A clurb on the ship: In the clurb we are all fam

STEMSEAS is not only about science, but also about the experiences on the ship, so for today’s post I would like to shed light on the other amazing opportunities we have had this week. For starters, our first day before getting onboard we had a little beach outing on Rehoboth beach. Once onboard most of our time was dedicated to the many different experiments going on but we still found time to enjoy the simpler things. As we entered the Chesapeake Bay area we were greeted by dolphins as the sun started to set, it was majestic. After some more chlorophyll filtering and sciency things, we were done for the day. We made our way to the back deck where we met some the marine techs playing music on their boom box, of course we had to have a dance party! Students, staff and crew enjoyed the music together for a while before we decided it was time to end our night on the bow while stargazing. We told ghost stories and stories of our local areas while under a starlight night.

As the trip slowly comes to its end, we are becoming closer to all of the crew members. We got to learn more about how they came into this field and what inspires them to continue the boat life. It was very interesting to hear about all the different backgrounds that lead everyone to work on this fleet, sparking lots of laughter and curiosity. Additionally, we got the chance to explore more of the boat! The engine bay is the hottest place on the boat and boy, we do not know how the crew handle all that heat! It is basically a sauna in there and the crew are champs for managing that. Meanwhile, the bridge is the coolest spot you can relax in. We got to experience how it feels to sit in the captain seat and see the view that only those on the bridge can see. The bridge also connects to the flag-bridge where folks can climb up to do some whale-watching or to feel the breeze. With our hands in the air awkwardly showing off our dancing to telling scary stories under the star-lit sky to be seeing the same view together, these are the memories that we won’t forget.