Our First Night Science Station!
Station 3 was planned for last night at 9:30 p.m. 9:30 became 10:30 and everyone was gathered in the Main Lab to be part of the science operations – even though it was not our watch. It had been several days since we had been able to get anything in the water. Everyone was anxious to get to work and catch some animals!
Board of Lies shows Station 3 Science Operations
The first operation was the CTD. I explained the CTD in an earlier journal entry. It has sensors to collect data on conductivity, temperature and density and Nisken bottles to collect water samples. Some of the water samples will be used for Nutrient sampling. There are very specific procedures that must be followed for collecting and preparing water for nutrient sampling. David Leech, from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, used a caulk gun to extract water samples from the Nisken bottles and transfer the samples to small bottles.
David Leech, University of Alaska Fairbanks, uses a caulking gun to prepare samples
Dr. Ashjian and Krista followed specific procedures to prepare water for Oxygen sampling. These samples will be analyzed back in the lab, so it was important to preserve them with no air bubbles as that could alter the oxygen amount.
Dr. Ashjian preparing collected water for Oxygen sampling
Krista started processing some of the water from the Nisken bottles for her experiments on dissolved organic matter. Krista is a scientist trained in Chemistry and Biology. She is looking to see exactly what the dissolved organic matter in the Bering Sea composed of. She plans on filtering and saving samples to analyze back in the lab. An interesting point she brought up is that she can NOT use plastic bottles. Plastics are made from carbon and will leech into the ocean samples. All of the bottles and tubing you see here are made of Teflon or glass.
Krista's lab set up to filter water for dissolved organic matter analysis
The bongo net tow and the ring net tow brought in LOTS of animals. Many more animals than our first station in the Gulf of Alaska. Once the nets are brought to the surface, the codends are emptied into waiting jars. The jars are kept in a cooler and carried into the cold room.
A cooler FULL of animals! What a productive tow!!
Celia and Donna “pick” through the samples. They separate the Calanus copepods, krill and amphipods. These are the animals we are most interested in. The other animals go into a waste bottle and make their way back to the ocean unharmed.
Celia picking the sample - separating copepod, krill and amphipod from everything else.
After the animals have been separated, they are photographed and inventoried for later studies. Here are two photos that were taken last night. Calanus copepods and krill! Today we hope to do some live experiments!
Calanus copepod as photographed in the lab
Krill as photographed under the microscope
New Vocabulary
Amphipod: – small crustacean from the Order Amphipoda having a laterally compressed body and no carapace
Question of the Day
Describe the difference between a copepod and an amphipod. Document your sources!
Stay tuned as we continue our exciting voyage on the USCG Cutter Healy! Until then...
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” - Mohandas Gandhi