Hi Sarah-
I was delighted to read that you are going to do ice observations! Robyn and I did them for the big spring melt when we were on the Healy. I loved doing them! You can spend more time up on the bridge than anyone else. I found I got to see things that others did not just because I stayed up there and watched the ice and the animals in and on it.
The bird and seal scientists were up on the bridge to make observations of didfferent species too. They taught me so much.
Whenever we were down in the scientists conference room and the time came to make an ice observation (we took them every two hours) we would tell the other person "Time to make the donuts!" (Like the dunkin donut commercial) We had to make ice observations sometimes when we were pretty tired and going up to the bridge was a steep climb.
Are you going to use the NOAA ice observation booklet? Also, do you get to report on the presence of ice algae?
You will enjoy the icebergs! No icebergs in the Bering Sea.
warmly,
Maggie