{"id":1321,"date":"2018-05-29T13:22:31","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T13:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/ocean-studies\/?page_id=1321"},"modified":"2018-08-22T15:12:33","modified_gmt":"2018-08-22T15:12:33","slug":"cruising-in-the-bering-sea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/ocean-studies\/corning-school-of-ocean-studies\/faculty-staff\/steven-baer\/cruising-in-the-bering-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruising in the Bering Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cruising in the Bering Sea<\/h1>\n

Incoming Professor of Marine Science, Dr. Steven Baer, is cruising in the Bering Sea this summer with the\u00a0Arctic Shelf Growth, Advection, Respiration and Deposition Rate Measurements (ASGARD) project. You can follow Dr. Baer’s adventures and learn more about the mission of his cruise in the blog below. You can check out additional pictures of the cruise on the Instagram pages of the North Pacific Arctic Board Research Program<\/a>\u00a0(which is funding the cruise) and the R\/V Sikuliaq<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.About Dr. Steven Baer<\/h3>\n

Dr. Baer is a marine biogeochemist whose research interests are focused on the interface between microbiology and the chemical environment,\u00a0and how phytoplankton diversity impacts competition for nutrients. Dr. Baer’s role in the\u00a0ASGARD expedition is to measure phytoplankton diversity and growth rates. The Arctic is warming much more\u00a0rapidly than the rest of the Earth, and this has strong implications for Arctic ecosystems and fisheries there. Dr. Baer’s work\u00a0will help elucidate how changes in the Bering Sea will\u00a0potentially impact fish catches.<\/p>\n

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7\/7\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

Further thoughts<\/h1>\n
\n

As a researcher, I follow the news on environmental issues. \u00a0Pollution, climate change, food production, etc. \u00a0I try to make personal choices that reflect my principles and minimize my impact on our pale blue dot (i.e. Earth). \u00a0But something that is hard to avoid is travel. \u00a0Driving, flying, working on a ship\u2026 these all use a lot of fuel, but all are necessary to perform the research I need to do. \u00a0My friend Andrew McDonnell (Assistant Professor of Oceanography at University of Alaska) is working on particle export during this cruise. \u00a0That\u2019s basically how particles (living and dead phytoplankton and bacteria along with fecal pellets and other aggregates) make it from the surface down through the water column. \u00a0Andrew is also a deep thinker on issues of climate change. \u00a0He wrote a really thought-provoking piece on the bigger picture of working at sea in light of his research interests. \u00a0I encourage you to take a look: https:\/\/blog.arctic.nprb.org\/blog\/2018\/6\/25\/an-insidious-irony<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
While you\u2019re there, check out the rest of the\u00a0blog entries<\/a>\u00a0from other scientists on the cruise. \u00a0There are a lot of great perspectives on the diversity of science going on during this cruise. \u00a0And lots of great personalities too!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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\n

7\/6\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

Science wrap<\/h1>\n

My research has taken me to the Arctic many times over the past 10 years.\u00a0 It is an area that is changing rapidly, due to rapidly thinning and receding sea ice.\u00a0 You can see the data at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center<\/a>.\u00a0 I\u2019ve looked at those plots and read the literature on Arctic ecosystem changes.\u00a0But it\u2019s not until I visited the region that I had a real visceral sense of receding sea ice.\u00a0 Twenty years ago, people trying to sail through the Bering Strait in early June would have been blocked by sea ice.\u00a0 Now, we can travel all the way up to 70\u00b0North without so much of a hint of ice.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the point of this project: how is the ecosystem changing with the climate-driven shifts in timing and volume of sea ice in the Bering and Chukchi Seas?\u00a0 I\u2019m measuring the base of the food web: phytoplankton diversity and primary production.\u00a0 Currently, the system is dominated by sea-ice algae communities that grow in a big Spring pulse.\u00a0 That feeds the microscopic predators (and the food chain), but there is so much algal growth and the Bering Sea is so shallow that much of the decaying material makes it to the seafloor, feeding a rich sedimentary layer.\u00a0 This large pulse of food sets the timing for everything from zooplankton predators to whales and bird and walrus feeding and migrations.\u00a0Based on prior observational and theoretical work, we expect this to change to a more productive but also more dilute system where the algae are spread out over the water column and over a longer time period.<\/p>\n

To understand the changes to the ecosystem, we have traveled throughout the region, stopping for CTD casts, sediment grabs and cores, and both mid-water and benthic trawls.\u00a0Marine mammal and bird observers keep an eye out the whole time for sighting and identifying large animals.\u00a0 When the opportunity presented itself, an Acrobat instrument was towed behind the ship to get real-time measurements of physical and chemical properties, along with chlorophyll.\u00a0 We conducted 101 CTD casts over the course of the cruise at 49 stations.\u00a0 At each of these, data was collected on the nutrient chemistry of the water column, the identity (visual and genomic) and activity of everything from algae to benthic worms and clams, zooplankton, fishes, and birds and mammals.\u00a0Experiments were performed and samples were taken to see how the food web connects among the different organisms, and how they may change in future scenarios.<\/p>\n

