by 
Thursday, August 18, 2022
Today is August 18th, 2022, and our third day sailing aboard the research vessel R/V Sally Ride. It is a completely new experience to be on a research vessel. The whole experience has been quite a learning experience for me. You have to relearn how to walk with the boat rocking, be extra careful with science equipment, and be patient with your body getting used to it. I am finally beginning to walk confidently while the ship is rolling from side to side. I have been able to avoid sea sickness so far with Dramamine and being outside. A good tip is to look at the horizon so you can see the ship moving. It helps reorient yourself for the constantly moving vessel.
Today we started collecting data. We sent off the CTD which collects data about the water as it travels to the bottom of the ocean. The deepest ours went today was about 3030m. I learned about the CTD in my marine science classes at Coastal Carolina University, but I have not been able to work with one until now. Another instrument we used was a plankton net. The net was towed at a depth of 100m. We picked that point since we saw a peak of oxygen around 100m from the CTD sensors as it was lowered. The peak of oxygen indicates that photosynthesis is occurring which is most likely from phytoplankton.
The CTD getting set up to be lowered into the ocean. CTD stands for conductivity, temperature, and depth since it is able to measure these properties in the water. Water samples are collected inside the grey tubes and can be taken at different depths.
As I am writing this, my fellow STEM SEAS members are identifying the organisms we caught. They were able to find phytoplankton, tunicates, and many more to identify. Everyone, including me, has been excited collecting data. I have just been informed that there are dolphins off the portside!! We believe they are common dolphins.
Dolphins off portside of the Sally Ride.
The research vessel we are on is named after the famous astronaut Sally Ride. You can learn more about Sally Ride around the ship. There are pictures in the stairways and information posters in the mess hall. There is one picture that particularly speaks to me. There is a picture of Sally Ride and her partner. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, spending a week on a ship with people I met over zoom and crew I did not know was a bit scary. I did not know the type of atmosphere that would be created when everyone came together. I am glad that there is nothing to worry about. Everyone has been kind and respectful. The ship being named after a queer woman and not hiding that history made me feel more comfortable. It is refreshing to have the stereotype of sailors not be fulfilled. The captain is young and the crew is diverse as well as the science party. It truly feels like the next generation of scientists and sailors will be more diverse than the past.
A picture of Dr. Sally Ride and her partner Dr. Tam O’Shaughnessy in the stairway of the R/V Sally Ride.
– Finn Gillette
