October 12, 2011

Back to Barbados!  What a great island with beautiful beaches, we were all a little too excited to have our first beers in 40 days and to swim in the open ocean after being surrounded by it and not allowed to jump in.  We enjoyed ourselves responsibly (for the most part) and had a great post-cruise celebration.  It was sad to say goodbye to everyone after spending so much time in such close quarters, but the oceanography world is small so I know if I stay in it I will see most of them again.  In these past few days we had a really nice drive to the northernmost point of the island (thanks to Josh and Brandon who rented a car), had a big group night swim in the ocean, explored caves, ate a picnic lunch, played 5 hours of pool volleyball, marathon mini-golf tournaments, and pizza delievered during a rainstorm.  Not a bad end to an amazing adventure. 

October 12, 2011
I just got home to NYC, but wrote this a few days before we got back to Barbados: There is so much that inspires out here on the open ocean.  The infinite horizon, a million sunsets, the starlit night sky, a microliter water sample teeming with life, but also the people.  Especially these women.  Every day, I am blown away by their confidence, strength, wit, creativity and intelligence.  The gender ratio in the science team is just about even, and our chief scientist Tish Yager is female (of University of Georgia- the boss, the one running the show, the one who never sleeps).  I am usually hesitant to talk about gender issues since there is inherently so much nuance and complexity involved but this is just a really amazing group of women who excel in their fields and who make me want to succeed at whatever I do.  So it’s hard not to mention it here as the cruise draws to a close.  We are all here because of women who broke boundaries before us, taking risks and refusing to conform.  I am here because of the women on this ship and all the women in science who continue to break boundaries.  Just a few of them are pictured above, enjoying another sunset (Ina, Kristine, Anouska and Joanna).  The racial diversity is another story- we are quite homogenous in that sense- but I know there is a lot of progress being made to cultivate interest in groups who are underrepresented.  I hope to get involved in some of these efforts, since it is so glaringly obvious…something for the future.  But, as I move on in my work/career/studies, I will remember and continue to be inspired by everyone I’ve met here- the men and the women- these innovators, problem solvers, engineers, modelers, planners , thinkers, artists, jokers.  The people I’ve shared this time with have really made it so invaluable. 

I just got home to NYC, but wrote this a few days before we got back to Barbados:

There is so much that inspires out here on the open ocean.  The infinite horizon, a million sunsets, the starlit night sky, a microliter water sample teeming with life, but also the people.  Especially these women.  Every day, I am blown away by their confidence, strength, wit, creativity and intelligence.  The gender ratio in the science team is just about even, and our chief scientist Tish Yager is female (of University of Georgia- the boss, the one running the show, the one who never sleeps).  I am usually hesitant to talk about gender issues since there is inherently so much nuance and complexity involved but this is just a really amazing group of women who excel in their fields and who make me want to succeed at whatever I do.  So it’s hard not to mention it here as the cruise draws to a close.  We are all here because of women who broke boundaries before us, taking risks and refusing to conform.  I am here because of the women on this ship and all the women in science who continue to break boundaries.  Just a few of them are pictured above, enjoying another sunset (Ina, Kristine, Anouska and Joanna).  The racial diversity is another story- we are quite homogenous in that sense- but I know there is a lot of progress being made to cultivate interest in groups who are underrepresented.  I hope to get involved in some of these efforts, since it is so glaringly obvious…something for the future.  But, as I move on in my work/career/studies, I will remember and continue to be inspired by everyone I’ve met here- the men and the women- these innovators, problem solvers, engineers, modelers, planners , thinkers, artists, jokers.  The people I’ve shared this time with have really made it so invaluable. 

October 8, 2011

Hooray- land!

We saw land this morning, we are in Barbados at last!  Can’t wait for our beers at the tiki hut at 16:00… Will put up my backlog of posts and pictures soon, has been a busy week. 

October 2, 2011
Sunset through the porthole in the main lab.  These are the things I will miss.  We are getting close to the end of the road, and I’m having mixed feelings about it.  I’m so grateful to be here savoring these moments and learning as much as I can, but will also be grateful to feel the ground beneath my feet!  Seven more days at sea.

Sunset through the porthole in the main lab.  These are the things I will miss.  We are getting close to the end of the road, and I’m having mixed feelings about it.  I’m so grateful to be here savoring these moments and learning as much as I can, but will also be grateful to feel the ground beneath my feet!  Seven more days at sea.

October 2, 2011
Q
So have you found any good plumes yet? Have you discovered anything new? If you do, name it phyto-suze-a-pod! - Umar
Anonymous
A

Hi Umar!  We actually ran into the river’s plume yesterday, where blue and brown water meet- very cool to see.  That also meant a marathon sampling going between the waters, and filtering water replaced sleeping.  Still recovering, but hopefully we’ll all get some meaningful data.  We’ll see what comes out of all this as far as new discoveries but people will be analyzing and putting research into presentable forms for months and months.  You are so getting credit for phyto-suze-a-pod, if we pull out a half-Chinese copepod in the next net tow. Thanks for checking in!

September 29, 2011

more of the skies

September 29, 2011
September 28, 2011 • 1 note

Spa night!  We needed to break up the monotony of our sampling stations; luckily there are people here with experience in that.  Mud was saved from the ocean floor core samples, approx. 6000 years old!  We made mud masks with it, there are lots of forams- good for exfoliation (and paleooceanographers also use them for modeling past climate with carbon isotopes).  We hooked up the quarterdeck sound system, had back massages, painted nails and put on temporary tattoos (the kittens on my arm).  A fun night with great people, though we do look a little zombie-like with our green mud masks drying on our faces.

September 28, 2011

Here is my cup!  Sharpie for scale.  Got sent to the deep ocean on a CTD, where pressure shrunk it down- my ode to NYC.  The bottom also blew out so it got really weird.

September 27, 2011

styrofoam cat head + deep ocean pressure = awesome shrinkage!

(art by Julie Gonzalez, GA Tech)