To create this snapshot of the food web, there was a team of over 20 scientists, supported by a similar number of ship\u2019s crew, all working together for about a month at sea.\u00a0 It\u2019s a lot of work, which goes on seven days a week, with many people putting in 18+ hour days.\u00a0 That\u2019s just for this cruise.\u00a0 Repeat cruises at different times of the year will help us understand how the Arctic is changing over a longer seasonal cycle.\u00a0 For me, the work has just begun.\u00a0 Many of the samples we collected get taken back to the lab to analyze, which can take months.\u00a0 Then there\u2019s actually understanding the data and writing it up for publication.\u00a0 In all, it\u2019s been a great journey, and one that I\u2019m excited to continue.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Location of CTD sampling stations (red) and Acrobat transects (blue) on cruise SKQ201813S. Map created by S. Danielson (UAF).<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Ethan Roth, RV Sikuliaq\u2019s marine technician, overseeing the CTD deployment. Picture by A. McDonnell (UAF).<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

7\/4\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being away<\/h1>\n

There are a lot of benefits of being away.\u00a0 The ability to be really\u00a0present and focused on the job in front of me, meaning there are no\u00a0distractions to getting science done, is a rare treat in the world of\u00a0science. Usually, there are so many different things to get done just\u00a0at work: multiple projects, writing, lab work, etc.\u00a0 And then at home,\u00a0I have to take care of myself.\u00a0 Out here, somebody else is doing all\u00a0the cooking and cleaning.\u00a0 Very limited internet connectivity, and\u00a0certainly no phones or texting, means I can\u2019t handle bills or deal\u00a0with problems or really be responsible for anything that needs doing\u00a0at home.\u00a0 My time aboard is pretty limited \u2013 only four weeks \u2013 which\u00a0has given me a taste of what life at sea is like.\u00a0 In some ways,\u00a0research cruises are like summer camp for grownups: you\u2019re fully\u00a0immersed in your job and life and making new connections; you\u2019re\u00a0eating communally and living in tight quarters.\u00a0 Many of the crew\u00a0members are at sea for eight or more months per year, working\u00a0demanding, long days during much of it.\u00a0 Most I talk to enjoy the life\u00a0and become fully immersed in the satisfactions of their life and work\u00a0aboard the vessel.\u00a0 And because time at home can be limited, it makes\u00a0you fully appreciate the life you have and live fully in the time at\u00a0home.<\/p>\n

Being away from home can also be terribly hard.\u00a0 I generally find that\u00a0after about three weeks, I tire of the limited living space and\u00a0sampling can become monotonous.\u00a0 Days take on a pattern of up early,\u00a0maybe exercise, prepare for science, eat, CTD, filtering and setting\u00a0up experiments, eat, take a short break, break down experiments, eat,\u00a0clean up the lab, prepare for the following day, eat some more, read a\u00a0little, and get to sleep.\u00a0 They are long days with lots of activity.\u00a0Staying busy and on top of the work is important.\u00a0 But I miss my\u00a0family and being home.\u00a0 I am both amazed that we have connectivity at\u00a0all and annoyed it\u2019s not better.\u00a0 With all the work and the distance\u00a0from home, I can lose track of days.\u00a0 I miss birthdays and other
\nimportant events.\u00a0 I get snippets of news from home, but not enough to\u00a0truly process.\u00a0 At the same time, I don\u2019t miss political news.\u00a0 At\u00a0all.\u00a0 Recently, my community at home was hit hard by the death of a\u00a0local teenager.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t be there for my family and friends, which\u00a0is hard in both directions.\u00a0 I had a hard time connecting emotionally\u00a0to the news, and it\u2019s created some distance with people at home.\u00a0 It\u2019s\u00a0all a wash amidst sampling, and eating, and sampling.\u00a0 I am prepared\u00a0to be fully present when I get home and hope that I can do a lot of\u00a0catching up.<\/p>\n

In a strange way, being at sea allows for the mental (and physical)\u00a0space to think hard about some things that I simply didn\u2019t have the\u00a0space to consider when I was home.\u00a0 During the first half of 2018, I\u00a0was fairly consumed by my father\u2019s diagnosis with pancreatic cancer,\u00a0and his treatment, and subsequent passing.\u00a0 With my own family to take\u00a0care of, support for my sister and mom, a new job at MMA, along with\u00a0my current job at Bigelow, it was hard to reconcile all the jumble of\u00a0emotions I was feeling.\u00a0 Being at sea, especially with a few days of\u00a0transit (i.e. limited science responsibilities) at the beginning,\u00a0allowed me to spend some time just staring at the horizon, finding\u00a0quiet space to be alone with my thoughts.\u00a0 I believe it was Ibsen who\u00a0said something like \u201cthe cure for everything is salt water: sweat,\u00a0tears, and the sea.\u201d\u00a0 I am grateful to have all three right now.<\/p>\n

