Dispatch 2: Prepping for Science Operations
Jennifer Kosty (Yale University)
September 20, 2025
18:00 local, 69.03◦N, 105.25◦W
Conditions:
- Sunny
- 0% sea ice cover
- 9◦C
- Sunrise: 20-Sept-2025 06:47
- Sunset: 20-Sept-2025 19:01
- Day length: 12 hours, 14 minutes
We remained in Cambridge Bay through the late afternoon a fter yesterday’s refueling. In the morning, the team from WHOI worked with the ship’s crew to prepare the fore deck for upcoming mooring and buoy work. Other members of the science team spent the morning testing lab equipment and planning for the start of science operations. The science plan is designed to be flexible, as we must consider the current and future sea ice and weather conditions. For example, we are currently monitoring a low-pressure system which has moved into the central Beaufort Sea over the past few days.
In the early afternoon, we participated in a ship-wide fire drill. Our knowledge of the Louis’ layout was put to the test, as we had to locate our designated muster stations and lifeboats. We tried on our lifejackets and were ready to “assist as directed!”.
Later in the afternoon, watch-leader Chris Clarke led the CTD watch-standers through an orientation of the CTD rosette. We learned how to prepare the rosette for CTD casts, a process that includes preparing the Niskin sampling bottles, wiping down the sensors, labeling sample bottles, etc. Each of the lead analysts then explained the procedure for collecting water samples of different biogeochemical properties. For example, Annabel Payne, a PhD student at ETH Zurich, explained the sampling procedure for CFC12 and SF6, two transient gas tracers that will be used to estimate how long Pacific-origin water remains in the Beaufort Gyre.
We left Cambridge Bay around 5 pm and started steaming towards AG-5, with an anticipated arrival around noon on Monday!
