17 May 2004

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 87

Monday, May 17, 2004
9 pm Alaska time

We are currently in the Bering Strait. Around 7 am this morning a test
cast was made to make sure the equipment called a Rosette was
functioning properly before the first scheduled station. The test went
well and we are going to the five stations. Stations 1-5 are fairly
“close” together along a transect line between the coast of Alaska and
Little Diomede Island. The depth at the five stations is relatively
shallow. Susan and Craig will take samples for station 1 and 4 from 10
m and 30 m below the surface.

The sampling equipment used today is called a Rosette. The Rosette is a
circle of twelve, 30Lwater collection bottles and sensors measuring
conductivity, temperature and density. When it is deployed, the
scientists call it casting a CTD. The bottles are computer programmed
to collect water at assigned depths in the water column. The scientists
need different depths for the different experiments. Each project is
assigned an order to collect water and when the scientists collect the
water, it is carefully logged on a master list. The person in charge of
the list is nicknamed the water cop.

Rosette before sampling.

Jim is carefully monitoring and logging the water collection.

Collecting water from the rosette.

After Susan and Craig collect water, they filter it to collect the POM,
the primary producers of the food web. The amount of water they filter
depends on how productive the water is – the more productive the water,
the less water required. Station 1 had productive water today so only
1.5 liters of water was filtered for each sample. The goal is to get a
very full filter. When the filter is really loaded, it is removed from
the filtering apparatus and placed into a sample bottle. The sample
bottle is then placed into a drying oven. There are four samples taken
at each depth.

Craig filtering water from station 1.

Susan and I left Craig to complete the filtering at station 1 to go
visit the bridge. On our way, we met CWO II Bill Levitch. Bill is the
Chief of Supplies. He asked if we would like to go to the Aloftconn
where navigation happens when the ship is in ice - it is the top of the
ship. We immediately accepted his gracious offer. First, we went to
the bridge, which is located on five decks about the main lab area.
Bill asked and received permission to take us to the Aloftconn. From
the bridge we climbed three vertical ladders to reach the Aloftconn.
The Aloftconn is 99 feet above the water. The view is amazing.

Ladder to the top of the ship.

Sign posted in the Aloftconn.

View from top of the ship.

Bill joined the Coast Guard upon completion of his bachelor’s degree.
He has been a member of the Coast Guard for over twenty years. Bill has
been assigned to the Healy for the past 3 years.

CWO II Bill Levitch

To see photographs taken by Steve Roberts of UCAR/JOSS, click here.