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6\/18\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

Safety<\/h1>\n

There are not a lot of environments where everyone I see has knife\u00a0attached to their belt.\u00a0 A knife comes in handy a surprising number of\u00a0times every day.\u00a0 Cutting rope, prying something apart, chipping ice\u00a0from the -80 freezer.\u00a0 I also carry a flashlight, both for use looking\u00a0inside the instruments I\u2019m using, but also in case of emergency.\u00a0 It\u00a0was a recommendation of a captain on a ship I was on a few years ago.<\/p>\n

[Editor\u2019s note: Mom, if you are reading this, stop here.]<\/p>\n

A bad day on a ship is very bad indeed. There is a lot of heavy\u00a0equipment under tension, a moving platform, sleep deprivation, and\u00a0great distance from help.\u00a0 On a previous trip to the Arctic, on a\u00a0smaller and older vessel, there was a minor engine fire.\u00a0 It was\u00a0contained quickly.\u00a0 The fire was not the real problem.\u00a0 The problem\u00a0was that the fire prompted everyone on board to tell their at-sea\u00a0horror stories.\u00a0 Real engine fires that made the deck so hot it melted\u00a0sneakers; abandoning ship in a survival suit in under two minutes from\u00a0the alarm; losing a finger to a door; and others.\u00a0 As the mate told us\u00a0(with some hyperbole), \u201ceverything on this ship is carefully\u00a0engineered to maim or kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Needless to say, safety is taken very seriously.\u00a0 One of the first\u00a0things to happen after we leave shore is a safety briefing.\u00a0 It\u2019s\u00a0basically an orientation on how to behave on the ship, and what to do\u00a0in case of an emergency.\u00a0 Where to muster, where the life rafts are,\u00a0what to do in case of a fire.\u00a0 How to put on a survival suit.\u00a0 The\u00a0Sikuliaq is outfitted with a newer model than the \u201cGumby\u201d suits I\u2019m\u00a0familiar with.\u00a0 The new ones work more like a dry suit and take a\u00a0little getting used to putting on\u2026 so we all do.<\/p>\n

If we do have to abandon ship, I\u2019ve come prepared with a \u201cditch bag\u201d.\u00a0It\u2019s a small Ziploc that has a spare set of glasses, some sunscreen, a\u00a0hat, and Advil.\u00a0 Something I can grab quickly if I need to, and stuff\u00a0inside my survival suit.\u00a0 I was very proud of myself for having this\u00a0at all, but the safety officer put my ditch bag to shame.\u00a0 He had an\u00a0entire backpack with a spare knife, flares, batteries, Firestarter,\u00a0granola bars, spare long underwear, all in water tight containers.\u00a0I\u2019m going to need to up my game.<\/p>\n

The risk of an incident is low.\u00a0 I have supreme confidence in the ship\u00a0and the safety consciousness of the crew.\u00a0 A U.S. government vessel\u00a0follows a lot of protocols.\u00a0 Nonetheless, it\u2019s comforting to take\u00a0steps to maximize survival in the case of a really bad day.<\/p>\n

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6\/17\/18<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

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Borders<\/h1>\n

Any time we get close to land, I am stunned by the geography.\u00a0 Islands\u00a0just rise up directly out of the ocean.\u00a0 It can feel very isolated out\u00a0on the ship, but looking at the rugged coastline of northwest Alaska\u00a0reminds me how far from modern society we really are.<\/p>\n

The Bering Strait is the narrowest point of the Arctic Ocean,\u00a0separating the Bering and Chukchi Seas.\u00a0 It\u2019s also the narrowest point\u00a0between North America and Asia, spanning only about 50 miles across.\u00a0Right in the middle are two islands: Big and Little Diomede.\u00a0 Today we\u00a0stopped at Little Diomede island to help remove some electronics\u00a0waste.\u00a0 A native community of about 100 people live there.\u00a0 They are\u00a0reliant on mostly subsistence hunting of marine species: walrus, seal,\u00a0crabs.\u00a0 As such, they are integrally tied to the seasons and sensitive\u00a0to climate, as the animals they rely on change distribution with the\u00a0new ice conditions.\u00a0 But the community also relies on helicopters and\u00a0modern energy production to continue to live there.<\/p>\n

The Russian island, Big Diomede, is less than a mile away, but the\u00a0native community was moved out to make way for a Russian military base\u00a0during the Cold War.\u00a0 In a strange quirk, it is across the\u00a0international date line, so despite its proximity, the two islands are\u00a0a day apart on clocks.\u00a0 Despite the arbitrary nature of lines on a\u00a0map, it feels remarkable to be between two worlds.<\/p>\n

