It’s been a whirlwind first week aboard the Robert C.
Seamans. For me, it’s been one of mental and physical adaptation. Living on a
sailboat is no less of an “abroad” experience than visiting a foreign country –
and it’s perhaps more challenging. In addition to adjusting to the culture and
lifestyle aboard the ship and learning a new language (I’m sure “Make fast the
Fish Peak Halyard” doesn’t mean much to most folks), there’s the physical and
psychological strain of our erratic sleep schedule and the ongoing work to keep
the ship in tip top shape. And all of this is occurring while the ship is rocking
from side to side, which makes even the simplest of activities exceedingly more
difficult. There’s never a dull moment! For example, our first dinner on the
gimbaled tables was outright terrifying. I kept thinking the squash soup was
going to slide right off the table, but we all survived and the soles remained
clean. These challenges have made each day a rewarding learning experience.
From learning the lines to helping deploy the hydrocasts and meter nets, our
teamwork has gotten us far – in terms of distance travelled, accomplishing our
research objectives, and getting to know each other even better.
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| Bizarre mesopelagic fish |
Getting the opportunity to actually participate in some of
the oceanography that I’d previously only heard about in lectures and textbooks
has been incredible, particularly when it has culminated in new discoveries.
Last night, the meter tow we deployed captured a bizarre and potentially
undescribed fish from the mesopelagic zone. It was amazing to think that I was
possibly one of the first people to ever observe this species. Just gazing out
over the vastness of the ocean while off watch has brought to mind the infinite
number of unknowns and a sense of how truly immense this environment is, a
self-evident truth that has never really sunk in until now. Our oceanographic
deployments are only scratching the surface, and there is always more to learn.
This has made the science side of the trip extremely exciting, since we’re at
the forefront of beginning to understand how the physical environment
contributes to its biology. I’m also looking forward to reaching Palmyra, where
I can begin work on my own research project. While I’ve travelled to the atoll
before as a research assistant, seeing its silhouette rising over the horizon
while sailing will be an entirely new experience. So far,
this trip has been an onslaught of new skills to be learned and adventures to
be had, and I’m loving every moment!
-Erin Dillon
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