Welcome Aboard

Well we made it to the ship. And what a magnificent vessel she is. The NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown (or Ron Brown for short) is a 274 foot AGOR 24 class ship built for long scientific cruises in blue water. Constructed in 1995, the ship is able to take up about 150 nautical miles a day.

The brown has 6 decks. On the 01 deck is the science laboratories equipped with everything the science party needs to sample and measure the chemical and physical properties of the seawater. I have set up along one wall with coolers full of empty bottles to be filled with seawater samples and frozen. Everything has to be tied down to keep from moving during high seas.

The comradery in the main lab is great! All of the science crew is very talkative and friendly. There is an air of cheer and excitement as everyone is ready to get underway. We will disembark at 18:00 on 5/19 and the cruise will begin. Outside, the CTD is being prepped for the first test cast which will happen at just before 00:00.

The CTD is a system of bottles and sensors. The sensors take in information about the water during the CTD's dissent to the bottom. On the way up, the bottles collect water samples from specific depths. The water is then collected and analyzed by us, the scientists. This process of casting the CTD, collecting water, and analyzing its properties is done 24-7 as the Ron Brown steams toward Alaska.