I\u00f1uit communities across the polar environment are struggling to come\u00a0to terms with modern culture while maintaining their native\u00a0traditions.\u00a0 Whaling communities in Barrow, Alaska use explosive\u00a0charges on their harpoons and front loaders to haul whales up on to\u00a0the ice for harvest, but still hunt in sealskin boats and use\u00a0traditional tools to carve the whale and distribute to the entire\u00a0village.\u00a0 Visiting here on a large, ultra-modern ship filled with\u00a0cutting edge scientific equipment, I am left wondering about our role\u00a0here.\u00a0 We are involved in this expedition to quantify the impacts of\u00a0changes in sea ice on the ecosystem.\u00a0 There is a community observer on\u00a0board, helping us to put our measurements in the context of real\u00a0people, who have been here for thousands of years.\u00a0 Are we helping?\u00a0Are we making a difference?\u00a0 Are we learning anything new? I believe\u00a0that we are.\u00a0 I believe that we are making novel discoveries.\u00a0 We are\u00a0on the cutting edge of knowledge of how the marine system functions.\u00a0We are trying to funnel that information to decision-makers, both in\u00a0government and native communities.\u00a0 I hope that we too are straddling\u00a0the worlds of modernity and tradition, science and belief.<\/p>\n

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6\/15\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

Milkshakes<\/h1>\n

In passing, someone mentioned the desire for a milkshake.\u00a0 I was\u00a0immediately interested in the idea of making a great milkshake.\u00a0 An\u00a0obsession was born.\u00a0 But there are no tubs of ice cream on the ship.
\nSo, much like everything else when on a ship, you have to solve your\u00a0problems creatively.\u00a0 Even if that problem is wanting a milkshake,\u00a0which isn\u2019t really a problem.<\/p>\n

My first attempt was to extract the ice cream from the middle of ice\u00a0cream sandwiches.\u00a0 This involved the arduous task of eating the cookie\u00a0part off and putting the ice cream into a blender with some frozen
\nstrawberries.\u00a0 Not so good.\u00a0 It was about at this point that everyone\u00a0on board started avoiding me.\u00a0 The next idea was to freeze some\u00a0vanilla yogurt\u2026 again with frozen strawberries. Better.\u00a0 So the frozen
\nvanilla yogurt base is tasty.\u00a0 But I needed more\/better flavor, so I\u00a0decided to replace the strawberries with a frozen banana and chocolate\u00a0syrup.\u00a0 The only problem being there was no chocolate syrup!\u00a0 But I\u00a0persevered.\u00a0 I made a concentrated chocolate slurry from hot cocoa mix\u00a0and added that.\u00a0 Delicious.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, I was talking to one of the cooks about my milkshake\u00a0obsession, looking for ideas.\u00a0 He wanted no part of it.\u00a0 But it did\u00a0prompt him to get excited about how to use the ingredients on hand to
\nmake a rich ice cream style dessert.\u00a0 His idea was at least two orders of\u00a0magnitude greater than mine: cream cheese ice cream on top of a pine\u00a0nut shortbread cookie, drizzled with a balsamic reduction.\u00a0 I love that man.\u00a0\u00a0 But now I am on the hook to intern in the galley to help\u00a0him make it.<\/p>\n

This elusive hunt for a tasty milkshake is also a lot like science.\u00a0Be curious about what can be done; where is the edge of our knowledge\u00a0and comfort?\u00a0 Isolate your variables.\u00a0 Try something and change one\u00a0thing at a time to see and document the impacts of incremental\u00a0changes.\u00a0 Test it, try it. Fail.\u00a0 Keep trying.\u00a0 Endure ridicule.\u00a0 Fail\u00a0some more.\u00a0 Persevere.\u00a0 Inspire others.\u00a0 Change what is thought\u00a0possible.\u00a0 Make the world a little bit better.\u00a0 Drink a milkshake.<\/p>\n

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6\/14\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

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ASGARD station map<\/p><\/div>\n

Why am I here?<\/h1>\n

I am a marine biogeochemist, focused on the interface between\u00a0microbiology and the chemical environment.\u00a0 I am interested in how the\u00a0diversity of phytoplankton impacts competition for nutrients.\u00a0 This\u00a0has far-reaching implications for carbon cycling (i.e. climate change)\u00a0and higher trophic level productivity (i.e. fisheries).\u00a0 My role\u00a0during this expedition is to make measurements of phytoplankton
\ndiversity and their growth rates.\u00a0 I use flow cytometry to quantify\u00a0the species and biomass of everything from the smallest cyanobacteria\u00a0(approximately 1 \u03bcm in diameter) to large chain-forming diatoms (which
\ncan exceed 300 \u03bcm in length).\u00a0 In addition, I am using stable-isotope\u00a0incubations of carbon and nitrogen to assess phytoplankton growth\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n

