I have spent the past two days learning about the multi-core, a state of the art benthic (sea floor) sampling device.  The multi-core is unique in its ability to preserve the sediment water interface while sampling.  This is a critical zone for the exchange solutes between the bottom and the water.  Nutrients, dissolved gases, and other elements collect in the bottom sediments and their interaction with the water above is one important element of the research being conducted by the researchers on this cruise. 

Paul Walczak, the coring guru, prepares the multi-core for deployment. 
 

Dr. David Shull from Western Washington University and Dr. Al Devol from the University of Washington lead the team along with their graduate students Emily Davenport and Heather Whitney.  They are studying how the sea ice and its melting are affecting the processes on the sea floor, specifically where the organic matter accumulates and the effects that the burrowing animals, such as tube worms and clams, have on the nutrient supply to the overlying water.  They use the multi-core instrument to collect their samples which they then analyze to get profiles of nutrients within the layers of the sediment.  They measure nitrate, nitrite, ammonium and nitrogen gas, key components of the nitrogen cycle, to learn about the nitrogen levels in the sediment along with oxygen, silicate, phosphate and radon which Dr. Shull refers to as the “magic gas.” 

By collecting the information about the gases and nutrients, the researchers hope to unravel the mystery of how the ice melt and presence of more organic matter in the water column affects what is on the sea floor.  Will a larger food supply from increased ice melt and the following increase in mud-dwelling organisms increase or decrease the amount of nitrogen in the water just about the sea floor?  These are the big questions that this group of scientists are trying to answer.  

Why is this important?  The Bering Sea has a remarkably productive benthic system. From clams and tubeworms to King Crab and Pollock, the exchange of nutrients from the bottom to the waters above is a key component to the food web.  It is important to understand what are the limiting nutrients in the Bering Sea and how they affect ecosystem structure.  Looking at what is in the water column and what ends up on the bottom and how it interacts with the sediments and its eventual return to the water column is of vital importance to our understanding of exactly what is happening here.  In our world of climate change, the effects that more or less ice will have on the system is of vital importance to gaining insight into what the consequences of changes in the ice will have on the entire system in the future. 
   

Bringing the multi-core back on board after collecting sediment cores at 3500 meters below. The winch and A-frame do most of the work but the crew on deck must guide it in gently to not disturb the samples or damage the instrument.
 

 

Dave Shull examines a core.  This is a good sample as the water above the sediment is clear.
 

Heather Whitney takes samples from the core to process later.  The core is carefully sliced in order to sample the various layers of the sediment.
 

Emily Davenport gets ready to extrude the core from the sampling container in order to begin sampling. 
 

A core is sampled for oxygen using a specialized probe that records data and gives a profile of oxygen concentration in the core. 

 

We are still in open water working at a deep station.  The weather is beautiful with calm seas and bright sunshine.  Yesterday some of the scientists deployed a floating sediment trap that drifts in the sea for about 24 hours until they go and retrieve it.  After completing the multi-cores, we head off to find and recover the sediment trap.  This involves a small boat being launched over the side and an elaborate plan to get the instrument back on deck with samples intact.  The weather was on our side for this retrieval and it went off without a hitch.  However, I would not have wanted to be in the small boat which was getting tossed around in the big seas.  

“Retrieving the Sediment Trap”

The evening continued to be beautiful with flocks of gulls and other small birds flying around the ship. Then it was time for the science meeting to determine where and what we were going to do next.  

All of the scientists convened in the science lounge to discuss the plan.  Most of the transect work and time specific samples had already been collected and we had a few days to work with before we needed to head up to our next definite sample site so the question of what all of the scientists wanted to do was the topic of the meeting.  Carin Ashjian, the chief scientist, began by going over what we had accomplished on the cruise in the past few days and then outlined the options for the next few days.  After compiling the input of all of the principal investigators, it was decided to look for an area of production where there could be a lot of phytoplankton and then head north to look for the ice edge.  

