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 4, 2006
Garbage Day

Lat: 18° 17.3' N
Long: 120° 51' W
Skies: PC
Wind: 14 kts, 030 deg T
Seas: waves = 2-4', swells = 3-4'
Course: 145 deg T
Speed: 10 kts
Distance in 24 hrs: 191 nm
Sea temp: 27.4 deg C
Distance from land: 407 nm W of Guadalupe I's

Well one of the other hats the seabird observers wear, in addition to counting flying fish, is to record marine debris. These last few have been big days for debris, especially today. Plastic coffee jars, vegetable oil bottles, plastic cans, styrofoam fishing floats, and a multitude of flotsam constitutes the bulk of it. It would seem that the equatorial currents are sweeping this debris into large gyres.

A few dolphins today: bottlenose and some streakers.