Some More About the Science

So on top of the CTD cast water samples we collect and analyze, there are a number of other fascinating pieces of science we are performing on the cruise. Every night, a special net known as a bongo net (because it looks like two bongo drums) is deployed over the sides to collect plankton. As we move farther north, the plankton species have changed greatly. We have collected krill, copepods, arthropoda, shrimp and crab larvae, fish larvae, and many other species of plankton. The bongo nets are always deployed at night because plankton migrate to the surface at night to feed in the cover of darkness.

Jessie preparing her bongo net. Each net collects plankton of different sizes.

Another unique instrument we have on board is the Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP). This automated camera is attached to the CTD and photographs organisms that drift by as we deploy the CTD to the depths. The UVP brings back some amazing photos of small organisms that look like aliens from another world. The photos are analyzed and used to determine the extent and variety of plankton present at different depths along the cruise track. The distribution of plankton can tell us a lot about the components of the seawater and the properties of the ecosystems in the North Pacific.

A collage of some of the images taken by the UVP.

As we steam along, we are also deploying ARGO floats. These autonomous oceanographic vehicles (AOVs) have an inflatable bladder that allows them to sink to 1000m and collect data. They float with the current and track water movement. Once every 2 or 3 days, the AOVs surface and relay their position to the ARGO satellites allowing researchers to track ocean currents and in situ water properties.

Mar preparing to throw the ARGO float overboard. 

51N 152W