We’ve
now been at sea for around two weeks, which means we’ve had that time to get
used to our schedules (or for some of us, lack of schedules). Sampling and
analysis at sea goes around the clock, with some people working opposite shifts
(e.g., noon to midnight and midnight to noon) so there is always someone from
each group working in the labs.
In
the carbon group, our shifts are staggered so that at least one of us is
available for sampling and analysis at all times – day or night. Our shifts are
12 hours long, but the shifts sometimes begin early or end late if we happen to
be backlogged and are continuing to sample (sampling never ends on this
cruise). My shift begins at 8 in the evening and ends at 8 in the morning,
which is the shift that I elected to take. You might think I’m crazy for
choosing that shift, but there are a number of reasons why I think it’s the
best shift.
 |
| 1) Breakfast (served from 6:45-7:45, 7-8 on Sundays). |
Over
the past couple years, I’ve debated with many people about which shift is the
best, and for me, breakfast is where it’s at. I’ve heard the argument that
breakfast is always the same, but breakfast is always great, so I have no
problem with having something consistently great. Working a shift that skips
breakfast but includes lunch and dinner means you get more variety (like tasty
burgers, fish tacos and salad while it lasts), but while those meals are
oftentimes a hit, they have the most potential to be a miss. Breakfast on the
other hand, is always amazing. For me, there’s nothing better than stepping out
of the carbon van at 6 in the morning and catching a whiff of bacon and eggs
being cooked in the galley. In addition to that smell telling me that breakfast
is right around the corning, it tells me that my shift is almost over, and to
me, there’s nothing better than that.
 |
| 2) Sunrise and sunset (taken at 12:16 AM). |
I also
get sunrise and sunset during my shift, which is undeniably great. On August 15th,
I caught the sun rising over Nome, Alaska, and just yesterday on the 19th
I got to watch the sunset morph into a sunrise over about five hours during my
shift (pictured above).
 |
| 3) Wildlife (like this polar bear from a distance). |
I
think that animals tend to be most active at dawn and dusk, so I also get to
see the Arctic wildlife (but I think everyone on board will get the chance to
see a variety of animals during this cruise). I briefly saw a humpback whale
towards the end of the first cast of the first station on Aug. 12th,
walruses welcoming us to the marginal ice zone on Aug. 18th,
and late on the 19th I saw a polar bear from a distance (while
others saw two).
We
are currently at the second Full station of the cruise (first in the Arctic at
76.5°N, 173°W), and will be continuing northward to some CLIVAR Repeat
Hydrography stations later in the day (view station map from And so it begins for reference).
Well
that’s it for this week! I’ll try to write one science/cruise post and a life
at sea post for you next week! More photos and great stories to come!
—AA
