Journals 2005/2006

Susan Holt
Arcadia High School, Phoenix, Arizona

"Investigating Indonesian Tsunami" M/V Performer May 9-26

Journal Index: May 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15       16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23

May 21, 2005

The weather has been perfect for the research that we are doing. The sea was so smooth this evening that it looked like glass. The flying fish were just springing out of the water in front of the bow and gliding across the surface without touching the water. I tried to take pictures, but since it was impossible to know when they were going to come out of the water and because they were so small, I couldn't focus on them before they were back in the water.

After the sun set, we reached the next site, which the scientists were calling the "Sweet Spot." They believed that this site would have some evidence of the earthquake from last December. There were many living creatures at this site. We could see coral with brittle-stars wrapped around the "stalks," and many shrimp and fish. There was one fish that scientists called a "frog fish" that was a brilliant red color and had little legs. We also saw what was called a "tripod fish" that looked like it was sitting on top of a tripod. It was amazing to see these living organisms that were a mile beneath us.

Glass Sponge. Can you see the little red color inside the opening? A pair of shrimp lives their whole lives within the sponge. There is always one male and one female.

Frog fish. Notice the brilliant color and the legs in the front and in the back. We watched this fish actually push off from the bottom with its legs.		Tripod fish. As it rests on the ocean bottom, it puts its fins on the bottom to form a support in the shape of a triangle.
Sea fan with brittle star.		Jelly floating magically across the screen.