by by Chris Bullis
Today we left Kodiak, Alaska on the R/V Sikuliaq, and I haven’t been this excited since I deployed with the Marine Corps. The ship is filled with people and technology that I’m eager to observe in action, and to be honest, I’m pretty tossed up on what I want to focus on. After talking to the crew and the scientists, it’s easy to see why people choose a life at sea – it’s one of the few last “grand adventures” that people can live out! We’ve been walked around the ship and been shown quite a lot, but I think I’m most excited to see how the team observes the movement occurring at the sea floor at the Juan de Fuca ridge. Living in Washington, I see first-hand that it has a particularly significant effect on our landscape, and – excuse me, but suddenly I’m having issues completing my thought. The swells have gotten big enough to mess with my head, I suppose. I’ve taken seasickness meds, but I guess they’re going to be put to the test. Either way, I can’t wait to learn more about the plate movement at the Juan de Fuca ridge, not to mention actually seeing the video footage of the seafloor provided by the ROV (remote operated vehicle), Jason! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go sip water and lie down; I’m getting a little dizzy and I haven’t been able to look at the screen as I type. I guess my first scientific test for the trip will be observing exactly how strong a stomach I have at sea – so far, things are feeling somewhat precarious. More to come!