We should get into the ice sometime tomorrow evening so I am very excited as it has been a few years since I have been in a frozen ocean.  

 

One of the scientists on board is conducting a “webinar” on May 1 at 2:45 EDT for anyone who is interested in hearing and seeing more about the science being conducted on the cruise.  Here is some more of the information about the event.  Emily Davenport, a member of the Multi-core team, is coordinating it.  Hopefully all can join in to learn about the great science.
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Participate in Live from IPY events! 
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Join us for a real-time, Internet “webinar” on 1 May 2008 with Emily Davenport and the research team in the Bering Sea.

Event starts at 10:45AM Alaska Daylight Time [8:45AM HDT, 11:45AM PDT, 12:45PM MDT, 1:45PM CDT, 2:45PM EDT]. The event will last about 1 hour and participants will get a chance to hear about the research being conducted as well as interact with researchers and Emily Davenport.

These events are FREE to join.  For more information and to register for this “Live from IPY” event, go to: http://www.polartrec.com/live-from-ipy/registration

 

We spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening transiting to our next station where we arrived around midnight.  It is a deep station in about 3500 meters of water so all of the sampling times are long as the instruments make their way through the water column. Sampling has continued into the morning with two deep multi-cores happening.  Once the second multi-core is up, we will transit to our next station, also a deep station before heading north and hopefully back into the ice.

 

 

As is customary on research ships when working in a deep-water area, all of the researchers and crew decorated styrofoam cups to send down on the instruments to the depths of the Bering Sea where the pressure is so great that the cups compress dramatically.  It is the best souvenir to bring home from a research cruise.  I write the date, cruise number, location, and a few other details on my cup and put it with the other cups to send to the bottom of the sea. 

 

 

 

I am looking forward to adding these to my collection. 

 

 

I decided to go to sleep last night for a little bit and wake up at 0530 for a net tow at 0600.  Science happens around the clock on a research ship.  Most scientists work in shifts, one group taking the night shift while the other takes the day shift, noon to midnight or midnight to noon.  

I make my way on deck in the darkness and it is snowing lightly as the nets are being deployed.  The nets are filled with phytoplankton making sorting through the animals difficult.  Along our way in the open water, we came to area of high productivity for the first time in the cruise.  All of the scientists were keen on sampling it.  The net tows along with all of the plankton brought up krill, copepods and a variety of other zooplankton.  Zooplankton is a key link in the food chain between the phytoplankton and larger fish.  The research being done on this cruise is focused on how the various levels of the food chain interact in the Bering Sea and how the ice affects these interactions.  The plankton collected in these tows will be used for various experiments from krill growth to copepod feeding rates. 

 

“Net Tow in the Snow”

 

“Krill”

 

Later on in the morning, the benthic scientists (they study the sediment on the bottom of the sea floor) deployed what is called a multi-core.  This multi-core takes multiple cores of the bottom sediment and brings it up to the surface without disturbing the layers.  Once the cores are gathered, various experiments will be performed on them.  The multi-core team will spend hours carefully processing these samples (I will highlight this research in an upcoming post.)

 

 

After the station was finished, we began transiting to our next station.  The seas are rough but the Healy cruises along smoothly with only a gentle roll.  The sun tried to peak out in the late morning and I continued to explore the ship. 

 

 

The weather lifted a bit and the helicopter was able to start the transfer process from the ship.  We eagerly awaited its arrival and hoped that the weather would hold long enough for all of us to get out.  The helo holds three passengers with some cargo so we had to make three passenger trips and perhaps a few more with cargo. 

