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The CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) was deployed Tuesday at around 3:52 am to measure conductivity, temperature, and depth of along the water column. It descended to about 1200 meters deep and stopped just short of the seafloor—brave considering how valuable the equipment is. The CTD was periodically stopped along its ascent to collect seawater in one of its 24 separate canisters. Behind the scenes Sikuliaq science techs, Chris, Rachael, Danny, and I are watching from the computer lab monitoring its progress.
These samples provide valuable information about the conditions of the water column with depth. Once the CTD reached the surface, we collected water from each of the canisters into labeled containers presumably for use by other researchers. I was humbled to know that we are contributing to the collective knowledge of the oceanographic community. You typically only get one shot when doing science on a research vessel which necessitates planning, attention to detail, and teamwork. Waking up at 3:30 am makes that a bit harder but working with seasoned professionals doing hands-on—and wet—science was really exciting.
