As the sun begins to dip below the horizon, the dulcet tones of Celine Dion join the cacophony of the crashing waves and whipping wind. The multicolor sky provides a picturesque backdrop for the momentous drum solo performed by none other than Bri Hendrickson. For some of us, sunset sing-alongs occur nightly on board the R/V Atlantis. Few moments on the boat offer such a cathartic experience. For a few brief moments, nothing else matters except the vast ocean in front of you and the sheer freedom of singing to the world’s largest audience: the ocean.

These sing-alongs are just one example of bonding on the boat. Science may be the reason for our month on the sea, but the moments between frantic operations are where the friendships form and life-long relationships and collaborations are solidified. Sunset sing-along is one of those moments that truly transformed some of us from colleagues to friends. After belting out “My Heart Will Go On” on the bow of the boat for weeks straight, you have little reservations left. Coffee club is another experience that draws people together. Multiple groups devote time to come together and drink this highly precious liquid. Some groups even bring their own espresso machines to up the ante. These creature comforts bring us all together, especially due to our close proximity on the ship.

These bonding moments are crucial when living together with an assortment of people from all over the country and world. Large projects such as NAAMES bring together such a diverse group of people with one major commonality: a burning desire to know more. Conversations run the gamut from directly related to the project to life stories that serve to only enrich our already diverse team. One strength of this project is our inherent diversity – both scientific and individual diversity. NAAMES incorporates biologists, chemists, journalists, and these are merely our careers. Cramming 30 people into a 300-foot shop sounds daunting, but I promise you that life on this moving ‘island’ is everything you can imagine and more.

NAAMES 4 has just begun, but these traditions live on strong. Though I may be a newer addition to the group, it is clear that the seasoned participants have their own traditions that make a month on a ship a little less intimidating. Sunset sing-alongs have been a memorable aspect of the NAAMES cruises for me, but I am sure that we can all think of our one thing that keeps us smiling here on the boat. When the NAAMES campaigns come to an end in a month, these moments will be the intangible keepsakes we all take away from the ship and hold onto for a lifetime

Written by Bryce Penta