Phytoplankton, or microscopic algae, form the base of the marine food\u00a0web. By studying which types of phytoplankton are living in the water\u00a0column, I can start to understand how much carbon is available to go up the food web or to sink to the bottom, where they either feed the\u00a0creatures inhabiting the sediments, or get buried, sequestering the\u00a0carbon.\u00a0 Different types and sizes have different impacts.\u00a0 For\u00a0example, small algae like cyanobacteria are not usually grazed very\u00a0well, and it takes many steps on the food chain to get up to fish,\u00a0losing energy through the extra steps in the process.\u00a0 Large\u00a0organisms, such as diatoms, both tend to be a richer food source (i.e.\u00a0more nutritious and less steps in the food chain), but also, because\u00a0they are bigger, tend to sink out of the water column faster, making\u00a0it to the bottom.<\/p>\n

Just like plants on land, phytoplankton use energy from the sun to\u00a0extract essential nutrients from their environment.\u00a0 The major\u00a0macronutrients are carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, ust like\u00a0fertilizer for a garden, giving the algae what they need to grow.\u00a0 I\u00a0use special forms of these basic elements as a chemical tracer of\u00a0their activity.\u00a0 I get water from a representative sampling of depths\u00a0and put them into small, clear incubation bottles.\u00a0 Then I add small\u00a0amounts of carbon and nitrogen compounds that are made with stable\u00a0isotopes (13C and 15N).\u00a0 These isotopes are not radioactive \u2013 thus the\u00a0term \u201cstable\u201d \u2013 and are just like \u201cregular\u201d elements, except with an\u00a0extra neutron.\u00a0 The plankton don\u2019t complain about any difference in taste.\u00a0\u00a0 Next I put those bottles into a tank with flowing seawater,\u00a0to mimic their temperature and light conditions.\u00a0 After six hours, I\u00a0retrieve the bottle and filter them sequentially onto a few sizes of\u00a0filters.\u00a0 During their six-hour incubation, they have been busy\u00a0growing, using some of the stable isotopically labelled compounds I\u00a0gave them.\u00a0 I can use a mass spectrometer to detect how much of that\u00a0chemical tracer they took up, and then calculate how fast they are\u00a0growing.\u00a0 By using different size filters, I can get some idea of how\u00a0different members of the community are growing at different rates and\u00a0therefore know how much carbon they are removing from the seawater.<\/p>\n

Other participants in the research cruise will be measuring everything\u00a0from physical parameters to nutrients, to zooplankton grazing, to fish\u00a0species and gut contents, all the way up the trophic chain to seabirds\u00a0and mammals.\u00a0 We are attempting to put all of the ecosystem pieces\u00a0together.\u00a0 By measuring all the elements of the food web, we hope to\u00a0gain an idea of how the diversity and rate measurements I am making\u00a0fit into the larger whole.\u00a0 Who gets eaten?\u00a0 Who sinks to the bottom?\u00a0How much carbon gets transferred to different parts of the water\u00a0column and sediments?\u00a0 Does it make a difference on which types of\u00a0organisms are there?\u00a0 What are the environmental conditions that favor\u00a0one type of organism over another?\u00a0 These are some of the driving\u00a0questions of my research, and the ASGARD project overall.<\/p>\n

The current project has added urgency because of the rapid changes\u00a0taking place in this region.\u00a0 The Arctic as a whole is warming much\u00a0more rapidly than the rest of the Earth.\u00a0 This has led to widespread\u00a0changes in sea ice cover, which has a cascading effect on the entire\u00a0ecosystem.\u00a0 The Bering Sea is one of the most productive and valuable\u00a0U.S. fisheries, dominated by the catch of pollock and crab.\u00a0 Current\u00a0and future physical changes to the region are expected to have\u00a0significant impacts on the biology that live there, but the specifics\u00a0are fairly unknown.\u00a0 The current project, Arctic Shelf Growth,\u00a0Advection, Respiration and Deposition Rate Measurements (ASGARD) is\u00a0the second annual expedition to understand the changing physical\u00a0environment and its impact on biological rates (growth, grazing,\u00a0etc.).\u00a0 The results of this work will directly improve Arctic\u00a0management and policy decisions in the coming decades.<\/p>\n

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6\/13\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

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FlowCam images<\/p><\/div>\n

Wonder<\/h1>\n

One of the great things about my job is going to sea.\u00a0 It\u2019s always an\u00a0adventure; one that has allowed me to truly travel the world.\u00a0 In the\u00a0past five years alone, I\u2019ve been to Alaska (in the winter no less)\u00a0many times, Antarctica, Hawaii, Thailand, and Australia.\u00a0 And those\u00a0are just the ports.\u00a0 I\u2019ve experienced raging storms in the North\u00a0Atlantic and also the doldrums of the equatorial Indian Ocean.\u00a0 When\u00a0you\u2019re far from land, the view across the ocean stretches to the\u00a0horizon in every direction.\u00a0 It\u2019s an incredible sight but can get
\nboring to only see two shades of blue: the dark blue of the sea and\u00a0the light blue of the sky.\u00a0 It\u2019s why every sunrise and sunset tend to\u00a0be events.\u00a0 If the weather is right, people tend to venture out on\u00a0deck to spend a few minutes marking the day and quietly observing the\u00a0ritual of sunset.\u00a0 To see the edge of the world and know that there\u00a0are things beyond it.<\/p>\n

