Image of the Day

March 12, 2007

Hitching a ride

As the science team and crew of R/V Oceanus steamed home fromthe Gulf of Maine in November 2006, a cormorant perched itself on theside rail of theship. "The bird stayed around for quite some time,dried his feathers, and walked around on the deck—and eveninto the wet lab of the ship at onepoint," said WHOI research associate Bruce Keafer, who led theexpedition. "The bird was quite the model, keeping its poise withpeople close by. I considered our friend a good omen, as the cruise hadgone sowell." When they were not bird-watching, the science team conducted an extensive survey of the Gulf, looking for signs of Alexandriumfundyense cysts that can seed outbreaks of harmful algal blooms. (Photo by Bruce Keafer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)