A Long 31 Hours
The trip to Punta Arenas, Chile was long and tiring. My ankles are still deflating from the swelling due to hours in a seated position and I am still unsure of the day of the week or date because I somehow missed an entire day while seated in an airplane. The trip, however, was an opportunity for the research team to bond. All members of the team met in Dallas, Texas and completed the rest of the trek together. The long trip was also beautiful! We traveled along the Andes Mountains as we approached Santiago, Chile and watched the sun rise over the giant peaks as we made our approach for landing.
The snow-capped peaks of the Andes Mountains greet members of the Southern Ocean Diatoms research team on their approach to Santiago, Chile. Photo courtesy Dreux Chappell.
With a stamp in our passport and clearance from customs we entered Chile and waited for our next (and last) flight to Punta Arenas. As part of the support by the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), we received help along the way to make sure that our transition into Chile went off without a hitch.
Cara Pekarcik arrives in Santiago, Chile with the help of members of the United States Antarctic Program.
Our approach to Punta Arenas, Chile was filled with sights of mountains and large expanses of water. The town is situated on a peninsula with the city facing the Straight of Magellan. We saw very little of the town from the airplane because there was so much water all around. After landing and collecting our baggage, we were driven to our hotel for the night. Every member of the team dreamed of a hot meal, a hot shower and a fluffy pillow.
The research team approaches Punta Arenas as the sun sets on 31 plus hours of travel. Photo courtesy Sveinn Einarsson
Each team member brought a number of bags. Some bags containing personal items and some bags containing lab gear. There was enough baggage to fill the back of a mini-van and a small trailer.
No Time To Sleep In
Our team was up early to start the day. Everyone arrived at breakfast well-rested and ready to begin the process of preparing for 6-weeks at sea. One of the first tasks was picking up our Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear. This gear is issued to crew and scientists who are traveling to Antarctica. The gear may vary depending on whether you are at sea or on the ice, but the idea is still the same - layers and warmth! The clothing room is located inside the DAMCO warehouse. The warehouse serves as a storage area for operations, including the clothing room for ECW gear.
Various boxes, equipment and supplies are stored in the Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) warehouse.
I received a large bag containing heavy winter pants, a large 'puffy' jacket, gloves, lined work pants, fleece layers, foul weather gear, a lined hat and steel-toed marine boots. In many cases, a number of these layers might be needed at any given time. After about 30 minutes of trying on clothing and exchanging items that were too large or too small, I was officially issued my gear.
One of the most important steps in the preparation process is acquiring ECW or Extremem Cold Weather gear. Each crew member and scientist is supplied with gear, including this large 'puffy' red coat. Photo courtesy Dreux Chappell (ODU).
It is ALL About The Gear
After our lunch of tasty empanadas, we boarded the ship for the first time and began gear inventory and gear set-up. Much of the lab equipment needed for this cruise was shipped in late June/early July for storage in the warehouse. When the ship arrived in port, the crew began moving large crates, containers and collection equipment to various decks of the ship. Once all of the boxes were located, the lead scientists (Dr. Bethany Jenkins, Dr. Dreux Chappell and Dr. Kristen Buck) began mapping out locations for various instruments and lab zones. Decisions are made based on the specific need of the scientist, the procedures and the relationship of the area to sea water access, sinks, incubators and freezers. Once the decision was made on the location of a specific station or zone, equipment could be moved and inventoried.
Cara Pekarcik stands in front of the 308ft (94m) long R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer. This vessel will be home for Pekarcik and the research team for the next 6 weeks.
The numerous crates and boxes located on the main deck contain items like pipettes, rubber gloves, sample bottles and measuring equipment.
Dr. Dreux Chappell and Kim Powell of Old Dominion University checks off crate numbers as she inventories gear for the cruise.
This red covers hides the trace metal clean sampling rosette that will be used to sample water for trace metal experiments.
Lab supplies carried into the wet lab include gloves, filters, graduated cylinders, sample bottles, sample tubes, pumps, lab notebooks and Petri dishes.
The Bubble
My main job during the afternoon was to assist Dr. Kristen Buck, Dr. Randie Bundy and graduate student Travis Mellett in the set-up of the Trace Metal Clean (TMC) bubble. The plastic bubble is a major component of the research and requires some time to set up and clean. The bubble is the location of the trace metal experiments during our time at sea. When looking for trace (small amounts) of metal in ocean water, it is important that the area be as clean (metal free) as possible. This becomes a challenge when you are surrounded by metal on the ship. This plastic bubble uses HEPA filters and specific clean-lab protocols and gear to ensure limited contamination of samples.
The first layers of plastic begin to form the Trace Metal Clean (TMC) bubble. Once complete, the air inside the bubble will be filtered to help reduce the amount of contaminants in the work area.
Dr. Randie Bundy (WHOI) and Travis Mellett (USF) work to hang the HEPA filters from the overhead of the R/V Palmer wet lab. These filters will help reduce the risk of contamination during the trace metal experiments.
Cara Pekarcik, Dr. Dreux Chappell and Dr. Kristen Buck secure the sides of the Trace Metal Clean bubble lab area. Photo courtesy Travis Mellett (USF).
Tomorrow will involve more bubble building along with a lot of other gear distribution and set-up. The goal is to have all of these zones prepped and ready to go by our departure on September 7th. By preparing these areas ahead of time, proper calibrations and measurements can be made before the ship enters open water.
So Many Questions
I realize that this journal probably leaves you asking more questions than it answers. I intentionally left out a lot of the science techniques and equipment and many other events of the day because I have a vision for their descriptions in the future. Stick with me! I intend to help us all learn about the incredible scientists and their amazing research over the next 6 weeks. I can't give away all of the secrets at once! I would love to hear your questions, so please comment on this journal. I will try to develop journal entries based on your questions or just answer you directly. This will be a great way for journal readers to interact with me while I am thousands of mile away.
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