20th June - a net loss

By David Aldridge, 3rd year Mscii Marine Biology Student, NOCS
Almost everyone is familiar with the idea that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is contributing to rising atmospheric temperatures on Earth. A less well known impact of increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, however, is the lowering of the pH of the ocean. This process, termed ocean acidification, is well-known to lower carbonate saturation states, which impacts on marine organisms which form their shells out of calcium carbonate. Understanding this process is vital in order to predict likely changes to planktonic ecosystem structure, which will in turn impact on the oceans ability to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the future.

On this research cruise I have been collecting zooplankton net samples which will later be analysed as part of my 4th year research project. The aim of the project is to look at latitudinal variations in carbonate saturation states (thank you Victoire for collecting carbon chemistry data, sometimes at quite unreasonable hours!), and compare this to the variations in shell weight of planktonic foraminifera, a free floating protozoa which forms its shell out of calcium carbonate, and is present throughout the major oceans of the world.

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed what has been my first research cruise, there was a stage, as I watched one out of my two nets sink into oblivion, that I feared my project was on the verge of disaster should anything happen to my spare net; I pictured the look on my supervisor’s face as I returned from a two week research cruise with only a couple of samples to show for it, and seriously contemplated jumping in after in order to retrieve it... that’s what man-overboard-drills are for right?

Throughout my time as an undergraduate I have heard lecturers and PhD students talking fondly of ‘going to sea’. Having spent nearly 2 weeks on one of these mysterious trips I can now see why a cancelled cruise is the source of great disappointment at NOCS. There is a great atmosphere onboard between students, academics, and members of the ship’s crew. Additionally, there are a good range of non-work related activities which help to stave off cabin fever and provide a way to unwind after time in the lab (although, admittedly, I have had more chance to experience these than many of the other research scientists onboard, some of whom are beginning to look somewhat sleep-deprived). I especially enjoy the 3 meals a day (and around the clock snacking facilities), the video room, and the lounge; I am yet to test out the gym, but thankfully I am not alone!

Although it has been great experiencing, first hand, what occurs on a research cruise, some mysteries onboard remain unanswered:
-  How is it that Jeff ‘the bed-making ninja’ Orsborn is able to sense when someone has left their room in the morning, make the bed, and be gone without a trace (even when the room has only been vacant for 30 seconds)?
And most importantly!
-  What exactly is a Dubery (a word applied ubiquitously to almost any object by the ship’s boson, DD)??


Photo: Deployment of the (spare) zooplankton net... very carefully!!