The day started grey and dreich but I still have not needed my wet weather gear. It is definitely becoming more difficult to walk in a straight line and is advisable to hold when going up and down stairs or through doors.
The 3rd Argo float was successfully deposited at a deep station in the middle of the Icelandic basin and we have only 12 CTDs to go with an estimated finishing time of Wednesday late afternoon.
Today Jason Dobson, who has just completed first year of the Marine Science degree at SAMS, is in charge of the blog.
Days
on board the Discovery have become very ‘routine’. Shifts have been set out,
meal times are scheduled and sleeping patterns are now running smoothly, in my
case meaning, not sleeping between 12pm and 4am, missing breakfast and lunch
and having the regular nap on watch. It’s a good feeling to know my back is
covered as the incredible ‘A team’ work through the night. As I am the baby of
the cruise I am susceptible to making a few novice mistakes. Fortunately, my team
have taken pity on me and named me ‘the face’ from the ‘A Team’. These mistakes
regularly occur through the night shift after deprived of sleep and reluctance to
nap before shift as I would never be able to wake up on time… as I have already
shown.
This morning’s shift started right
on 12am as I took post and found out there was minimal work to be done as the
station required little sampling and wouldn’t surface for over two hours. This
gave me an opportunity to finish my book while struggling to keep my head from
falling unconsciously onto the desk (time well spent I know). Work can be very
relaxed during the nightshift as much of the sampling takes time to filter and
log, another area where being a novice has induced several minor mistakes; from
labelling wrong, to placing 2 filters in the same tube. Not to worry though as
all is resolved in the morning when our star chlorophyll analyser is
impatiently waiting for me to rouse from my cabin so she can mock me for being
such an idiot.
At the end of every night shift
there is always a little amusement in watching the 4-8 watch members (the
Living Dead) wander into the lab to start shift as the stumble aimlessly and
speak incoherent drivel. But they soon come to life when the cold air, wind and
spray from the vessel attack them as they work on the next CTD. When I finally
made it to bed, eyes shut and ready for sleep, I remembered that I am within
meters of the engine room and sleep is almost impossible without some bangin’
tunes. I’ve had to download a bit of James Blunt with the hypothesis that no
one can stay awake long while listening to him. After 10 minutes my theory is
proven and I’m sent into a deep sleep. However, this master plan works so
efficiently that waking in the morning is a struggle and being called for lunch
is a regular occurrence to which my fellow students seem to have given up on.
The afternoon watch 12-4 consisted
of three hours and fifty minutes of boredom while carrying out the usual hourly
checks until the CTD surfaced which is likely to be the busiest of the trip.
Luckily the ‘A team’ were in control and worked overtime until the living dead
resurrected and started their shift. Once all the hard work has been done its
time to dive into juicy steak and relax for a quiet evening before shift.
This cruise has been an incredible
experience for all the students who have partaken. Some have discovered their
inner scientist and adoring their work. Others have taken the chance to get an
early start on their dissertation and living the dream. For me, this cruise has
been a real eye opener and has given me an immense motivation to drive me
through the following years of my degree. I am beyond thankful for being given
this opportunity and extend my gratitude to those who made it happen. Thanks
guys!
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