - 09/05/2017
Week 5.286 Aboard the Armstrong - 09/04/2017
I've been suspended from a crane! - 09/03/2017
Week 4: Adieu Atlantis - 09/02/2017
Week 5 Aboard the Armstrong - 09/01/2017

August 2017

Week 1 Aboard the USCGC Healy - 08/29/2017
Surprise Mooring Cruise - 08/27/2017
Pictures Galore! - 08/25/2017
Week 4 Aboard the Armstrong - 08/25/2017
BATS: Round Two! - 08/20/2017
Week 3 Aboard the Armstrong - 08/18/2017
Pre-Internship USCGC Healy - 08/17/2017
A Welcome Return from Canada - 08/13/2017
Week 3 Aboard the Walton Smith: Everglades, waterways, and CTDs - 08/12/2017
Week 2 Aboard the Armstrong - 08/11/2017
From Bermuda to Halifax, Canada - 08/06/2017
Week 1 Aboard the Armstrong - 08/04/2017

July 2017

Week 2 Aboard the Walton Smith: Tucker Trawls, Shrimp, and Bioluminescence - 07/30/2017
On shore in Bermuda - 07/28/2017
Week 1 Aboard the Walton Smith: Knots, Navigation, and CTDs - 07/23/2017
A Welcoming Arrival and First Cruise in Bermuda - 07/21/2017
Before I Set Sail - 07/18/2017
Week 4 on the F. G. Walton Smith - 07/17/2017
Before the internship aboard the F.G Walton Smith - 07/16/2017
Home and an Awaiting Adventure in Bermuda - 07/14/2017
Week 3 on the F. G. Walton Smith - 07/09/2017
Week 2 on the F. G. Walton Smith - 07/03/2017

June 2017

Reflections and my Final Trip on the Pelican - 06/30/2017
Week 1 on the F. G. Walton Smith - 06/25/2017
Final Two Weeks: Hurricane Season - 06/22/2017
Week Five: We're on the move - 06/20/2017
Week Five on the R/V Sharp - 06/17/2017
A New Vessel in Mississippi - 06/15/2017
Week 4 -the beginning of the engineering cruse- - 06/14/2017
Florida on the R/V F. G. Walton Smith - 06/11/2017
Week Four on the R/V Sharp - 06/09/2017
Pictures from Scallop Leg 2 - 06/06/2017
Week three is a Little late - 06/06/2017
Beautiful Deep Sea Discoveries- Photos Galor, A MUST Read! - 06/06/2017
Week Three on R/V Sharp - 06/02/2017

May 2017

Deep Water Horizon, Shipwrecks and ROVS - 05/29/2017
Its week two on board the Atlantis - 05/28/2017
Week 2 on R/V Sharp - 05/27/2017
Pictures from Scallop Leg 1 - 05/25/2017
First week with the R/V Atlantis - 05/23/2017
Big Wigs and Boat Celebrations in Baton Rouge - 05/22/2017
Week 1 on R/V Sharp - 05/19/2017
Preparation for Internship aboard R/V Atlantis - 05/15/2017
Docks and Landers in the Gulf - 05/15/2017
Getting Ready for my Internship on R/V Hugh R. Sharp - 05/10/2017
First Month Down - 05/08/2017
Mexico, Storms and Drones - 05/01/2017

April 2017

Week Two: The Sound of Pelicans and the Smell of New Orleans! - 04/22/2017
Week 1: The Gulf of Mexico and Dolphins! - 04/13/2017
Almost on my Way! - 04/01/2017

October 2016

Conclusions on the R/V Sikuliaq - 10/12/2016

September 2016

Sheets and Ice Sheets: Taking the Plunge - 09/16/2016
Blog 6: Day 28 - The End in Sight - 09/11/2016
WEEK 9- Breakdown, Bottles and Bees - 09/10/2016
Blog 5: Day 26 - Pictures! - 09/09/2016
CTDs, Sea Ice and Polar Bears - 09/08/2016
Blog 4: Day 22 - White September - 09/05/2016
WEEK 8- Cable Termination, Nearing the End - 09/03/2016

