by Theres no better way to start the day than with a 6:00 am Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) and expendable bathythermograph (XBT) deployment. At sunrise, STEMSEAS fired the XBT off the aft of the Atlantis, a device that creates sound waves and measures the time it takes to reflect back to the machine, creating a map of the ocean floor. Next, we lowered the CTD down the water column. In addition to collecting water from as far as 500m below the Atlantic Sea, we also sent down and shrunk Styrofoam cups (due to the immense pressure)! This immediately triggered a spinner and spotted dolphin celebration, with a series of flips and twists on the bow. Finally, the excitement of the day concluded with a cookout on the O3 deck led by the Atlantis BOSUN and “Morale Booster”, Catfish.