We got word that the helo was on its way and we waited in the airport hangar for its arrival.  Out of the fog, we heard the roar of the blades as the chopper landed.  A few people off-loaded and our first group boarded and flew off.  I was on the third trip so I was eagerly waiting the transfer.  Finally I donned my mustang suit, a flotation suit we use for work on deck, and the special helmet.  We loaded up the cargo and buckled ourselves in and flew off and over St. Paul.  We had beautiful views of St Paul and its rugged coast as we flew below the low ceiling of visibility.  The waves were crashing on the shore and the wind was howling but in a few minutes we were approaching the ship and beginning our landing on the helo deck.  We had finally boarded the Healy to begin our work. 

 

 

Once we were on board, we collected our belongings and began a tour of the ship.  The USCG Healy is a huge ship, 420 feet in length.  There are five decks and an overwhelming number of passageways.  The ship is so large that I was issued a pager immediately upon boarding so that I could be reached if needed.  All of the personnel have a pager for contact. 

You can check out the ship at:

http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/

You can also see images of the bow from the “aloft cam” on the bridge of the Healy here:

http://mgds.ldeo.columbia.edu/healy/photos/aloftcon/2008/

After the tour, we met in the science lounge for a safety meeting where we were told what to do in case of emergency and the ins and outs of the ship.  We found out where the life rafts are located and the survival suits.  It is the Bering Sea so it is very cold and safety is very important. 

We then had a science meeting where we met all of the scientists (there are about 50 scientists on board doing all kinds of amazing work) and the chief scientist, Dr. Carin Ashjian from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, told us the plan for the rest of the cruise.  We have some very exciting things in store.  We will stay in open water for a few days and then up north into the ice.  The first sampling station was coming up at 0300.  

 

We woke up to snow and wind this morning which makes the transfer via helicopter questionable.  We will try to raise the ship via radio and see what today will bring.  Patience is important.  Our scheduled transfer is to begin at 0900. 

The wind is howling and the fog is thick so 0900 comes and goes with no helicopter in sight.  We will now begin waiting to see when (and if) we will get out today. 

1000 comes and goes and still the conditions are well below the minimum for flying.  We will now begin hourly checks with the ship to determine when the transfer will happen.  If the weather will not permit the helicopter to fly, we may take small boats.  The small boats are zodiacs and given the winds and freezing rain we are experiencing, this does not sound like a fun option.

It is 1400 now and we are still sitting in St Paul waiting for the weather. The small boats are looking more and more likely.  The Bering Sea and its weather is living up to its reputation.  It is cold, brutal, and persistent. 

A few more hours pass and fortunately the weather lifts and the chopper is on its way.  It should be an adventure.  We are going to begin the transfers shortly. 

Because of the unpredictable weather in St Paul, we had to leave an extra day to ensure our arrival in St Paul on time to meet the ship on Sunday so we have today to explore the island.  St Paul is a birders mecca in the summer when there are nesting birds and fur seals covering the shore, but late winter/ early spring here is a different story.  It is snowing this morning and is a bit blustery so hopefully the weather will break a little so we can do some exploring. 

 

At noon, we head to the crab plant for lunch.  We eat in a cafeteria where the workers from the plant eat and some of the fishermen who just brought their crab in are eating.  The TV is blaring CNN during the meal.  It is cafeteria type food and is served with a smile.  Everyone on St Paul is very nice and helpful.  After eating, I check out the crab being off-loaded from one of the boats.  In the office we find out that the boat brought in 117,000 pounds of crab.  The offloading will take hours.  Like inside the plant, the offloading is done methodically. 

 

 

We then set off on our quest to see the island.  Many of the roads are too snow filled to pass but we wind our way up to a bluff where the vistas of the Bering Sea are spectacular.  It is freezing, raining, hailing and extremely windy but we trudge on up a path to the highest point.  There are birds soaring by the cliffs where the waves are crashing below onto snow-covered banks.  We walk down onto one beach and I put my hand into the Bering Sea for the first time.  The water is frigid and stings to touch.  The sand is dark and volcanic.  It is quite beautiful.  On our journey back to the hotel, we spot some reindeer on a ridge and go up a road to check them out.  Apparently reindeer were introduced to the island in the early 1900s and their populations have fluctuated since but they still roam the hills.   I was thrilled to see them grazing up on the ridge while I was climbing through snow banks to get a closer look. 

