On solid ground

After finally adapting to the Kilo Moana Two-Step, the odd gait arising from the atypical rocking of the double-hulled vessel, we have traded that rhythm for dock rock, the sensation that dry land is heaving with sea swells. Our last few hours at sea did not disappoint, with sparkling views of Oahu pre-dawn lights and a submarine patrol in the harbor. We steamed into port Friday morning and unloaded most of the ship by noon, cleaning the labs, palletizing equipment, passing off samples to FedEx for prompt shipment, filling dry shippers with liquid nitrogen so they may stay cool until early next week, and dealing with chemical waste. While most of the science party lingered to tidy up final details until late afternoon, some quickly fled the scene to maximize their time exploring the island. Most of the group reconvened for a celebratory dinner before parting ways, some to fly back to their home labs early Saturday morning, some to stay on in Hawaii to see off the final shipments of samples and equipment. With every wave of partings, there were acknowledgments of the cruise's scientific gains as well as promises to maintain contact and seek future collaboration. Given the plethora of samples collected, the bulk of the science related to the cruise will happen in the coming weeks, months, and years. Although the Q-TIP cruise is over, the analysis has only just begun.

Steaming home

Following the recovery of the last sediment trap at 0800 this morning, we began to steam back to Oahu. Over the course of the cruise, as we have chased current-carried sediment traps, we have strayed from our original position, making the voyage home about three hours longer. Some researchers continue to finish up experiments even as others begin packing.

On the research front, the Van Mooy and Webb labs are squeezing in one last collaborative experiment on Trichodesmium, nitrogen-fixing bacteria that are colonized by heterotrophic (non-photosynthesizing) bacteria. Throughout the cruise, the Webb lab's classification of the yield of Trichodesmium colonies in their net tows has escalated from "motherload" to even greater colloquial terms of abundance. This is good news for others on the ship who have benefited from the Webb group's generosity with their bounty. On the chemistry side, the Van Mooy lab is incubating the colonies with signaling molecules that may regulate enzyme activity responsible for nutrient metabolism in the heterotrophic bacteria that colonize Tricho. The excitement this morning upon seeing statistically significant results from an enzyme assay experiment conducted Tuesday to Wednesday easily overshadowed the delight surrounding yesterday's impromptu crate/tarp spa construction. We squeezed in one last net tow, Lily quickly picked another round of Tricho, and we set the Tricho symbionts incubating with some signaling molecules. The enzyme assays tomorrow morning could help explain some aspects of Tricho nutrient use that have long puzzled scientists.

The Beginning of the End

The final tinges of a beautiful Pacific sunset cast a beautiful backdrop on the final stages of our ten day cruise. Today we retrieved one of the last two deployed sediment traps. Although, instead of the quick bustle to redeploy, the net was honorably discharged and dismantled for its use in some future voyage. The last call, for marine waters, will come early tomorrow with the final deployment of the CTD at 0600. Once, we have retrieved the final sediment trap it is full steam ahead to Honolulu.

As the final experiments come to a close, we can confidently put some of our pre-cruise fears behind us. Initially, we feared that we might not collect sufficient quantities of sinking particulate matter in such a nutrient limited region of the ocean. Although, as we prepare to pack up samples, it appears that we will in fact have an abundant quantity of samples from which to extract supplementary data for our work on site.

Finally, to round out the day, some of the undergraduates, graduate students, and even a professor took a break from the packing of equipment. Part of working on a research vessel requires a degree of versatility, as the equipment on hand is never quite on par with what is truly required. It appeared that this afternoon, this creativity was channeled towards converting our packaging material into a portable spa!

Colorful catch

As a chemistry expedition, we spend most of our time manipulating samples of seawater at the molecular level, but today we were treated to some visible treasures in our traps. With the recovery of Trap 6 came a handfull of small fish, ranging in length from about 1 to 2 cm. Laura Hmelo took them on a tour of the ship in a 250 mL beaker so we could all marvel at their brilliantly colored organs within their translucent bodies. Ultimately, we returned them to their rightful home.

The astute observer aboard the Kilo Moana will actually note an abundance of sea life following us. Compared to the low nutrient level of the North Pacific, our ship is an oasis. Although we have yet to haul in a large fish, there are plentiful bait fish tanging along underneath us as we float around Station ALOHA.

Meanwhile, inside the labs, the filtering continues. Today featured another deep caste of the CTD, to 1500 m. Attached to the line were two McLane pumps, which pump much greater quantities of water than are collected by the Niskin bottles on the CTD. The group from the UW uses this water to study the oxygen-limited depths of the ocean. Where oxygen is limited, how do marine organisms respond? The group hopes to tease out some more details of nutrient cycling by studying this water.

