Ready, Set, Sample

WHOI scientists Magdalena Andres (center), Glen Gawarkiewicz (right), and Robert Todd review output from a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) instrument on a computer monitor aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong. Andres, who led the April expedition off the coast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., radios the winch operator controlling the instrument to request a specific depth for a new sample. The CTD provides the team with a look at water properties that play a primary role in driving major ocean currents. The researchers are investigating recent variations in the Gulf Stream as part of the multi-year PEACH project, which aims to help scientists better anticipate the coastal ocean’s response to climate change. (Photo courtesy of John McCord, University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute)