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Dispatch 18: Hello again, Mooring B!

Jennifer Kosty (Yale University)

October 5, 2026

16:30 local, 77.59◦N, 149.59◦W

Conditions:

  • 100% sea ice cover
  • -15.9◦C
  • Sunrise: 10:02 PDT (local)
  • Sunset: 19:28 PDT (local)
  • Day length: 9 hours, 26 minutes

Today, we recovered Mooring B! The recovery operations started around 6 am, when the WHOI team and I met in the forward lab to identify Mooring B’s precise location. The bridge crew navigated us to 3 sites approximately 1.5 km from Mooring B’s drop location. At each site, WHOI engineer Jeff O’Brien sent an acoustic signal to the mooring releases and recorded its travel time. We then used the acoustic travel times to triangulate Mooring B’s exact location. Afterwards, we geared up for another long day of work outside, while Captain Duffett and the bridge team maneuvered the Louis to clear ice from where we expected Mooring B’s top sphere to surface.

The recovery process went smoothly, despite temperatures below -16◦C. We released Mooring B from its anchor around 9:40 am and spotted it moments later, sitting perfectly within the opening we had just made. By 9:55 am, Mooring B’s top sphere was hooked into the winch, and we began the long process of reeling in over 3800 m of mooring wire. The recovery took slightly longer than anticipated because many of Mooring B’s hardware pieces froze immediately upon surfacing. At times, we had to use a blow torch to disconnect wire segments! Mooring B was fully on deck by 3 pm, and afterwards, everyone went inside to warm up with a supper of chicken, cod nuggets, and salad (with lemon souffle for dessert!). Tonight, the WHOI team and I will download all the data from Mooring B’s instruments and re-program them for tomorrow’s deployment.

I’d like to end today’s dispatch by highlighting some of the fun, nonscience-related activities we make time for aboard the Louis despite our busy schedule. It’s common to find people knitting, working on puzzles, or reading in the science boardroom. Yesterday was especially exciting as senior electrical officer Luke organized a trivia night for everyone on board! Questions ranged from “What type of fruit is a banana classified as botanically?”  to “What is the third significant digit of pi?”. Everyone had a blast, and we look forward to more group social events in the future!

The most recent sea ice concentration map for the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas (Source: https://data.seaice.uni-bremen.de/databrowser/).
The most recent sea ice concentration map for the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas (Source: https://data.seaice.uni-bremen.de/databrowser/).
Map showing our current location along the planned 2026 cruise track.
Map showing our current location along the planned 2026 cruise track.
Deckhand Brady preparing to hook Mooring B into the winch. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Deckhand Brady preparing to hook Mooring B into the winch. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Mooring B’s top sphere being brought on deck. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Mooring B’s top sphere being brought on deck. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Jeff O’Brien removing a frozen Microcat instrument from Mooring B’s top sphere. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Jeff O’Brien removing a frozen Microcat instrument from Mooring B’s top sphere. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
(left to right) Chris Basque, Jeff O’Brien, Eric Hutt, and Tim McDonough recovering one of Mooring B’s McClane Moored Profilers (MMPs). Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
(left to right) Chris Basque, Jeff O’Brien, Eric Hutt, and Tim McDonough recovering one of Mooring B’s McClane Moored Profilers (MMPs). Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Trivia night in the forward lounge! Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Trivia night in the forward lounge! Photo by Jennifer Kosty.