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| 1. R/V Oceanus
chief mate Ethan Galac (left), bosun Clindor Cacho (center) and steward Jeff
Avery (right) admire the view as the research vessel approaches St. George,
Bermuda, in December 2008. After a rainy day at dock, the ship headed out with
researchers from the Bermuda Institute of
Oceanographic Science to conduct measurements for the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series study — a
long-term, time-series study examining biogeochemical cycles in the Sargasso Sea.
(Photo by Alexander Dorsk, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 2. The WHOI-operated research vessel Oceanus flew the
Spanish flag during a stop in the Canary Islands
in September, following oceanographic research by WHOI marine
biogeochemist Phoebe Lam.
(Photo by Alexander Dorsk, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 3.
"... sailors take warning." The old adage
applies as WHOI's ship R/V Oceanus sits at the dock in St. George, Bermuda one morning in December 2008, just before a big
storm. The storm actually delayed by one day the ship's scheduled departure for
a the cruise — part of the Bermuda Atlantic
Time Series (BATS) measurements for the Bermuda
Institute of Oceanographic Science (BIOS), a long-lasting time series study
of ocean biogeochemistry.
(Photo by Alexander Dorsk, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 4. At a pier between an immense cruise ship and a luxury
yacht at the "Yacht Haven Grande" yacht club in St. Thomas, U.S.
Virgin Islands, R/V Oceanus
was "a little...different...from our neighbors," said WHOI postdoc Anthony Kirincich, part
of the onboard research group. Loaded with gear, winches, cable—and
scientists—WHOI's sturdy working research
ship enjoyed refined surroundings. The November 2008 stopover was near the
end of a long cruise that included two transits across the Atlantic, the Red
Sea and the Mediterranean, before heading home
to Woods Hole.
(Photo by Anthony Kirincich, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 5. James Brennan II spread the good news last summer after
requalifying to become an Alvin
"swimmer," or person who enters the water to assist with the launch
and recovery of the deep sea submersible. Brennan assists with radio and
electronics on board the research vessel Atlantis, which
operates Alvin.
(Photo by Mark Spear, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 6. The WHOI-operated research vessel Atlantis passes a quiet
night in the halogen shadow of the Bay
Bridge between San
Francisco and Oakland.
(Photo by Lance Wills, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 7. Able-bodied seaman—and sometimes Alvin diver—Raul
Martinez stands atop the submersible to relay directions and guide Alvin's pilot into
position for recovery by the research vessel Atlantis
(Photo by Lance Wills, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 8. New WHOI President and Director Susan Avery meets with the crew of research vessel Knorr in the
ship's galley during a home port call in Woods Hole in April 2008.
(Photo by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 9. Diego Mello, first mate of the research vessel Oceanus, helps WHOI postdoctoral scholar Tim Shanahan (right) get
into his 'Gumby' survival suit during a safety drill. Whether it is your first
day at sea or your 500th, every cruise begins with safety drills and
orientation—how to respond to fires, medical emergencies, crew overboard, and
even basic (but nasty) seasickness.
(Photo by Mar Nieto Cid, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 10. The coastal research vessel Tioga takes
shelter in late June at a dock in Rockport
Harbor, Mass., where
the tides can rise and fall by as much as eight feet. WHOI biology researchers Bruce Keafer and Kerry Norton had spent the
day—and would spend the next—sampling
for Alexandrium fundyense in the waters from
Cape Ann to Cape Cod. The harmful algae had a prodigious
bloom this spring, shutting
down shellfish beds in much of New England, though weather patterns
prevented it from reaching as far south as in the devastating bloom of
2005.
(Photo by Ian Hanley, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 11. Mike Gagne (in the basket) and Nate Lavoie (on the mast)
from WHOI's ship operations
group work to remove unused cable, mounts, and antennas from the top of the
research vessel Oceanus in June
2008. They later installed new mounts for the antennas, including a broadband
antenna to provide additional communications capabilities and better Internet
access to the crew while at sea.
(Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 12. The sun sets over the North Atlantic and the bow
of the research vessel Oceanus in
June 2008 during an expedition off the edge of the continental shelf southeast
of Woods Hole. Calm seas are particularly welcome when researchers are working
to collect sediment cores from the seafloor, as they were on this cruise.
(Photo by Alexander Dorsk, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 13. WHOI staff link up and swim together as part of their small boat safety training
course in spring 2008. Scientific and technical staff who wish to pilot the
Institution's small boats
must get certified for operation and safety every three years. The training
includes an opportunity to put on immersion suits (sometimes called
"survival suits") and to practice how to survive a sinking boat in
cold New England waters. The group forms a
human chain because it increases the likelihood of survival if everyone stays
together (versus drifting apart); it is easier for rescuers to spot a large
group than an individual; and survivors can give each other encouragement and
physical support.
(Photo by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 14. The research vessel Knorr, carrying
WHOI scientists and international researchers, was several days into a
month-long voyage to study the Irminger
Sea when it smacked into
an intense Atlantic storm. Writer Dallas Murphy, chronicling the expedition with daily
journals from Knorr, described
the storm as vicious. "It’s been blowing steadily 50 knots for most of the
day, and guys told me they saw gusts to 73 knots this morning. That’s hurricane
velocity. The seas are astounding, frightening and beautiful in their violence.
Waves are averaging easily 30 feet, many far larger, but raw numbers don’t do
them justice.... The entire ship shudders when she buries her bow in the face
of the waves." Chief scientist Robert Pickart,
who conducts research in WHOI's physical
oceanography department, is coordinating the expedition.
(Photo by Daniel Torres, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 15. The ride
in the submersible Alvin
is cozy, with just enough space for three people. Mark Spear, an Alvin pilot, snapped this
shot standing up as the submersible returned to the surface of the Pacific in
January 2008 after a dive. The trip takes an hour and a half, and during that
time the pilot shuts down unneeded systems, updates computer logs, fills out
paperwork, secures equipment, and prepares Alvin to return to its host vessel, Atlantis,
once on the surface. “There is usually plenty of time left over to relax and if
everyone is in agreement, take some posed photos,” Spear said. Happily resting
their heads on the pilot's seat are Kang Ding, a geochemist with the University
of Minnesota (left), and Erin Seyfried, who works with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency in Seattle (but on this cruise, she was working on behalf of
the University of Minnesota).
(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | | 16. Following
a June 2008 dive off the west coast of Mexico,
Alvin
technician Jeff McDonald and Atlantis' steward Carl Wood reach for the
submersible’s tail line in preparation for “recovery” to the research vessel
Atlantis. Once hooked on, the line draws the sub close to the stern and beneath
the heavy lift line. The A-Frame Operator lowers the lift line, and the
swimmers place its eye over Alvin's
lifting T. As the sub rises out of the water, the swimmers dive or jump into
the sea.
(Photo by Lance Wills, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) | Last updated: July 16, 2009 |