August 2016

Transiting on the R/V Sikuliaq! - 08/30/2016
Blog 3: Day 14 - Waiting out the ice - 08/28/2016
WEEK 7- An Unexpected Visit Home - 08/27/2016
Blog 2: Day 7 - I think I see Russia - 08/21/2016
WEEK 6- Alongside - 08/20/2016
Blog 1: Day 0 - Pre-internship post - 08/14/2016
Better late than never - 08/14/2016
WEEK 5- Canceled Cruises, Funeral For Our Fallen Brother - 08/13/2016
Return and Reflect - 08/10/2016
Week 4- Downtime and Tragedy - 08/08/2016
Week 3- South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Cruise - 08/03/2016
Moorings and Transit - 08/03/2016

July 2016

Creatures of the Pockmarks - 07/26/2016
Pre-Internship on the R/V Sikuliaq! - 07/25/2016
Week 2-Bioluminescent Sea Creatures - 07/24/2016
Station to Station - 07/20/2016
Week 1 - 07/17/2016
Another successful cruise - 07/17/2016
Backing and Ramming - 07/11/2016
Pre-Internship Blog - 07/07/2016
R/V Sikuliaq Cruise Report - 07/07/2016
Holiday at Sea- Week 1 - 07/04/2016
Quiet times - 07/02/2016
Blog 3, Final - 07/01/2016

June 2016

Introduction and Anticipation - 06/27/2016
Pre-Internship Blog Test - 06/26/2016
USCG Healy Internship - Post 2 - 06/24/2016
Week 5 Aboard the R/V Sharp - 06/20/2016
Pre-internship blog - 06/19/2016
BATS Cruise - 06/16/2016
Week 4 Aboard the R/V sharp - 06/14/2016
Back at it - 06/14/2016
Pre-Internship - Post 1 - 06/13/2016
Week 3 Aboard the R/V Sharp - 06/09/2016
Hydrostation Time! - 06/09/2016
The End or the Beginning? - 06/09/2016
A Quick Update - 06/04/2016
Week Three - Back at the Dock - 06/02/2016
Week 2 Aboard the R/V Sharp - 06/02/2016
A Slight Change of Plans - 06/01/2016

May 2016

Week 01 - 05/28/2016
Week Two- Change of Plans - 05/26/2016
Week 1 - 05/22/2016
Pre-Internship - 05/22/2016
Land! - 05/20/2016
Week One in the Bermuda Triangle - 05/19/2016
Moving into sediment - 05/14/2016
Pre-Internship - 05/10/2016
Pre-Intern - 05/10/2016
Mapping Complete - 05/06/2016
Seafloor mapping out in the Pacific - 05/03/2016

April 2016

Transit - 04/17/2016
Back at sea - 04/09/2016
Picture test - 04/09/2016
Stuck - 04/07/2016

March 2016

Busy busy busy - 03/26/2016
Week 1 - 03/13/2016
Pre-internship - 03/02/2016

September 2015

The last few days on R/V Langseth - 09/12/2015
Looking for freshwater - 09/06/2015
Week One: The Langseth is hard at work - 09/06/2015

August 2015

Week 4- The journey back - 08/28/2015
Getting ready for the Langseth! - 08/25/2015
Week 3- Home stretch - 08/21/2015
The End - 08/19/2015
Week 2- Equipment - 08/15/2015
Multibeam/Coring Cruise - 08/13/2015
Week One- Getting acquainted - 08/07/2015

July 2015

Let The Science Begin - 07/31/2015
I didn't blow up the ship! - 07/30/2015
My third and longest trip - 07/27/2015
New England Mud Patch - 07/23/2015
First 12 days on the Point Sur - 07/17/2015
Week 2 - From Port to the Deep Blue - 07/15/2015
Back to Corvallis - 07/14/2015
Searching for Deep Sea Prey - 07/09/2015
RV Langseth: Last blog post - 07/08/2015
Dreams do come true - 07/05/2015
First day aboard the RV Falkor - 07/05/2015
RV Langseth: Wrapping up Coverage - 07/03/2015
First Week at Sea - 07/02/2015

June 2015

End of a Chapter - 06/25/2015
RV Langseth: Fishing gear - 06/24/2015
R/V Pelican- The End - 06/21/2015
After the Healy - 06/20/2015
Days of Dredging - 06/18/2015
RV Langseth: Mowin' the grass - 06/17/2015
R/V Pelican: Waiting on the Weather - 06/13/2015
Dredging, Whales, and the Last Leg - 06/11/2015
RV Langseth: Data Rolling in - 06/10/2015
RV Langseth: First week out at sea - 06/04/2015
Fun with Dredging - 06/04/2015
R/V Pelican- Almost there! - 06/04/2015
Quick update - 06/01/2015

