DAY 8: TEAM WORK ON THE SHIP!

text by Courtney Flanagan photos by Anne Karin Wallace

Perhaps this particular cruise, with its ensemble of scientists representing geology, microbiology, and macro biology, makes the teamwork nature of science fairly obvious.  The full team however includes more people than the scientists!

For example, a problem we had with our first Deep Dive on the ROV had to do with the current in the deep ocean.  A special device had been brought along to measure it, but this had proved not to work.  As a result  there were problems in operating successfully the ROV since the operators didn't know in which direction it would tend to float, and it was impossible to know, when getting water samples with the CTD, the direction from which the most interesting samples had come.  A very happy moment came yesterday when Instrument Leader Martin Dahle fixed this current meter, an unexpected upturn in the day which will positively impact the work in the ocean! 

Jan Bryn, another technician on the team, runs the ROV.  In fact he not only runs it, he built it.  Two days ago, at depth, the ROV suddenly went black.  It had to be hauled back up (not an easy proposition since its engine also had died) and Jan had to find and fix the problem (a short circuit).  Imagine the difficulties posed for our expedition if this equipment had been no longer useable. 

Two days ago, we had an interview with Stig Monsen.  (Follow the link for an interview with this interesting man, who most recently returned with this ship from Antarctica).  Stig operates the gravity corer, the  instrument that brings up our samples of sediment.  Again, the successful operation of this piece of equipment is crucial to the work.  Two of the scientists, Rita Fonseca and Fernando Barriga whose work is particularly connected to sediment studies, could do nothing without the sediment samples. 

Finally, of course, of great importance on an expedition like ours, is the crew on the ship.  Led by Captain Preven Vindenes, this group got us here, and allow us by their work to remain here for three weeks.  Steward Trygve Byrknes and Catering Assistant Brita Pietteen serve food that it is well-prepared, and plentiful,which frankly has an impact on the cruise.  After all, "an army moves on its stomach!"  Seamen not only perform the daily work that allows equipment to be lowered into the sea, but also do a remarkable job of problem solving.  We mentioned earlier how the crew so successfully untangled a crucial cable on last summer's expedition.  

So, in short, the ideas and curiosity and hard work of the scientists are of course the reason for the expedition, but equally important to its success are the ideas and curiosity and hard work of the technicians who operate and repair the equipment, and the crew who run the ship and fill our "inner man and woman!"  It is truly a team effort.  Perhaps politicians in high places in government, responsible for discovering for our entire planet ways of insuring a safe and harmonious existence for all of us, could take a lesson from the way this international team of scientists,technicians and crew works together to unlock the secrets of the earth!