BAMOS
Dec 2018
We used a wide range of instruments to collect our observations.
The early career researchers (ECRs) from CLEX and overseas were
trained in the use of all of these, as well as the very sensitive
tasks of collecting water samples for the chemical and biological
analyses that were conducted on board. The data summed up
to many terabytes worth, and we kept a close eye on its quality
through early data analysis. All of the ECRs participated in a
small research project that was focussed on a particular dataset
or research question. In some cases the projects aligned with
the ECRs existing research and has potential to be published.
Other projects were an opportunity for ECRs to learn something
completely new.
Because the ship at sea is a 24-hour, 7-day per week operation,
we worked in two shifts: 2pm to 2am, 2am to 2pm. Lunch at
11:30 am is the main time for both shifts to overlap and catch
up. We also had a daily update on voyage plans and early results
from Nathan at 1:30 pm, followed by a science talk. Early in
the voyage, the science talks were often about the research
background of each participant. On 31 October we had a
Halloween party instead—with remarkably creative costumes
considering the lack of resources on board. In the last week of
the voyage, the talks switched over to present the results of
the research projects, and a very interesting discussion on the
ethics of ocean observations. Some of the science talks weren’t
science at all, they were about communicating science through
story-telling, visual art, and our own interactive map that is
currently under development.
A collaboration with the Ocean Media Institute (http://www.
oceanmediainstitute.org) led to film maker Sarah Lanier
joining the voyage. Sarah was everywhere on the ship,
capturing instrument deployment and retrievals, control
room operations, funny moments, and she was obsessed with
capturing the Aurora Australis on rare nights without clouds.
Sarah will create a documentary that tells the story of our
voyage, to be submitted to film festivals around the world.
Visual artist Annalise Rees from University of Tasmania was
pivotal in developing and supervising communication activities
from the voyage. In addition to working on her drawings of the
ocean and voyage activities, Annalise coordinated the blogs
that students prepared to explain what was happening on the
voyage (http://imas.utas.edu.au/news). Annalise also captured
the sounds, videos and interviews that we will use to populate
an interactive map of the voyage. Digital artist Matt Daniels in
Hobart will develop the map to help people who have never
been to sea understand why we do it and what it’s like to be
out there.
Observing the ocean is difficult because of the extreme
environment and isolation. However, the combined efforts
of many oceanographers over many decades have delivered
the data collections we use to understand the ocean. It is not
possible to underestimate the power of making observations.
Particularly for students and post-docs whose main connection
to the ocean is classroom theory and computer models, there is
no substitute for time on a ship watching the ocean structure
unfold before their eyes. It creates a deeper understanding of
ocean dynamics and a sense of gratitude for those who make
the measurements that inform global syntheses and models.
RV Investigator V5 2018 images (photo credit indicated in brackets): 1. Deployment of CTD (N. Bindoff); 2. Taking water
samples (R. McKay); 3. Waiting for the OK to sample (P. Vandenbossche); 4. Operations Room (P. Vandenbossche); 5.
Deploying the Triaxus (V. Tamsitt); 6. View from Triaxus (V. Tamsitt); 7. VMP action (N. Wright); 8. Deploying the VMP in
moonlight (V. Tamsitt); 9. Survival suit action (V. Tamsitt); 10. Catching up on Vitamin D on the transit home (V. Tamsitt).
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