May 2015

Transitions - 05/28/2015
RV Langseth: First few days on the boat - 05/27/2015
Pre-Internship Hello - 05/22/2015
Week #1: Settling In - 05/21/2015
From parts to product - 05/20/2015
RV Langseth: Getting ready to go - 05/19/2015
Adios San Diego, Hola Portland! What we do while in transit … - 05/15/2015
Pre-Internship Excitement - 05/13/2015
Reflections - 05/08/2015
Best laid plans … - 05/01/2015

April 2015

Understanding Wire and Rope (Part 1) - Wire - 04/28/2015
Oregon Coast Marine Life - 04/20/2015
Maintenance, Sampling and Catching (because anyone can fish) - 04/17/2015
Haze Gray (white) and Underway - 04/07/2015
Ocean Observatories Initiative Cruise - 04/03/2015

March 2015

3..2..1..Start - 03/24/2015
La felia padrig (Happy St. Patty's Day) - 03/17/2015

October 2014

The End…for now - 10/13/2014

September 2014

Cape Crusaders - 09/30/2014
Our love/hate relationship with electronics - 09/25/2014
Looking Westward - 09/23/2014
Our favorite patch of ocean - 09/16/2014
Last Day - 09/12/2014
On my own - 09/11/2014
In all her glory - 09/09/2014
Irminger to Iceland - 09/02/2014
Let's do this! - 09/02/2014

August 2014

Apocalypse Now - 08/27/2014
A picture is worth a thousand words - 08/27/2014
The R/V Oceanus marine tech team - 08/26/2014
Week Six- The End - 08/26/2014
Steaming west in the Labrador Sea - 08/25/2014
Hole in the hull - 08/21/2014
Week Five - 08/20/2014
R/V Knorr is in the Labrador Sea - 08/18/2014
Week Four - 08/15/2014
Castles in the sand - 08/15/2014
Last OBS cruise - 08/13/2014
2 down and another to go... - 08/11/2014
Working on the Irminger Sea - 08/10/2014
Reflections after the internship - 08/08/2014
Week Three- Not so many Thunderstorms - 08/06/2014
On the R/V Knorr - 08/05/2014
CTDs - 08/04/2014
Deploying OBSs - 08/03/2014

July 2014

Sea sickness under control - 07/31/2014
Week Two- Good Bye Scallops, Hello Thunderstorms - 07/30/2014
The Final Post - 07/29/2014
Arrived to Dutch Harbor - 07/28/2014
Hi Seas Net: a frustrating mystery - 07/26/2014
5 days until Iceland - 07/26/2014
Observations and Ideas - 07/24/2014
Filtering Phytoplankton! - 07/23/2014
Internship begins - 07/22/2014
Week One-Scalloping - 07/21/2014
Adjusting - 07/18/2014
RVHRS Scallop Survey - Last Leg - 07/17/2014
On to the Healy and a Rescue in the Ice! - 07/15/2014
RVHRS Scallop Survey - Second Leg - 07/14/2014
First week onboard R/V Oceanus - 07/13/2014
Just finished preparing, ready to begin - 07/07/2014
Ready to Go - 07/07/2014
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end - 07/03/2014

June 2014

Third week on the Sharp - 06/30/2014
RVHRS Scallop Survey - First Leg - 06/30/2014
Preparation for the Journey through Ice and Snow - 06/29/2014
IT WORKS!! - 06/27/2014
Second week on the Sharp - 06/16/2014
Preparations - 06/11/2014
Ocean Bottom Electromagnetic Receivers - 06/10/2014
First week aboard Sharp - 06/07/2014
Applying, packing, and travel - 06/06/2014

May 2014

Departing for My Internship! - 05/29/2014
On Board the R/V Oceanus - 05/05/2014

April 2014

Manganese Mania - 04/30/2014
End of my Thompson Hitch - 04/16/2014
No More MoorSPICE - 04/02/2014

March 2014

Solomon Seas with MoorSPICE - 03/19/2014
Transit to New Caledonia - 03/05/2014

February 2014

End of the Wave Chasers Cruise - 02/19/2014
Tow-Yo Troubles on the Thompson - 02/06/2014