People tend to view the sea from the surface, waiting for things to\u00a0poke their heads out.\u00a0 The ocean is vast and deep, and retains a sense\u00a0of wonder for me, and for my fellow scientists.\u00a0 When something\u00a0charismatic (read: whales) appear, everyone stops what they are doing\u00a0and rushes to the rail to get a view.\u00a0 On my current cruise in the\u00a0Bering Sea, scientists are studying everything from what lives in the\u00a0sediments to the birds that make a living flying above the ocean.\u00a0While we are all focused on our individual projects, there is a lot of\u00a0interest in seeing what everyone is up to: the crabs and sea stars\u00a0that are pulled up in the trawl, the fish that show up in the nets,\u00a0the fascinating worms that live in the seafloor, or even a dense mass\u00a0of barnacle that made a mooring their home for the past year.<\/p>\n

I study the microbial world.\u00a0 The plankton.\u00a0 Microscopic algae that\u00a0are the base of the food web and a major driver of carbon flows in the\u00a0ocean, and on Earth.\u00a0 I\u2019m using an instrument called a FlowCam, which
\nis able to take pictures of these amazing autotrophs.\u00a0 We have it\u00a0tuned to look at phytoplankton in the range of 5 \u2013 200 microns (for\u00a0scale, the width of a human hair is about 100 microns).\u00a0 Much like\u00a0glimpsing creatures below the sea surface, I look at creatures that\u00a0inhabit every drop of seawater but we never see.\u00a0 And just like the\u00a0charismatic megafauna that we all gawk over, the images on the FlowCam\u00a0cause a stir, and scientists and crew all come over to take a look at\u00a0what\u2019s in the water and talk about how the different organisms impact\u00a0the entire ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Despite our decades of cumulative experience, it is still amazing to\u00a0catch a glimpse of what lives outside of our normal vision, both below\u00a0the sea, and in every part of it, and beyond the horizon.\u00a0 And to\u00a0experience and know that little bit more of our world.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

6\/6\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Eric the electrician and Kevin the second engineer (left to right)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Chemistry supply<\/p><\/div>\n

Advice from a maritime grad<\/h1>\n

I had a conversation with the second assistant engineer, Kevin.\u00a0 He is\u00a0a graduate of Cal Maritime Academy.\u00a0 He told me all about the ship\u2019s\u00a0operations, his career path, and advice for students still working toward their degree in marine engineering and\/or science.\u00a0 He gave me\u00a0a \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d tour of the first and second platforms (the two\u00a0levels below the main deck), where all of the ships engineering systems are located.\u00a0 Kevin\u2019s knowledge of both the theory and\u00a0practical application of all the systems is truly mind-blowing.\u00a0 The\u00a0engines, mechanical and electrical systems, sewage treatment, heating and cooling systems, plus many more I\u2019m likely forgetting, are all\u00a0automated and generally controlled via touch-screen interfaces.\u00a0 Kevin\u00a0has deep knowledge about how the computer systems are operating to\u00a0control all these processes, but also the ability to find the physical\u00a0part indicated on the screen to go maintain or fix it or modify it to\u00a0do what he wants it to do.<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s first piece of advice for maritime students is to pay\u00a0attention to the simulators in automation class.\u00a0 Even if you\u2019re not\u00a0an electrician almost everything that is done is run through computer\u00a0software. \u00a0Reporting on and controlling fuel levels, valves, emergency\u00a0indicators, winches, etc., they are all run from a central automation\u00a0hub.\u00a0 Especially for recent grads, you will likely be a nascent expert\u00a0in automation.\u00a0 You may not have as much knowledge as the veterans,\u00a0but pay attention, ask questions, and offer your knowledge.<\/p>\n

Second \u2013 and with only a little prodding from me –\u00a0 Kevin said that\u00a0\u201crunning a ship without chemistry is like flying a plane without\u00a0aerodynamics.\u201d\u00a0 His knowledge of chemistry is brought to bear every
\nday.\u00a0 Just as an example, there are additives to keep the fuel lines\u00a0at the proper pH and prevent corrosion.\u00a0 Water is chemically treated\u00a0both for sewage and for the distillation processes (thanks potable water).\u00a0 Incoming seawater used for cooling is chemically tested and\u00a0treated, as biological contaminants, oxygen loading, and heat transfer\u00a0are just a few issues the engineers are trying to manage.<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s interest in the maritime industry started in elementary school\u00a0in southern California.\u00a0 He got involved in a high school program\u00a0building solar-powered boats, which led him to marine engineering,
\nwith a minor in marine science, at Cal Maritime Academy.\u00a0 After\u00a0working on a variety of vessels (tugs, cruise ships, charter yachts),\u00a0Kevin got a job at a research institute, which got him hooked on\u00a0research boats.\u00a0 Science vessels come with a lot of perks: good food,\u00a0nice people, more autonomy, and being involved in interesting,\u00a0cutting-edge environmental research.<\/p>\n

