November 30th: Science!

We left Palmer Station around noon today, heading for our first sampling station, but because of an apparently massive low pressure system sitting over the Drake, we had to veer a bit off course to a more sheltered area where we wouldn’t be beaten to a pulp. We rerouted to a different station to work out the kinks in our sampling methods. The work started almost immediately that afternoon with the first of many CTD’s and net tows to come. Katie and I were on shift and were a little bit frazzled once we realized that we didn’t really have much of any idea of what we were doing! We didn’t catch too much in the net, but if you ask me, it was a decent first catch – small enough that our heads didn’t explode at the thought of sorting, identifying, and counting them all, but comprised of most of the common species that we will be seeing in the majority of our tows.

We’re working ~12 hour shifts, which means (at least for Karen and I who work the night shift) that we get to watch the sun set and then rise again a few hours later! The first day of science had an especially pretty sunset and the sunrise was just as good with ice in the background being illuminated by the sun. 

The field team on the backdeck of LM Gould looking extremely serious for some reason (from left to right: Katie, Karen, and Melissa).

Getting ready to dissect Wolfie (the Stony Brook University mascot) in the wet lab.

- Melissa