Coming to an End

It is hard to believe we will be back in Italy Saturday morning...these two weeks have flown by! The past 4 days of insanely rough seas have made me homesick..but I feel like there is still so much more for me to learn onboard Nautilus! The crew, the places, the setting, and the overall experience have been something completely new to me and it's absolutely life-changing.
As an update- Mrs. Duffy has her "sea legs" (as she likes to call them) back and is happy to be vertical again! She temporarily lost them during the rough seas but she is rested and getting better! (Just in time for the port stop in Palermo :) )! Somehow I managed to go two weeks without getting seasick... I am still trying to figure out how I pulled that one- but no complaints!! The rough seas and storms proved worth it when we saw the rainbow at the end....

(Hercules pilot Gregg didn't realize I was trying to take a picture!)

The Elements

Volcanic eruptions, water spout, lightening, thunder, and rainbows...

^ That about sums up the past 3 days here onboard the Nautilus! Sorry for not posting in a while but it's definitely been crazy!!
Last week we started diving and have found some very cool things! We have seen hydrothermal vents among the volcanic rocks. These high temperature vents are associated with bacteria and tube worms (I've been named "Official Tube Worm Spotter" by Chief Scientist Dr. Carey). In addition we have seen squid, octopus, jellyfish, and sharks. We haven't been able to dive since Sunday because of the bad weather unfortunately :(

We have been taking shelter behind Stromboli (the gorgeous volcano above) to avoid the storm as much as possible. The waves have been huge but last night we definitely got to see one of the coolest things ever! This volcano erupts every night and the Captain kept taking us back and forth along the side of the volcano to watch the eruptions every 10 minutes. It was really amazing.

The videographer on board- Tom Pierce (coolest guy ever!) got this picture of one of the eruptions:

We are hoping to start diving again tonight or tomorrow...but it all depends on this weather. The past few days have been SO rough and we've had to take shelter in our cabins!

We only have a few more days onboard but stay tuned for updates!

Courtney

Daisy Chain and First Dive

The past 12 hours have been crazy here on the E/V Nautilus! After we finally left port in Palermo, the tech crew started prepping the ROVs for the first dive of this expedition off the coast of Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Luckily for me, I got to be part of the prep process! Grad student Josh and I helped deck chief Mark make the daisy chain. The daisy chain is a combination of ropes and cords that connect Hercules to Argus. The chain must be done in a way that will not affect the ROVs and will prevent the cords getting tangled.

Ship Updates and Fun Facts

Wednesday,

This morning, we woke up in the port of Palermo, Italy. Around 8:00 AM, some of the crew got off the ship and new crew members and scientists came aboard! Mrs. Duffy started training another educator and I wrote my first dive report in the data lab!

Mrs. Duffy and I planned to video chat the sixth grade today, but unfortunately the ship’s satellite is down. This means we are still in port in Italy. We hope to fix the satellite so we can get Internet connection back and be able to talk to CHC!

Transit to Italy

Tuesday,

We are almost to Italy!! Our transit began Sunday evening from Heraklion, Greece and we will arrive in Palermo, Italy tomorrow morning.

Today we woke up at 7 AM to a delicious breakfast and an anchored ship. Since the Mediterranean was so smooth, the Captain announced a swim call. This was a great break for the crew in between tons of training and getting ready for the first expedition tomorrow. Tom (the AMAZING photographer on board) took pictures of us jumping off the deck of the ship. Some of the ship's crew judged everyone's dives (or belly flops..) The water was so clear, calm, and blue! Mrs. Duffy and I even went for a ride around the ship in the emergency life raft with some of the crew. We have seen so many dolphins around the ship- even a whale! This evening we watched the sunset from the bow of the ship as we sailed through the Straits of Messina. It was so gorgeous with Sicily on one side of us and the "boot" of Italy on the other side.