Regardless of where your career takes you, Kevin\u2019s advice to all\u00a0mariners, especially as they get started, is to move in.\u00a0 Don\u2019t think\u00a0about what you are going to do when you get off.\u00a0 This is your home\u00a0for most of the year; make it comfortable.\u00a0 Learn as much as you can,\u00a0and have fun.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

6\/5\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

R\/V Sikuliaq<\/h1>\n

The R\/V Sikuliaq is the newest of the UNOLS research fleet.\u00a0 First put\u00a0into operation in late 2014, it is operated by the University of\u00a0Alaska – Fairbanks and is designed for polar operations.\u00a0 It is\u00a0ice-capable, which means it can navigate in over a meter of sea ice.\u00a0The hull design is unique, made for powering through ice, with props\u00a0that can churn through pieces as they pass through.\u00a0 The tradeoff is\u00a0some stability in heavy seas, and a lack of speed.\u00a0 This translates to\u00a0about 11 knots being the top practical speed.\u00a0 For my purposes, there\u00a0is an extensive array of scientific monitoring equipment and modern\u00a0laboratory facilities.\u00a0 The ship was designed with a relatively large\u00a0working deck to mount containers (i.e. mobile labs) or for mooring\u00a0operations.\u00a0 There are an impressive number of winches and cranes to\u00a0do what oceanographers do best: throw stuff into the ocean (and\u00a0hopefully retrieve it).<\/p>\n

The ship even has what is known as a Baltic room, which houses a\u00a0computer operated rosette under a covered space.\u00a0 Water sampling is a\u00a0whole lot easier if we\u2019re not exposed to the elements.\u00a0 In fact, there
\nare many features unique to the Sikuliaq that allows it to operate as\u00a0a modern polar research vessel.\u00a0 There is a lot of design and\u00a0technology geared toward managing the temperatures (both air and sea)\u00a0outside the ship.\u00a0 For example, the rear working deck is heated.\u00a0 Even\u00a0the ballast tanks are heated to prevent them from icing up.\u00a0 There are\u00a0heated intake screens so icy mist doesn\u2019t make its way down into the\u00a0engines.\u00a0 And for efficiency, there are a number of heat exchange\u00a0systems to recover and recirculate heat that\u2019s already in the system.\u00a0This all adds up to a lot for the Engineering crew to keep track of.<\/p>\n

The Sikuliaq is actually powered by diesel-electric generators.\u00a0 Four\u00a0of them provide all the energy for the ship, but 90% is dedicated to\u00a0the drivetrain.\u00a0 There is a lot of flexibility in how the engineers\u00a0generate the power, and because it\u2019s all electricity, the engines\u00a0don\u2019t need to be in a direct line with the propulsion.\u00a0 This creates\u00a0huge advantages in regards to reducing vibration (both to protect\u00a0equipment and mitigate radiated noise).\u00a0 The ship runs very smoothly;\u00a0absent is that constant hum of the engines and driveshaft that I\u2019ve\u00a0experienced on most vessels.<\/p>\n

In all, there is an impressive amount of technology brought to bear on\u00a0tackling the issues experienced at sea, especially in the high\u00a0latitudes.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a great experience so far to sail on this\u00a0vessel, and I\u2019m looking forward to getting started on the science.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

6\/5\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

AERC<\/h1>\n

Last night I discovered the Arctic Exposure Recovery Center, otherwise known as the sauna. It sure felt good to sweat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

6\/4\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

Transiting to the Bering Sea<\/h1>\n

This has been an unusual expedition so far.\u00a0 Our first week aboard has been simply transiting from Seward to our first station in the Bering Sea.\u00a0 Weather has been consistently drizzly and overcast.\u00a0 We had some big rolling waves, but the Sikuliaq handles them really well and everybody has had a chance to get their sea legs.\u00a0 It usually takes me a day or so to adjust to the motion of a ship.\u00a0 Seasickness manifests as dizziness and exhaustion for about 24 hours, and then I\u2019m usually good to go.\u00a0 With the slow calm trip, I was able to skip the adjustment and feel comfortable right away.\u00a0 It\u2019s a relief to not have to power through that experience this time.<\/p>\n

This morning we pulled in to Dutch Harbor, Alaska to take on a container for the ship.\u00a0 Along with Kodiak, Dutch Harbor serves as the primary processing point for the Bering Sea fishery.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve seen the show \u201cThe Deadliest Catch\u201d, you know about Dutch Harbor and the crab industry here.\u00a0 Fishing is the major industry for the region, with U.S. landings of crab around $200M\/year, but it\u2019s dwarfed by the pollock fishery (think: fish sticks), which accounts for more than $700M\/year.\u00a0 Understanding the ecosystem here, and therefore its economic impact, is a major reason we are out on this research cruise.<\/p>\n

