3 May 2015 So long for now and thank you!

Journal

I'm finishing up packing and getting ready to airport hop my way back home. I will be back to let everyone know about upcoming outreach opportunities and the eventual results of the research done on this expedition, though that won't be for a while. Before I disappear I wanted to take the opportunity to thank the amazing people that have made this rewarding opportunity happen.

NBP1503 has been an unbelievable experience for me. I've learned about things that, just a few weeks ago, I didn't even know existed and I have gotten to experience things I thought I'd only ever see in documentaries. It's incredibly powerful to get to see firsthand the changes happening to our planet, many of which are human caused. It's also incredibly inspiring to experience the harsh, beautiful and fragile ecosystem that is the climate engine for the rest of the planet. And it's wonderful to get work with so many talented people making science happen.

Team NBP1503 — The NBP1503 team (most of us). Photo courtesy of Guy Williams, USAP and NSF.

While this is "bye for now," remember the science isn't done! You can explore more about the topics we've covered on your own and learn what you can do to make a difference for our changing climate. Also, feel free to keep asking us questions in the comments or on Facebook.

Thank you!

Thank you to all of you who have followed our expedition on the journal and through social media! I appreciate everyone that read the journals, followed along online, entered contests, commented, "liked", "shared", "double-tapped", and participated. The NBP1503 team loved hearing who was following along, who asked which questions and who "liked" what.

A huge thank you to Dr. Frank Nitsche for including me in his research expedition, for answering all my questions, for putting me up in his home, for being eager to share his knowledge with me, and for introducing me to a new field of science.

Thank you to Janet, Sarah, and the PolarTREC team and ARCUS staff for the opportunity to participate in this awesome learning experience and for the amazing organizational support leading up to the expedition and during the cruise, from over 10,000 miles away.

Thank you to the all the NBP1503 scientists, Frank, Guy, Raul, Alex, David, Eva and Ricardo for being patient with and answering my never-ending stream of questions and for being so willing to share their research and explain new things to me.

Thank you to all the ASC staff—MLTs, MTs, ETs, and ITs—under direction of MPC Al Hickey for their technical and logistical support in all of the projects, both science and education. A special thank you to Kathleen for being a patient and wonderful teacher. Thank you to Elaine and the other logistical staff for organizing and prepping me to get here.

Thank you to the ECO crew, led by Captain Souza, for keeping us safe, comfortable, and well fed and supporting all of the science and outreach activities.

Thank you to NSF for supporting this expedition, the science and the education and outreach.

Thank you to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and FRIENDS of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for letting me participate in this expedition and for their support for the Art Contest, the Closer Look questions, the PolarConnect event, Teacher Workshops and other activities. A special thank you to Kiersten, Chris, Jim, Ed, Mike, Alfonso, Danie, Alix, Alice and everyone else who helped make these events possible.

Thank you to my wonderful husband and family for their support from home. A special thank you to my husband for managing my Facebook and Instagram posting photos, journal entries and comments for me while I was away.

Thank you to everyone else who made this possible!