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OCULINA EXPEDITION 2005 Characterizing a Deep Coral Ecosystem and Assessing the Effectiveness of the Oculina Experimental Closed Area MISSION DISPATCH 6 October 17, 2005 OHAPC - Gulf Stream, off the east coast Florida Student Question and Answer Part II During the expedition, several students in Ms. Gullotti's sixth grade science classes at Northport Middle School in St. Lucie, FL sent questions to the scientists onboard the Liberty Star. This dispatch answers questions about the Liberty Star and equipment needed for this expedition Questions about the Liberty Star all answers provided by Captian Bren Wade (USA Ships) Question 1: What are the length, width, weight, height, age, and capacity of the Liberty Star? Answer 1: The Liberty Star was built in Jacksonville, FL in 1980. It is 176 ft long, 37 ft wide, and weighs 743 tons. The airdraft of the vessel is 67 ft and maximum occupancy is 24 people. 
Question 2: Why is the toilet called a "head" and the kitchen a "galley?"
Who does the cooking and the cleaning?
Answer 2: Historically, on sailing ships, crew used the "head," or the bow of the ship to relieve themselves during a voyage. This term survived the ages and now refers to the toilet on a boat or ship. The term "galley" also has roots in tradition. It is thought that the term is a corruption, or distortion, of the word "gallery." Ancient sailors cooked their meals on a brick or stone gallery laid amidships. Onboard the Liberty Star, there is a cook, Rolando, that prepares all the meals for the ship's crew. He also cleans the galley after each meal. As for the rest of the ship, each crewman is responsible for his or her own mess! Question 3: Do you really use terms like aft, starboard, and leeward when on the ship? Answer 3: Yes. In addition, we use terms like port, stern, bow, windward, mid-ship, and fore. Question 4: Does the Liberty Star ever voyage out of the Atlantic Ocean? (Nicholas) Answer 4: Yes. The Liberty Star has gone on missions to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. 
Question 5: How long is the life of a boat like the Liberty Star? (Jessica)
Answer 5: The Liberty Star is relatively old, at 25 years. As time goes on, the maintenance needs of the ship become more time consuming and it will need to be replaced. It is expected that the Liberty Star will last until 2010, which coincides with the end of what is known as the "shuttle period." Questions about the equipment used during the expedition all answers provided by Glen Taylor and Lance Horn (UNCW) Question 1: If the ROV began leaking electricity, would the life around the ROV be adversely affected? (Rhyheeme) Answer 1: If the ROV began leaking electricity, life around it would not be adversely affected, but the leak would certainly kill the ROV! On a related note, how light affects living creatures that live in a dark environment, such as the deep water of the Oculina Bank, is not well-known. Question 2: How is the ROV powered and how much does it cost to run it? (Davon) Answer 2: The ROV is powered by normal AC electricity, provided by the generators onboard the Liberty Star. This AC power travels through a special transformer that converts the AC voltage into several DC voltages. Then, the DC voltage is transmitted to the ROV via a copper wire, which is wrapped with insulation. This insulated "tether" connects the ROV to the control consul in the laboratory on the boat. From the control consul, ROV pilot, Lance Horn, can control the position of the ROV by adjusting the motors on the ROV. A small ROV costs about $15,000 larger ROVs can cost up to several million dollars! The Phantom S2, which is on this mission, costs about $250,000 to run. 
Question 3: How is the ROV constructed, such that it can withstand the
pressure of deep water? (Ethan)
Answer 3: The strength of the ROV and the pressures it can withstand depends on the construction materials of the ROV. Aluminum tubing, which is used for the frame of the ROV (to which all the cameras and other instrumentation are attached), is much stronger than PVC tubing (commonly used in plumbing fixtures). The main body of the ROV, to which the motors are attached, is made out of a material known as Syntactic. This material is non-compressible (it will not crush under pressure), unlike Styrofoam. Other factors taken into account during ROV construction include the wall thickness and the shape of the main body. The thicker the wall, the stronger the body of the ROV and a spherical body shape, versus a cylindrical body shape, will provide more structural integrity. Question 4: Can the ROV pick up samples of shrimp and coral? (Ethan) Answer 4: It is possible for the ROV to pick up these kinds of samples using a robotic grab arm, which is controlled by the ROV operator. On this expedition, however, samples will not be taken in this fashion because the conditions underwater (strong and variable currents) are not favorable for this. (Christopher) Question 5: Who is responsible for driving the ROV and how did he/she learn to drive it? Answer 5: Lance Horn and Glen Taylor are the ROV technicians on this expedition. They are responsible for deploying and operating the ROV. Generally, ROV operators receive on-the-job training in order to operate the ROV. Visits to the ROV manufacturer allow ROV operators to learn about maintenance of the vehicle. On the first mission dive for a Phantom S2 ROV, a technician from the manufacturer attended the mission making sure that it operated correctly and answering any questions from the ROV operators. In England and in Houston, Texas there are technical schools where one can learn how to operate an ROV. 
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