While the crew managed to onload the container, the scientists had a few hours to wander around ashore.\u00a0 Most of us took the opportunity to pick up some last-minute supplies at Alaska Ship Supply, the local store that has everything.\u00a0 In addition, I took a long walk to the native community village, just to stretch my legs, and to try to take some pictures of eagles.\u00a0 I tend to think of bald eagles as majestic symbols of our mighty nation.\u00a0 Here, they are just a nuisance.\u00a0 There are so many and they hang out in the dumpsters.\u00a0 To be fair, the dumpsters here are full of scraps from the fish processing plants.\u00a0 Either way, I still find them to be beautiful and impressive creatures.<\/p>\n

Tonight we head north, making a direct 50+ hour steam to our first station.\u00a0 I\u2019m ready for the sciencing to begin!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

6\/3\/18<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

RV Sikuliaq<\/p><\/div>\n

Getting to Seward<\/h1>\n

First things first, I have to get there.\u00a0 \u201cThe journey is the destination\u201d takes on new meaning when it takes more than thirty hours of travel to get from home in Maine to the ship in Alaska. Even getting there can be an adventure. \u00a0I was determined to make the most of it.\u00a0 By the time my plane landed in Anchorage, I had gotten through a few sci-fi novels, a movie, and of course some scientific writing.\u00a0 But Seward, where the ship was located, was still a five-hour train away.\u00a0 Those were the best five hours of travel I have ever experienced and have retroactively added the Alaska Railroad to my bucket list.\u00a0 Mountains and rivers and the sea were on every side as we wound our way south.\u00a0 I thought I would get stunning vista fatigue, but it seemed that every corner was a new incredible sight.\u00a0 We saw bald eagles, moose, wild Dall sheep, trumpet swans, a black bear or two, and more incredible snow-capped mountains than even have names.\u00a0 I spent most of my time hanging out the window, snapping photos, and gawking at the incredible sights.\u00a0 Five hours later, rolling slowly into Seward, I felt refreshed and ready to go and excited to be in Alaska.<\/p>\n

I had originally planned to spend the afternoon in Seward hiking up the side of Exit Glacier, which is just outside of town.\u00a0 But there was a last-minute change to the departure schedule, meaning that we had one less day to get unloaded, set up and tied down before we disembarked.\u00a0 So, from the train depot I went directly to the ship, introduced myself to the chief scientist, and started unloading pallets.\u00a0 We spent the next 24 hours unpacking and setting up our shipboard laboratory, making sure we had all the supplies we needed before leaving shore.\u00a0 Nothing, absolutely nothing, is allowed to be loose.\u00a0 Once at sea, everything moves and slides and generally tries to fall over.\u00a0 I use a combination of bungees, ratchet straps, and a few go-to rope (I now prefer paracord actually) knots to lash everything down.\u00a0 In the back of my mind is the knowledge that if I\u2019m missing something or a key piece of equipment breaks, there is nowhere to get a replacement.\u00a0 I\u2019ve spent months preparing, checking and re-checking my packing list.\u00a0 This is my last chance to pick up any last-minute supplies.\u00a0 Thankfully, all seems to be where it should be.\u00a0 I can\u2019t shake the feeling that I\u2019ve forgotten something, but that probably says more about me than my packing job.<\/p>\n

One of the interesting features of Resurrection Bay, where Seward is located, is that it is a fjord.\u00a0 The mountains continue to drop off even though we can\u2019t see it below the water line.\u00a0 Within a few hundred feet of shore, the water depth is over 250 meters.\u00a0 Whales come all the way up the bay, feeding really close to shore and the ship\u2019s dock.\u00a0 Standing on the deck or walking on the edge of town, the sound of blows and the gulls that surround them are ever-present.\u00a0 I\u2019m in awe of the beauty and grandeur of this place.\u00a0 I hope to make it back some day to explore more, but for now I\u2019m satisfied that I got a great adventure before I even begin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cruising in the Bering Sea Incoming Professor of Marine Science, Dr. Steven Baer, is cruising in the Bering Sea this summer with the\u00a0Arctic Shelf Growth, Advection, Respiration and Deposition Rate Measurements (ASGARD) project. You can follow Dr. Baer’s adventures and learn more about the mission of his cruise in the blog below. You can check […]<\/p>\n Read More...<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1405,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1321","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\r\nCruising in the Bering Sea - Corning School of Ocean Studies<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/ocean-studies\/corning-school-of-ocean-studies\/faculty-staff\/steven-baer\/cruising-in-the-bering-sea\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cruising in the Bering Sea - Corning School of Ocean Studies\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cruising in the Bering Sea Incoming Professor of Marine Science, Dr. Steven Baer, is cruising in the Bering Sea this summer with the\u00a0Arctic Shelf Growth, Advection, Respiration and Deposition Rate Measurements (ASGARD) project. You can follow Dr. Baer’s adventures and learn more about the mission of his cruise in the blog below. 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