BATS 295 Day 1

Hi from the R/V Atlantic Explorer! It was an early start this morning with the ship departing BIOS at 6:30am to set sail on the 295^th BATS cruise. The seas were calm and we got to see an amazing sunrise as we left Bermuda.

Sunrise as we left BIOS

The Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study (BATS) and Hydrostation S started in 1988 and 1954 respectively. These deep-sea time series studies investigate the long term role of oceans in the global carbon budget. Sampling occurs every month which makes BATS cruises an ideal research platform for visiting science groups.

On this seven day cruise we have on board the BATS research team and visiting scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), the University of Miami and Princeton University. Here is a brief overview of some of the interesting research that will be happening on this cruise:

Mark Stephens is from the university of Miami and is looking at Beryllium 7 an isotope that is formed in the upper atmosphere and gets into the surface of the ocean through rain water. Studying this isotope allows scientists to look at mixing processes between surface and deep waters.

Meg Estapa, Colleen Durkin and Jim Valdes are from WHOI and will be looking at particle flux in the ocean using neutrally buoyant sediment traps and autonomous floats. 

Darcy McRose is a grad student at Princeton University and will be collecting samples to look at nitrogen fixation in a phytoplankton called Trichodesmium.

Sarah Fawcett, Kieran Swart, Dario Marconi and Tiffany Cheung are from Princeton University and will be using net tows to compare the isotopic composition of organisms called foraminifera with organic matter that you find in microfossils.

I will be talking in more detail about all of the research on this cruise and its importance over the next seven days. So far it’s been a relaxing day 1 with the sun shining and calm seas throughout the day. Let’s hope the weather stays this way for the rest of the cruise! 

Sunset at Hydrostation S