Edge of the Arctic Shelf

Oceanographers in the Mist
The sunny, clear weather is now a pleasant memory. We are enclosed in a damp, cold, clammy fog. Dean Stockwell remarked "we could be in the Gulf of Maine." The watch teams are now running the science in a well-timed rhythm. We arrive at a science station and do a CTD cast, followed by a VPR cast, followed by a multi-net cast, followed by another CTD cast to collect water for radium sampling. Then we move on to the next station, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. We are currently sampling in a straight line heading into deeper water off the coast of northern Alaska. The reason oceanographers often sample in this way is so that when they assemble the data in the computer, they can look at a two-dimensional slice of the ocean.

Oceanographic cruises are very frequently populated with scientists from around the world. Our team is certainly no exception. Anna is from Sweden, Andreas and Julia are from Germany, Leo is from Columbia, and David, Mifaya, Andrea, and Celia are from Cadiz, Spain!

When Tom Weingartner was on an academic sabbatical at the University of Cadiz in southern Spain, he mentioned this cruise and asked if anyone at the University was interested in coming along as a volunteer. David, Mifaya, Andrea, and Celia signed right up, and now they are in the Arctic Ocean halfway around the world from their homes in Spain. Their environment could not be more different. Cadiz is located on the Atlantic Ocean just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Africa. In September in southern Spain the weather is generally hot and humid. They have traded short-sleeve shirts for mustang suits, and the sun for clouds and rain.

After a week at sea, I thought it would be interesting to find out how the Healy compares to their experiences aboard Spanish research vessels.

Celia tells me:
"I am amazed by the size of the ship, and how stable it is. The oceanographic ships in Spain are much smaller. The biggest ship, Hesperides, is 85m long. The rooms are so much bigger here, with lots of personal space. The galley is also very impressive - you can choose from a huge selection of food, drinks, desserts, it's like a floating restaurant. One big difference for me is the meal times. In Spain lunch and dinner are much later. On the Healy dinner is from 5-6PM. It's not uncommon to sit down to dinner at 11PM in Cadiz."

David agrees, adding:
"Yes, and the meals are usually much more relaxed. On a Spanish research ship it's typical to sit down with a good cup of cafe con leche after dinner for an hour or more. Here everyone eats quickly and rushes back to work. It takes a little getting used to."

Andrea:
"I am very impressed by the attention to safety onboard. Even though we are in one of the most remote, harsh places on the planet I feel very safe on the Healy. I have also noticed that the crew's uniforms are much different from the crews on Spanish ships. On the Healy the uniforms are much more comfortable-sweatshirts and ballcaps. On the Spanish vessels the crew has to wear very formal uniforms."

Mifaya had this to say:
"I have found that the people on the ship-both scientists and crew-are very kind and very open. When they can tell I am confused, they always take time to explain what is going on.. Also a lot of people speak Spanish on the ship-people from Cuba, Columbia, San Diego. It's great to be able to both practice my English and speak Spanish with people from these different countries."

Tomorrow the routine will continue as we move into deeper water. To learn more about the scientific instruments we are using to sample the Arctic waters, visit the Science pages.