Today was our last day of mobilization before sailing on Day 1 of the NASA NAAMES mission. The scientists and crew were busy making final preparations, there was a buzz in the air that was cooled by a well-timed sea breeze. Boxes were strapped down, filter rigs were secured, and last minute trips were made to the grocery store for chocolate bars.

As part of the ‘in-line’ optics and autonomous profiling team for the NAAMES group, today our group has been busy putting the final touches on the “in-line system” that pumps seawater through a series of instruments throughout the entirety of the cruise. These instruments look at particles, critters, and optical properties of the ocean.

We have also been busy preparing the seven Argo floats which will be deployed during our campaign. These floats will be tossed out into the sea for a lonely, but informative life, where they will measure properties of the water column such as temperature, salinity, oxygen, and light availability.

In the morning, we will say Bon Voyage!

Written by Jordan Snyder

Tags: NAAMES-III 2017