Schools on Board: Phytoplankton and the Arctic Ecosystem

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

October 1, 2011

Today, we learned about phytoplankton, which is important because it is responsible for most of the primary production in the Arctic ecosystem. Scientists want to know if the Arctic Ocean will be emitting or absorbing CO2 in the future due to climate change.

It’s starting to feel like we will be leaving the ship really soon. We started discussing a farewell presentation for the scientists and crew. The helicopter pilot also started giving safety briefings to prepare us for getting off the ship.

Even though we are leaving soon, we are still doing exciting activities. The chief engineer gave us a tour of the engine room this afternoon. It was very loud and smelled like diesel, but it was cool to see the inner workings of the ship. What I found interesting was the fact that the heat from the engines is used to boil seawater in order to obtain freshwater for the ship. —Karen Butt ’12

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Schools on Board: Physical Oceanography

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

September 30, 2011

This morning, we had a presentation on physical oceanography, which includes the study of waves and currents. We learned about how water circulates between the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans, and how climate change can drastically change this. I like physics, and it was interesting to see how it can be applied to climate change.

The scientist then showed us the Rosette, a piece of equipment that samples ocean water at different depths. He showed us the probes it has to measure temperature, salinity, pH and fluorescence. They lower it into the water with a winch that has 3km of cable. It is the most important tool on board in terms of the ship’s scientific operations, because all the scientists need to know characteristics of the ocean water from which they are sampling.

Later on, I looked at a variety of zooplankton under the microscope. I admire the patience that the scientists have, closely examining each creature and trying to determine what species it is.

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We also listened to a presentation about microbes in the ocean. They do not know much about what is found in the ocean because most of the bacteria they find cannot be cultured. I love finding out about everything that there is still left to discover. —Karen Butt’12

Schools on Board: Benthic Ecology

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

September 29, 2011

This morning, we had two scientists talk to us about benthic ecology. This deals with organisms living on the seafloor. They are good indicators of the global state of the environment, but the scientists don’t know much yet.

I went up on deck today to watch the Boxcore go to the bottom of the ocean. This is an instrument that brings up a cube of ocean floor sediments for analysis. The scientists took the top layer to their lab, and we had to shovel the rest of the mud out of the box back into the ocean. I like how the crew lets us get involved with these kinds of operations and we feel involved in life on the ship as opposed to only watching what is happening.

Afterwards, I went to the lab with two others to sort the organisms found in the mud from the Boxcore. My mind was blown when we showed the scientist some strange creatures we found and she didn’t know what they were. I thought scientists knew so much, but there are still so many species on the bottom of the ocean that are undiscovered.

Karen Butt ’12

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Schools on Board: Marine Mammal Exploration

Posted on October 2, 2011 by admin

September 28, 2011

In the morning, a few students went to the data acquisition room, where we got to see a sonar device used for detecting marine mammals and fish around the ship. The two scientists working with it explained that they were creating a database with the best frequencies to use to detect different species. I was surprised to find out that no one knows how to detect these animals that well, and even less is known about their behaviour. So far, I have had the chance to realize how truly mysterious the Arctic still is, even to the best scientists.

In the afternoon, the ocean was very calm, so the captain had the chief officer take all the Schools on Board participants out on the barge to look for wildlife. We were able to see quite a few seals get close to the boat, and we also saw several bowhead whales in the distance. At one point, we caught a glimpse of something white poke its head out of the water, and we were pretty sure it was a beluga.—Karen Butt ’12

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Schools on Board: Life Aboard Ship

Posted on October 2, 2011 by admin

September 25, 2011

This morning, we had a presentation from the captain about life on board and the rules of the ship. Then, an officer gave us a tour of the ship, which highlighted all of its safety features. He showed us the lifeboats along with the survival suits we would have to wear if we were to abandon ship. I hope we never need to use them!

After dinner, we listened to a presentation from the chief scientists on board the Amundsen. He was telling us about a trip he took in a submarine to the bottom of the ocean where the remains of the Titanic were scattered. Afterwards, he started to tell about how research with Arctic Net works. The ship stops at different stations to collect samples of water, ocean floor sediments and different creatures. All the scientists on board share the data and their individual research projects are actually part of one big picture. They study a wide range of topics from nutrients to zooplankton to contaminants, but they all study the same places and make connections between their findings. It amazes me to see how everything is coordinated.—Karen Butt ’12

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