January 2014

Gray Skies and Blue Marlin - 01/28/2014
Let the Wave Chasing Commence! - 01/19/2014
Gearing up for 40 days with the WaveChasers - 01/13/2014
Samoa-Bound - 01/01/2014

November 2013

Special Thanks - 11/11/2013
Some Science - 11/04/2013
1PPS and Dry Wells - 11/03/2013

October 2013

E/V Nautilus - 10/31/2013
The Simple Things - 10/24/2013
Pictorial of the most epic rebuild - 10/14/2013
Team CTD - 10/13/2013
Back in the saddle again - 10/06/2013
Just the Beginning - 10/06/2013

September 2013

Time To Find Some Warm Socks - 09/28/2013
It's the Final Countdown! - 09/11/2013
Icelandic Culinary Delights - 09/04/2013
Signing off E/V Nautilus: Michael Smith - 09/02/2013
Fun, Games, & a little bit of Science - 09/01/2013
Possibly more than you wanted to know about what we do - 09/01/2013

August 2013

From the Boston Tea Party to Tacos - 08/27/2013
Getting More Dives Under My Belt - 08/26/2013
The Deep Blue - 08/20/2013
Settling in New New York - 08/19/2013
Multi-core-apalooza - 08/19/2013
My First Week at Sea - 08/16/2013
Signing off from the R/V Hugh R. Sharp - 08/16/2013
First Night Aboard RV Langseth - 08/14/2013
Welcome to Iceland - 08/12/2013
6 Months In - 08/11/2013
Incoming ROV Intern- Michael Smith - 08/08/2013
Checking in from the R/V Hugh R. Sharp - 08/02/2013
From Satellites to C-Nav - 08/01/2013

July 2013

Counting Down the Days - 07/22/2013
R/V H.R. Sharp Fishing for Rocks - 07/17/2013
Trial by fire - 07/14/2013
R/V Marcus G. Langseth: Leaving the Boat - 07/10/2013
Watching Bubbles and dodging waves - 07/07/2013
R/V H.R. Sharp Georges Bank - 07/06/2013
R/V Marcus G. Langseth: Working in Port - 07/01/2013

June 2013

Hanging out in Davy Jones' livingroom - 06/28/2013
R/V Marcus G. Langseth: BREAKing News - 06/25/2013
R/V H. Sharp: Scallop Photo Shoot and Shucking Party - 06/23/2013
Astoria Oregon... - 06/20/2013
R/V Marcus G. Langseth: A Daily Routine on the Boat - 06/19/2013
R/V BLUE HERON-Duluth Minn./ Lake Superior - 06/17/2013
R/V Marcus G. Langseth: Working out the Kinks - 06/13/2013
The Panama Canal and so much more - 06/12/2013
R/V H. SHARP1: From the West to East - 06/10/2013
R/V Marcus G. Langseth: Collecting the Data - 06/08/2013
Oh what amazing sights we see - 06/05/2013
R/V Marcus G. Langseth: Letting out the Streamers - 06/04/2013

May 2013

R/V Marcus G. Langseth: An Explanation of How Stuff Works - 05/31/2013
Bouncing around THE BAR - 05/31/2013
Staring into the Depths - 05/29/2013
Hard Days of Work - 05/27/2013
Leaving Town with Lasers - 05/24/2013
Whirlwind of Travel - 05/23/2013
Tyler Poppenwimer: R/V Marcus G. Langseth - 05/23/2013
Ship and Shop Maintenance - 05/17/2013
Wires, wires everywhere! - 05/14/2013
R/V Barnes Day trips and More - 05/10/2013
New Langseth Adventures! - 05/09/2013
The Sounds of Silence - 05/05/2013
The Journey Continues - 05/01/2013
In port - 05/01/2013

April 2013

Internal Waves and Whales - 04/24/2013
Langseth Part II: The Mid-Atlantic - 04/21/2013
Northwest Bound - 04/17/2013
Exciting news from the Langseth! - 04/15/2013
Things never go as planned - 04/10/2013
R/V Marcus Langseth: The 2013 MATE Adventures - 04/05/2013

March 2013

Unexpected knowledge comes in handy - 03/25/2013
Don't bight off more than you can chew. - 03/24/2013

July 2012

R/V Marcus G. Langseth: Leaving the Boat - 07/06/2012

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