Journals 2006/2007

Kate Baugher
Norman North High School, Norman, OK

"Interdisciplinary Coastal Oceanographic Observations F. G. Walton Smith research vessel" August 3 - 14, 2006

Journal Index: August 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11            12 - 13 - 14 - 15 Additional Resources

August 10, 2007
Ship operations, photographer aboard

We left port at 8:00 am. A new member of the team was added today, Dean, a cinematographer. He will take video of the trip and will use clips for a television documentary. The documentary will be about pH changes in the oceans and how the government is ignoring the fact. We are heading toward the Dry Tortugas. It will be a four-hour ride until we reach our first sampling site. I went into the wheelhouse and learned more about the operations and equipment in the boat...pitch of propellers, verses rudders, etc. I also learned how to do a trick to tie a bowline knot fast. I saw dolphins off of our bow - they go there because they can feel the pressure from the boat going forward. There was an egret on the top deck for quite a while - resting and sleeping - it let me get really close. When we reached the first area we sampled about twice an hour - until dark. Libby did most of the computer work. Kristain helped with crane work. I took all the water samples and made the water preparations. Very pretty evening.

Libby at computer		Photographer
Crane work		Lifting dinghy