Log - August-12-2003 by Robert McCarthy Previous | Next Expedition Expedition | People I'm happy! Robert McCarthy You’re thinking, of course I’m happy; I’ve had a remarkable experience on this research cruise on board the U.S. Coast Guard Healy. A helo ride, breaking through ice, an excursion on the Healy 3 small boat, tasted an iceberg, walked on a Greenland beach next to Offley Island, saw scenery I thought I’d never see, and have been treated like royalty by the crew. And did I mention the food? Everything has been wonderful, except... (Aside notes:) Lauren Brown is an undergraduate physics major starting her junior year at my Alma matter, the University of Delaware. (Gotta love those physics majors!) She’s an outstanding person that I’m glad I got to know these past 3.5 weeks. I’ve only been teaching high school physics for 5 years, but she reminds me of some of the better students that I have had the pleasure to teach. I’m not just talking about being smart; the “stellar” students have it and are stand-up individuals as well. Lauren fits into that elite category. She works very hard on this ship, and is very polite. I am confident she will set high goals for herself, and by setting these goals, she’ll achieve them. Lauren is responsible for up-loading the teachers’ daily logs to the web. But she puts in the extra effort to see that the pictures go in just the right spot. Gerhard and I are blown away with the work she’s done. That said, it is amazing she’s even on the ship. She wasn’t planning on being able to come, and at the last minute she got “The Call”. She was thrown into this job, and Dr. Andreas Muenchow has been extremely impressed with her performance. Gerhard and I confer. Melissa Zweng is a graduate student working with Dr. Muenchow and she’s also been of great help to me. Early on in the cruise, I was asked to help watch the underway ADCP computer screens and the Sea Beam computer screen during the 15:30 to 23:30 hr shift. Not knowing what that entailed, I agreed. These machines record data continuously; wherever the ship is and whatever the scientists are doing. Sometimes these computers need to be restarted, or more commonly, the Sea Beam sometimes needs help locating the bottom. All this entails is switching to manual mode, and entering the depth that the ADCP computer is recording for the bottom. Melissa and I periodically check the output, and record some numbers in a data logbook. If something goes wrong, Melissa is there to fix it (I’m just a second pair of eyes). She’s pursuing her Masters degree, and I have the same nice things to say about her. She’s always working on analyzing the data between log entrees, and I know she’ll be successful in her career. I’m glad she considers me her “uncle” from the College of Marine Studies. She’s a special individual! (end notes.) ...the sad thing was, while I was getting to do all those neat things, they were not. Plus I had to write about it, and Lauren had to put it on the web. But now I’m really happy! Lauren and Melissa are on the Healy 3, the small boat, as I write this. The scientists would like more clams, and another bottom secured pressure sensor is being put in Scoresby Bay. So it’s back on the “Dive-Team’s” shoulders to get the job done. They will be making probably 3 dives, and I expect them to be gone most of the day. And what a beautiful location this is, plus the weather is PERFECT. They were so excited, and I am so happy for them both. I can’t wait to hear about their “chance of a lifetime” There are others on the ship who haven’t been given the opportunity YET, and the principal investigator, Dr. Kelly Falkner will do her best to give them all a chance. I know I speak for Lauren and Melissa when I say, “Thanks Dr. Falkner!”