by Thomas Kelly Aboard the R/V Sikuliaq we often run around-the-clock operations and do our best to collect every last bit of data. Not only is our time limited, but ship time is valuable—really valuable. Even if you did manage to make the absolute most of the available ship time, there are inevitably gaps when… Continue reading →
by Joseph Niehaus Relaxing on the bow of the ship brings a fresh breeze, plenty of sunshine, and a fine mist from the waves. When the waves on the open ocean break, small droplets of salt, water and biological material are lofted into the air. These droplets are transported vertically by the wind and may… Continue reading →
by Anastasia Yanchilina, Weizmann Institute of Science While taking break from shift and expecting to see nothing but water and maybe some clouds in either direction, I could not help but notice plastic trash littering the ocean. Where did all this garbage come from? We are currently working our way through the North Pacific Gyre,… Continue reading →
by Tom Lankiewicz, University of California Santa Barbara There are over 100 million bacterial cells in every liter of seawater from the open ocean, but we know very little about these organisms. Most ocean bacteria behave differently from common bacteria, such as E. coli or Salmonella, which are the source of most scientific knowledge on… Continue reading →
by Christina Wertman, University of Rhode Island With his remarkable beard, positive attitude and colorful shirts, Bern McKiernan is a pleasure to sail with on the R/V Sikuliaq. Bern has been working as a marine technician on the R/V Sikuliaq since operations started in 2014. A marine technician is the liaison between the ship’s crew… Continue reading →
by Jake Beam, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences I want to understand how microbes are relevant to the carbon cycle in energy-limited, deep-sea muds, and what they are eating down in the eternal darkness of the abyss. After a few days steaming from Honolulu across the wide expanse that is the Pacific Ocean, we had… Continue reading →
by Mary Dzaugis, University of Rhode Island We are starting our trip across the Pacific from Hawaii to San Diego aboard the R/V Sikuliaq [see-KOO-lee-auk]. Sikuliaq is an Inupiaq name meaning ‘young sea ice that is safe to walk on’. This is an appropriate name for this 261 foot, Polar Class 5 research vessel as… Continue reading →
