Journals 2006/2007

Cyndy Martin
Portland High School, Portland, Maine

"STAR Project NOAA R/V McArthur II" July 28 - August 26, 2006

Journal Index: September 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 August 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9            10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16            17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23            24 - 25 - 26

August 22, 2006
The sea and sky

Lat: 15° 31.2' N
Long: 145° 41.3' W
Skies: CL, drizzle
Wind: 18 kts, 070 deg T
Seas: waves = 2-3', swells = 4-6'
Course: 290 deg T
Speed: 10 kts
Distance in 24 hrs: 208 nm
Sea temp: 27.5 deg C
Distance from land: 682 nm SE of Cape Kumukahi

Another grey and foggy day (though nothing like the fog we get in Maine!) It really struck me today as I stared off into the wild open expanse of ocean, how the sea and sky interface is forever changing, never the same from one moment to the next. It's one of the things that intrigues me most about being out here, in what feels like a million miles from nowhere. Makes me wish I could paint.

I also started thinking today about what I might miss when the cruise comes to an end, and the ways in which I might use various aspects of this trip in my teaching. I would love to have a little plankton sample for my students to observe and compare to what we have in the Gulf of Maine. My main focus, however, will be to look at productivity in terms of chlorophyll analysis and abundance of plankton, then overlay that data with thermocline data, surface currents maps and mammal and bird sightings (considering both abundance and diversity).

The cribbage tourney continues! Down to the final 2 games!

"Sunset"