12 July, 2003

Hello David

Today in Kotzebue
Cloudy, high somewhere in the 50’s but I can see my breath at times. Rain off and on all day. I got soaked walking to the lab before I got my rain gear on. Brrrr!!! I cleared up enough for Dr. David Griffith’s plane to land. We are all happy to see him again. He is our TEK expert and I’m hoping to get to go on some TEK interviews.

What Science Is Happening?
One of two things will happen on the boat from now on. Either Steve and Max will dive, looking for interesting specimens and taking counts of benthic life forms OR we will do mud grabs. Today, the weather would not cooperate enough to dive, so it was a mud day. This in like the small mud grabs I did in April, except on a much larger scale. The boat has been fitted with a 6 foot tall arm and winch to accommodate a 200 pound clamp to chomp large quantities of mud.
Today Steve, Max and Will went out on the boat and the rest of us stayed behind to deal with the mud as it came in. Deal with it we did. 10 large tubs on mud were brought in on each trip. We have garbage cans set up and a box with a screen. We very carefully wash the mud a little at a time from the tub into the screened box. When all the mud is gone we take the clams, worms and plant material and put it in a specimen jar. We fill the jar with formalyn, a preservative and die and package it to ship. The hoses that wash the mud are attached to a gas-operated bilge pump that pulls the water right out of the oceans for the hoses.

Classroom Connections:
Answers to July 10th challenges:
1.) How much less sun do we get in Illinois every day from summer solstice (the longest day) to winter solstice?
1.32 minutes
2.) As compared to how much less sun Kotzebtue gets per day, until winter solstice?
8.89 minutes
3.) What time will the sun set in Illinois and Kotzebue on July 30, September 30, and October 30th.
Illinois: July 30th – 8:58 p.m., September 30th – 7:18 p. m. October 30th – 6:38p.m.
Kotzebue: July 30th – 11:03 p.m., September 30th – 2:01 p.m., October 30th- 10:20 a.m. That’s sunset!
The sun is setting before lunch, can you picture that?

Reflections

Well, my trip is at the halfway point today. That gives me a little time to reflect. In some ways it feels like I just arrived and in other ways we have accomplished so much. We have done a lot of good science, we will derive valuable information from the things we learned, but there is still so much more yet to be done. I am sure in two weeks from now, when I’m back in another hot Illinois summer that I will miss it here. One thing I know for certain is that Kotzebue will always be a part of me.

Links

Learn more about our project here
View curriculum for this project, “Ask a Scientist” and learn about other Arctic Real Time research at Arctic Alive
City of Kotzebue Webpage
Listen to the local radio station KOTZ live

Melinda and I looking for goodies in the mud.

In our barrel of mud we found a 3 inch poychete (sea living worm, who lives in the mud). Kate gives him a bath and a closer inspection.

Melinda and I looking for goodies in the mud.

In our barrel of mud we found a 3 inch poychete (sea living worm, who lives in the mud). Kate gives him a bath and a closer inspection.