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Hitching a ride

March 12, 2007

As the science team and crew of R/V Oceanus steamed home from the Gulf of Maine in November 2006, a cormorant perched itself on the side rail of the ship. “The bird stayed around for quite some time, dried his feathers, and walked around on the deck—and even into the wet lab of the ship at one point,” said WHOI research associate Bruce Keafer, who led the expedition. “The bird was quite the model, keeping its poise with people close by. I considered our friend a good omen, as the cruise had gone so well.” 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)