Going Deep

Excitement was running high aboard the Kilo Moana this evening. The buzz was not circulated by groundbreaking scientific discovery, but instead by experimental arts and crafts. The science crew took a much appreciated breather from the hectic lab schedule in order to decorate 16 oz Styrofoam cups. These lone voyagers were strapped to the ships CTD on a 4,300 m deployment. The recovered survivors of 430 atmospheres of pressure, were mere dwarfs of their once mighty stature. These token souvenirs make a novel addition to any trip memorabilia collection.

In the words of Dr. Keil, from the University of Washington, “Few people will go to the moon, few people will win a major sports championship, but even fewer have a cup that has survived the depths of 4.3 kilometers”.

On the scientific front, all labs are moving ahead with the renewed energy/urgency of being over halfway done with the cruise. Many of the scientific crew are starting to feel the fatigue of little sleep and the constant pressure to squeeze all possible data from the cruise. Yesterday afternoon, I was fading in and out of sleep while attempting to process some of our many particle samples. In my moderate state of delirium, I began asking myself why I was processing marine waste with such tender loving care, as if it were a rare reserve of some precious metal, instead of grabbing some much needed sleep? It is during these times where a quick trip to the microscope with a fresh particle can renew one’s exploratory spirit. These particles are a universe unto themselves, of which we have very limited knowledge. It is only during these brief intervals out to sea where we can begin to scratch the surface of how these pieces of rotting waste are shaping the world in which we live. Thus, we forge on in relentless data acquisition, burning the candle at both ends in hopes of teasing a murmur of some microbial conversation from these marine particles.

Your taxpayer dollars at work

Research cruise. Does that sound oxymoronic? Halfway through our first research cruise, Tanner and I reflected on what we think so far. It is a uniquely intense and exhilarating scientific experience. Our purpose for these ten days is to gather as much data as possible - sampling, running experiments, turning around the data with a quick analysis to make choices about further experiments to conduct in the dwindling days left. While we might enjoy beautiful sunrises and the grandeur of the open ocean, more often than not the members of the science party are in the lab, shouting to be heard (or not) over the roar of the hood, in a dark room measuring respiration rates in incubating samples, isolated in the van for radioactive work, or waking up every few hours to collect data for kinetics studies. Perhaps not quite the "cruise" most people think of, but we have the privilege to do science on systems that can best be studied in the field.

The scientific camaraderie is critical to the success of the cruise. With the different research groups conducting complementary studies, there is great potential for collaboration. In the galley or on deck, scientists share their preliminary data, their ideas, and their expertise. While the Van Mooy/Mincer group is doing enzyme assays in one lab, Solange and Noel are across the hall studying one of those assays in greater depth. In the wet lab, after helping troubleshoot a frustrating titration experiment, Georg modestly stated, "I've done a few of those in my life." And of course, we all rely on the particles collected in the UW group's traps and the voices of experience of the Station ALOHA regulars from UH.

Tension On The Line

This morning began with a much awaited “dog” hunt. The now colloquial slang is the preferred terminology for sediment trap hunting. As our lab prepared for the onslaught of new samples the morning plans were quickly foiled. The upper trap set, at around 80 meters, failed to collapse on its journey to the surface and continued collecting junk, thus contaminating our sample. With the smaller trap on the fan tail, the crew moved their attention to the larger deep trap. Yet, caught by a strong crossing wave, the deck hands scattered to safety as the increased tension severed the line. The loss of any

equipment always adds to the frustration of the crew, but with a replacement in the works and with ample time remaining in the cruise there are plenty of particles that remain to be collected.

Minus the lack of new samples, work in the lab continues. Our comprehensive approach to assessing the role of microbial degradation of sinking particles is being spearheaded on several fronts, and producing interesting results. Onboard, we are currently examining a novel application of a microbial indicator strain to detect the presence of our signaling molecules, AHLs. Additionally, we are researching the effect of AHL’s on the rate of microbial oxygen use, or their metabolic response to AHLs. Complementing this study we are investigating the rate of enzyme breakdown of the particulate matter in response to AHLs. While conclusive results are pending, initial findings are promising that we are heading in the right direction.

Outside of the lab, throughout the afternoon, we admired the view of a large Navy convoy

passing through the neighborhood. The floating roomer was that they were en route to carry out annual international war games off the Hawaiian Islands. Yet, this change in scenery would not be the last of the day’s excitement. At roughly eight o’clock in the evening our multipurpose winch, responsible for all deployments and recoveries, went out of service. Operations have come to a grinding halt, as the crew asses the problem at hand. The rest of us wait anxiously for news concerning the future of our data collection.