 

 

Back at the hotel, it is time to head back to the crab plant for dinner.  Tomorrow the Healy will come in close to shore and we will do the personnel transfer and get aboard the ship for the duration of the research cruise.  We are scheduled to leave at 0900 via helicopter so it should be an adventure to get to the ship.  I am anxious to get on board and head into the ice.  

 

Once settled into the hotel, we piled into our borrowed truck and headed into town to check out the store and the crab processing plant where we were going to be eating our meals for the next two days.  Town was three miles from the airport down a dirt road with snow-covered fields on either side.  Once in town, I was struck by the weather beaten houses and starkness of the landscape.  There were crab pots piled alongside the road and in town, there were boats of all sizes on land waiting for spring so they could be put back into the water.  We pulled up to a large warehouse which was the crab plant and explored the area.  I got my first up close look at the Bering Sea and felt the frigid sea spray while standing along the shore.  The water was green and the swells were large as they broke along the rocky shore.  It was cold and windy with occasional rain and snowflakes falling.  While we were standing on the rocks, we looked over and all of  sudden an arctic fox popped up and looked at us inquisitively.  He was nestled into the rocks and we had clearly woken him up. He scurried off but not in a particular hurry. 

 

 

After looking around some more outside, I had the opportunity to go into the crab plant and check out some opelio crab (snow crab) being processed.  I was super excited to see the crabs that many of us watch being caught in Deadliest Catch up close and to see the operation at work.  It was pretty amazing the speed which everything happened, from picking the crabs, to cooking them, to packaging them for freezing.  It was quite an operation.  Outside, crab boats were being unloaded with heaping baskets filled with crabs getting taken out of the hold.  Usually the crab season has ended by this time of year but the winter has been one of the worst in forty years according to the locals and the ice came further south than normal so the season has dragged on and crab are still coming in.  This gave us the opportunity to see the crab, but the processors and fishermen are ready for the season to be over as it is has already lasted a month longer than usual. 

 

 

That was enough of an adventure for the day and we are all getting acquainted with one another.  It sounds like this group of scientists is planning some interesting work so I am looking forward to hearing more about it and sharing it with you.  

 

 

After packing up my gear, I headed to the airport in Anchorage to begin my journey to St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands, a group of islands in the middle of the Bering Sea.  I met a few other scientists who were also meeting the ship in St Paul in the airport.  The plane to St Paul was a small propeller plane.  Boarding the plane was interesting as there was no security and we just walked on to the plane which was on the rickety old side.  The passengers on the plane were two additional passengers and us.  It was a beautiful day in Anchorage so we were on our way.  The flight time was to be three hours across Alaska and on to the Bering Sea.  About halfway through the flight, we passed over the coastline and were flying over a frozen Bering Sea.  The patterns of ice were beautiful and we were all filled with anticipation of what was to come. 

 

 

Three hours into the flight, as we were all anticipating an on time arrival, a rarity in the Pribilofs as the Bering Sea is known for its inhospitable weather, the pilot came over the PA and announced that the weather was not good enough to land and that we had enough gas to circle for one hour before going to Plan B.  I didn’t know what Plan B was but I was hoping not to find out.  After 45 minutes, we continued our decent into the fog to St Paul.  We were going down and down with no ground in sight until we were about 100 ft off the ground and I spotted a few breaking waves beneath us and then we touched down.  It was certainly an interesting landing. 

 

Once we landed and looked around, we all were wondering where we were.  All we saw was white with tufts of grass here and there.  Would there me a terminal?  We then pulled up to a hangar and that seemed to be the terminal.  We deplaned and then found our luggage in a neighboring building that turned out to be the King Eider Hotel where we would make our home for at least the next two days until we made it to the ship, hopefully on Sunday.