I’m starting to wrap my head around this trip a little more. Throughout the trip, we are stopping at several waypoints on the South Shore of Lake Superior. At each stop, we take a number of samples and prepare them for the lab. Simple, right? I am finding this not to be the case. #1, research on a vessel is tremendously expensive. Funding appreciates fast and efficient over one’s personal rest and comfort. #2, the life of the lake is the most active during the night. Mysis, who prefer not to be seen and eaten during the day, head up to the shallower water to eat phytoplankton at night. Larval fish who eat mysis, and larger fish who eat larval fish are soon to follow. What does that mean to us? Heavy sampling at all hours of the night with sample prepping during the day.
We also introduced our small group projects today. I will be researching the difference in density and biodiversity of zooplankton in near shore Lake Superior vs. off shore in the deeper water. We’re also sampling in front of 3 river mouths; heavy, moderate, and minimal industry. In simple terms, we think there will be more plankton in the shallow, warmer water that mixes more than the deeper stratified water. We’ll see. There’s a lot of amazing dynamics out there that I haven’t fully taken in yet. Anyway, this extra project will also eat up our daylight.
In conclusion, don’t think for a minute that this is a pleasure cruise. I’m having a great time, but we’re all working hard… and maintaining our flexibility and positive mental attitudes.
Today was a quieter day. Many people were up most of the night sampling, so we didn’t all gather until 12:30. Those of us who were rested, spent the morning helping prep the samples in the lab and watching as the Apostle Islands drifted by.
After lunch we all gathered to connect with a group of teachers participating in an earth science workshop at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry via distance learning software. Our chief scientist, Joel Hoffman, told them about our studies, a technician explained her background and position running the heavy machinery, and a group of 3 educators (myself included) talked about what we hoped to gain from the program followed by Q & A. It was pretty cool.
We then learned how to use a hydrolab probe that may be loaned out to us after the cruise, played a Great Lakes resources game as an idea for our own classrooms, and broke into small groups to determine our research projects.
We cruised by the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan during dinner.
We heard from Greg Boyer from Syracuse’s Environmental Science and Forestry school in New York about blue green algae. Fascinating and horrifying stuff! If you hear of toxic algal blooms that almost entirely turn water green, that would be your buddy cyanobacteria; not an algae at all! This is Greg’s first sampling of Lake Superior where he wants to discover what exactly about Lake Superior inhibits cyanobacteria’s growth. It is believed to thrive in warmer nutrient-loaded waters, but he wants to determine what other factors might go along with that. http://www.esf.edu/biochemistry/pubs.pdf
[Very cool guy, I might add. Had I taken a chemistry course with him in college, I may not think that chemistry is the monster I have pictured in my mind.]
Right at this minute… I’m on the top deck at 9pm. The sun just set across from the Porcupine Mountains. Now, I’m off to bed to get in as much sleep as I can before my turn at the 3am water, plankton, and benthic sampling. Some of the scientists on board are running on just a few hours of sleep. I need to keep this in mind when I drag myself out of bed in a few hours. I’m also told we will be hitting some weather that may make our ride a little bumpy. Looking forward to it. And away I go… zzzzzzzzzzz
It is a cold, rainy day today, and in Duluth, at least, pretty bumpy on the lake. I hope you have a good, strong stomache! Seems like a fascinating trip, fun to read about. We saw you leave port (we were out on our boat) and I waved. :)
ReplyDeleteJody