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The R/V EDWIN LINK stops traffic as it makes its way down Florida's Indian River Lagoon on an hour-long trip to the sea.
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Chief Mate Tony Monocandilos raises a series of signal flags up the mast of the RVEL.
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During a crew briefing in the galley, chemist Amy Wright points out the ship's planned route through the Gulf of Mexico. |
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Of course, we're not going to Miami, but it is a nice reference point. Miami is the gateway to the Florida Keys where this mission will really begin. Tomorrow, we will briefly stop the ship for a chance to collect the mission's first biological samples using both scuba and the JOHNSON-SEA-LINK (JSL) submersible. But this will be just a brief excursion -- a chance to get some organisms (other than humans) onto the ship. In the coming weeks, we will return to the Keys for a more detailed biodiversity study. In the mean time, the ship's labs continue to take shape as the scientists conjure order from the chaos of packing crates, readying their analytical tools for the precious samples to come.
The scientific crew includes a diversified mix of biologists, microbiologists, and chemists. Then there is me, the sole journalist, a sub crew, and a ship's crew. The total number on board is a comfy 27. I say that with no sarcasm. There is almost a family-like atmosphere on board, especially among the scientists. They share their thoughts, information, and insight as freely as they plan to share their samples.
Dr. Shirley Pomponi, Director of Biomedical Marine Research at HBOI, laid the groundwork for this multidisciplinary effort at this evening 's science briefing. Addressing the crew, Pomponi said, "The first part of this expedition is going to concentrate on the collection of Forcepia (a genus of sponge that has yielded a promising anti-tumor compound in preliminary HBOI studies). We'll concentrate on extraction and analysis, microbiology, isolation, some sponge cell culture, and we'll also try to preserve it for microbiology and electron microscopy. Of course, we'll collect others (sponges) as well."
Then the scientists digressed into sponge jokes -- the kind that are only funny if you know all the scientific names for sponges. "I'll trade you three Hexactinellida for a Calcarea. Hahaha!"
August 6, 8:04am, Key Largo -- Having traveled through the night with the brightly lit southern shores of Florida on our starboard side, we are moving into the waters off Key Largo, Florida. This will be our first dive site. Right now, on the ship's main deck, preparations are underway. A small group of research divers are preparing to head out to collect the first samples. The JSL 4-man submersible, currently receiving a final check by technicians, is set for a 10:30am launch -- the first of many sub dives to come.
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our correspondent, Mark Carroll. |
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