20 February 2012 Multiple Perspectives

Today I decided that my journal entry should present multiple perspectives. There are many people at Palmer Station and each one has a different and important role. My role is primarily to be a helper and an observer and you've already heard a lot from me. In addition to a description of my own day, I have details from Kate and Julie, the graduate students I’m working with, as well as from the Marine Technicians from the Laurence M. Gould. Here it is, straight from the horse's mouth!

Kate Schoenrock

Hey guys, today we did our first boat dives of the season. This is a bit different from “dock-diving” because you have to get in and out of a zodiac with loads of weight. But, today was a beautiful day (colder than usual with better visibility under water). It was beautiful!!! Right now there are many different species of algae that are really growing; mostly the species Palmaria palmata and Gigartina skottsbergii (both red), and they were beautiful. They were growing like crazy. We collected tons of rocks with various algae all over them, and hopefully they will be very useful in the upcoming experiment. So, until later, take it easy and play it cool. See you on the beach! -Kate

Julie Schram

Today I worked in the Aquarium room on setting up all of the equipment for our ocean acidification and temperature change experiment. We now have most of the wiring done and I am getting excited about seeing all of the various parts and equipment come together in to one big cohesive system. We have all of the electrical equipment set up, so now we will start organizing air and CO2 tubing. This afternoon I got to take Boating Two. Now that I have taken Boating Two, I am allowed to drive the zodiacs within the boating limits around Palmer Station which will allow me to go out with the divers as a dive tender. We practiced doing landings on islands. To land one of the zodiacs on an island around here, you line the bow (front of the boat) up with the shore and slowly drive towards the shore, aiming at having the bow gently touch the shore. Lucky for us, it was a nice sunny and calm day. That makes it much easier to make gentle landings against the rocky shores of the islands around Palmer. Overall, today was a productive and beautiful day. -Julie

Marine Technicians: Chance Miller, Krista Tyburski, Amy Westman, Rich Thompson, and David Moore

Waking up on the Laurence M. Gould is always a challenge at Palmer Station. There are a lot of distractions: delectable baked goods to sneak, glaciers to run off to, and hot tubs to lounge in. Unfortunately, being an MT means at least a 12 hour workday, and projects are plenty. Today, to mention one of them, we collaborated with the Boating Coordinators (BC’s) on station and collected a few of their 75hp Yamaha outboards needing maintenance. Digging into someone else’s resources is always a little stressful, our aim being to meet or exceed stringent standards set by the well- trained BC’s. Five hours later, both engines had been thoroughly inspected, serviced, and even repaired. After 743 hours operating time in the Antarctic, these engines are still in showroom condition thanks to the constant attentions of the boating coordinators. Tomorrow morning we’ll crane them back to the beach, and they’ll be stored until next seasons summer operations. Hopefully we’ll be able to help more in days to come. –Marine Technicians Chance, Krista, Amy, Rich, & David

Ms. Herrmann

Today I spent the day on the water. First I had a trip in the zodiac with Dr. Amsler, Maggie Amsler, Dr. McClintock and Kate Schoenrock. Dr. Amsler and Kate were diving to collect samples for their study; they primarily collected crustose red algae, limpets and snails. This was a great introduction to what my role as a dive tender will be like. After lunch I had a Boating Two class to train me how to operate the zodiacs. (The thing under my float coat is called a beaver tail. It looks weird and isn't very comfortable, but it's all for safety.) I got to wear a survival suit and jump in the water for the man overboard drill! That was a little bit scary, but I stayed completely dry and was surprisingly warm. -Ms. Herrmann/Nell