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Dispatch 7: Arctic sushi

Jennifer Kosty (Yale University)

September 24, 2026

11:20 local, 73.17◦N, 132.52◦W

Conditions:

  • 30% sea ice cover
  • -3.1◦C
  • Sunrise: 07:39 PDT (local)
  • Sunset: 19:42 PDT (local)
  • Day length: 12 hours, 4 minutes

Now that we are cruising through ice, the team from Japan (Kazu Tateyama, Hayate Kato, Takuji Waseda, and Koya Sato) have deployed their sea ice measuring sensor, fondly known as the “sushi” (given its resemblance to a large, yellow sushi roll). The sushi is mounted on the port side of the foredeck and will collect measurements of sea ice thickness throughout the cruise. These measurements are computed using two sensors: an electromagnetic sensor records the distance from the sushi to the bottom of the sea ice, while an altimeter measures the distance to the ice surface. The difference between these two measurements is used to determine sea ice thickness every 0.1 seconds! Data from the sushi will be combined with visual ice observations, on-ice measurements, buoy data, and other survey methods to provide a nice overview of the ice conditions in the Canada Basin.

Early this morning, the night watch braved the cold and dark to complete a rosette cast at CB23a. They lowered the rosette down to 2700 m and brought it safely back on board, a process that took roughly 2 hours. Afterwards, they warmed up with a well-deserved breakfast of eggs, bacon, French toast, and fresh muffins. We are currently en route to CB51, where the day watch will complete a 2500 m cast later today. In the meantime, we are enjoying the beautiful ice landscapes and keeping our eyes peeled for any wildlife!

 

 

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.
The “sushi” recording measurements of sea ice thickness off the foredeck. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
The “sushi” recording measurements of sea ice thickness off the foredeck. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Kazu Tateyama, Hayate Kato, Takuji Waseda, Koya Sato, and Jeff O’Brien preparing to deploy the “sushi”. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Kazu Tateyama, Hayate Kato, Takuji Waseda, Koya Sato, and Jeff O’Brien preparing to deploy the “sushi”. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Mackenzie Mueller filtering biotoxin samples. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Mackenzie Mueller filtering biotoxin samples. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
The day watch waiting for a break in the ice pack before deploying the rosette. Photo by Monika Loevenmark.
The day watch waiting for a break in the ice pack before deploying the rosette. Photo by Monika Loevenmark.