Today we wave goodbye to our NAAMES team members who will not join us at sea…..

And away we go!

Starting something new can often be intimidating. Add in a moving boat, some rough weather, and potential sickness and that feeling can become overwhelming. However, these feelings are quickly eclipsed by the sheer excitement of the adventure and potential for great scientific data. Living on a boat for a month doing science is an experience few will ever get.

As a PhD in the lab of Kim Halsey at Oregon State University my research focuses on studying how phytoplankton physiology responds to environmental shifts. The North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) project which aims to capture the many complexities of the North Atlantic plankton bloom cycle – ranging from the chemical level and working all the way up to ocean-wide phenomena thus provides me with an excellent research opportunity. My work as a part of NAAMES focuses on the microscopic plants(phytoplankton) in the ocean that convert sunlight and CO 2 into usable forms of carbon. During the cruise, I will measure the rate at which these organisms convert carbon dioxide into biomass using the power of the sun. And I will also perform experiments to understand how they adjust their physiology under different light conditions. Needless to say, I am beyond excited to contribute to this project in the coming weeks!

After a quick safety briefing, where I had to don the bright red ‘gumby’ suits, we set sail, speeding off to follow in the wake of a tropical storm.

Here’s to becoming one big boat family!

Written by Bryce Penta

Tags: NAAMES-III 2017