Settling in

It is day four aboard the R/V Atlantis where scientists (and wildlife) alike are beginning to settle into our expedition through the vast North Atlantic. Everyone seems to be adjusting to ship life and finding a routine. It didn’t take too long for me to accept this as my new life for 26 days. It is easy to forget about the rest of the world while at sea. Out here, it is just you and your work, the others on the ship, the sea, and a few seabirds.

Even the phytoplankton have been seemingly absent as we sail through the clear, sapphire water of the Sargasso Sea. This isn’t too surprising because this area of the ocean is generally nutrient-limited, so many of the larger phytoplankton groups we are interested in are not able to grow well in this region, resulting in very clear, deep blue water. This should provide an interesting comparison as we continue northward towards more productive waters.

Under the warm, sunny skies of the past few days, the water has been very inviting, like a siren it beckons us to jump in for a swim; but of course doing a swan dive off the ship would be a terrible idea. Although we are busy with sampling and measurements, we take every chance we get to soak up the warm sunshine on deck because it probably won’t last much longer. On the outside decks, our stowaway wildlife celebrity, Herbert (named by Nick H.), the Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) has been with us since Puerto Rico. Herbert can be found resting on the upper decks of the ship or flying along side the ship catching flying fish, and loves to pose for photos.

Aside from a quick two night trip on the R/V Atlantic Explorer a couple of years ago, this is my first long research cruise. Some of my friends have been on previous NAAMES cruises and have come back with fantastic stories of their experiences, so when I was asked to join, I was extremely excited to participate. I am also very thankful to both Chief Scientist Mike Behrenfeld and my professor, Kim Halsey, for inviting me to be a part of the NAAMES expedition, it has been, and will continue to be the experience of a lifetime. Being surrounded by other scientists who have similar research interests has been the best part. So far, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all of the wonderful people that are a part of this team. From interesting conversations in the lab, to socializing during the sunset sing-alongs on the bow of the ship, and of course, doing work that I am passionate about, this has been an amazing adventure so far.

Written by Eric Moore