First Day Aboard the Ship

Nautilus pulled out of port in Greece Sunday night around 6:30 PM. As new members on board, Mrs. Duffy and I attended some orientations and safety meetings. Our first dinner on board the ship was delicious! We had chicken, rice, fries, and so much more prepared by the great chef Jeff! The drinking water on board is processed through double osmosis taking all the flavorful minerals out of it that we are so used to drinking. To tolerate the horrible taste, we have done many tricks such as adding carbonation or orange juice to flavor the water. Our first night the crew bonded in the lounge watching movies, touring the ship, and hanging outside on the deck and watching the sunset. We even held rocks that the ROVs collected from the bottom of the ocean! After 8 PM, the seas started to get high so we all went to bed early in hopes of growing some sea legs!
We all met for breakfast in the galley Monday morning at 7:30 AM. We were served an amazing spread of eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries, and freshly squeezed orange juice. The rest of today (Monday) will be spent continuing our voyage to Italy. Mrs. Duffy and I are being trained for our new jobs and positions on board by the awesome crew!

Stay tuned!

Courtney

Arriving in Greece

Mrs. Duffy and I have arrived in Greece!

We landed in Heraklion on the island of Crete on Saturday afternoon. That evening we met up with two other scientists: Greg- an ROV pilot and Louisa- a data logger. The four of us spent the evening touring the city, going to different markets and shops, and wandering the cool streets!

We ate at a delicious Greek cafe near our hotel. We've been having gyros, fish, and greek salad! We also met some members of the Jason Project that are on board too.

Sunday morning we left the hotel and met with the rest of the group at the ship. After checking in, we were given the day to explore more of the city. A fellow educator at sea, Marty, taught us about the ship and walked us around the city. It was absolutely gorgeous! We ate at a delicious restaurant overlooking the marina and beautiful blue water! We tried different local fish and desserts. We even found a place where fish give you a pedicure- so cool and tickles a lot!! By 5 pm that night, it was time to board Nautilus!

Courtney Paphites

July 14 Okeanos Explorer

Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011 “GALREX 2011”
Jeremy Potter
Expedition Coordinator
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
From June to July 2011, a team of scientists and technicians both at-sea and on shore will conduct exploratory investigations on the diversity and distribution of deep-sea habitats and marine life in the vicinity of the Galápagos Islands. The 50-day expedition is divided into two ‘legs’ and includes work in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and international waters.

Mapping and water column information collected during Leg I identified a number of exciting targets to explore with the Institute for Exploration’s Little HerculesROV during Leg II. Between July 11 and July 28, we expect to explore seamounts, the oldest known vent fields, off-axis sulfide mounds, deep fracture zones, and newly-discovered vents.

The expedition also marks the debut of a new camera sled and lighting platform named Seirios. When deployed from the ship with the Little Hercules, we will be able to provide scientists and the audiences onshore with the very first video footage from a number of deepwater areas around the Galápagos.

Source

For NOAA daily updates on this mission, please follow this link.

The ship is located in the vicinity of the Galapagos Islands at a latitude of 3.32 and a longitude of -90.78. Additional detailed observations are available on the right hand table of the photo above.

The images below are from a dive on July 14, 2011. Each picture below was annotated after hearing the observations made by the scientists working on the dive or gleaned from their explanations as they explored the ocean floor. The images are part of the Cape Henry Collegiate School watch station and not taken from another website. Cape Henry has an Internet2 and intercom connection which allows students and faculty to watch the mission in real time. The annotations in the photos are posted by by students or faculty.

Natural History
Squat lobsters also hide under rocks to protect their bodies. Safe from hungry fishes, they wait for snacks to settle nearby—those claws are perfect for reaching out and picking up food. Two species of squat lobster are found along California coasts. These animals look like lobsters, but they’re more closely related to hermit crabs. Unlike their relatives, squat lobsters don’t carry shells on their backs. Instead, they squeeze into crevices—and leave their sharp claws exposed to keep neighboring lobsters away.Along with curling up in crevices and hiding under rocks, squat lobsters stake out their territory on sandy patches. They use their claws to scoop up sand and sift for sunken snacks.


Conservation
Anything that finds its way into the ocean, whether it's tossed away as trash, washes off a beach or falls off a boat, may eventually make its way to the deep sea. It's important to realize that the deep sea is not so far away that it's beyond the reach of human activities. Living creatures in the deep are affected by what we do at the surface.


Cool Facts
Squat lobsters’ arms can grow to be several times their body length. Squat lobsters sometimes steal food from sea anemones.

Source