19 May 2004

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 87

May 19, 2004
2 am Alaska time

We are still at station 6. The benthic sampling needs to be completed
before we move to the next station. Scientists call the ocean floor
environment the benthic and the animals that live in the benthic are
called benthos. There is concern that the sampling equipment won’t get
good samples because we are in a 2-knot current, which is making it
difficult to stay on position. The Healy has drifted off site so it is
motoring back to station.

It is about 2:30 AM and there is success! The first of five benthic
grabs has been made and there are animals in the sample. Susan and
Craig clean the mud from the animals and then sort the animals out by
species. The animal bodies are dried and taken back to University of
Texas Marine Science Institute to do isotope measurements.

Benthos sample after mud has been removed.

Susan and Craig sorting the sample.

Susan sorting and identifying benthos by species.

10:30 AM
Station 6 was completed at 7:30 this morning. We are headed to station
7. It is Inuit whaling season and to avoid disturbing the natives’
hunting, we have moved into Russian waters. The estimated time of
arrival (ETA) for station 7 is 11:30 PM. There were three polar bears
spotted about a half hour ago, but I did not see them. I did get to see
polar bear paw prints in the ice and a large flock of sea gulls. I also
saw a walrus with two pups.

NOON
We are into an ice field and the ship is breaking a path. The Healy
shutters and vibrates as it cracks the ice, the thicker the ice, the
more vibration. Some of the ice is thick and we are shaking quite a
bit. It is fascinating to watch and hear the ice breaking process.

Ev Sherr, Oregon State University, watching the Healy break ice.

The Healy bow as it meets the ice.

Notice the V-shape imprint the Healy’s bow makes on the ice.

The open path left in the wake of the Healy.

Melt ponds form on the surface of the ice. Notice the blue color.

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