Last working day
25.07.2008 The incubators that we do not get up today will just have to wait for another cruise. Tonight we have to begin the return trip home if we are to arrive in Bodø in time for the next cruise’s start date. The researchers are having a “powwow” to decide which tasks will be prioritized and the ROV crew is doing its best to fulfill as many wishes as possible. There is no time to waste!
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Text and photos by Tove Leinslie, translated by Elinor Bartle
The macrobiologists were in charge of the first ROV dive. They had equipped the ROV with the vacuum sampler that can suck up small organisms from the sea floor 550m below. They were able to collect sea spiders, amphipods of different sizes, krill, a large snail and an unnamed sea star. There were also a number of small snails for Joar's masters thesis. The dive also collected a small, brown chimney that will provide the microbiologists with material for culturing. There was also some interesting geology samples for Alvaro.
The next dive will be for the microbiologists. They would like to gather some of the white sulphide material to look for sulphur-reducing bacteria. The samples were extremely smelly when they were brought up. The poor microbiologists! And, unfortunately, Jørn found out that there was little living material in the sediment samples, and certainly not any of the hairy bacterial mat material they were hoping for.
In the last dive we were able to bring up a lovely piece of chimney. There were also a number of phlanges - structures that grow out from the sides looking much like fungus on trees - where pockets of warm water can collect.
The last task of the day was to take a reference CTD. We sent a couple of Styrofoam cups down with the CTD to measure the effects of pressure in deep water (414m). You can see the results for yourself!
