Pioneer 18
Heads up
Everyone on deck pays close attention when the large OOI Coastal Surface Mooring buoys are recovered. The buoy tower spins when the hull is picked out of the water, and the deck team needs to be ready with a snap hook to clip into the circular rails on the tower top and arrest the motion.
Read MoreWaiting for a position
WHOI technicians Chris Basque (left) and Jim Ryder (center) wait with the Armstrong Bos’n (right) to get a position message from the GPS beacon (white cylinder). The OOI moorings are outfitted with several of these tracking beacons that report GPS positions back to shore via satellite. Prior to deployment, the beacons are turned on and…
Read MoreStrapped in and ready
The InShore Surface Mooring (ISSM) is staged at the fantail of the Armstrong ready for deployment. The bright yellow paint on the buoy deck and upper hull provides visibility, while the blue paint has anti-fouling properties to minimize biological growth during the deployment.
Read MoreMonitoring the dive
The OOI Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) was used to conduct an inspection (using the ROV cameras) of equipment on the seafloor. The ROV mission team monitors progress during the dive from a control station, with the lights out to enhance contrast for the imagery. Jared Schwart is in the foreground. Jennifer Batryn is to his…
Read MoreRare visitor
A Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) rests on the bow of the R/V Neil Armstrong. This is a bird that is rarely found north of the Caribbean, and is an extreme rarity as far north as the Pioneer Array. Brown boobys feed on flying fish, and this bird may have been looking for its favorite prey…
Read MoreOSSM deployment
Deployment day for the Offshore Surface Mooring (OSSM). The Multi-Function Node (MFN) sits on the fantail of the R/V Neil Armstrong awaiting final testing. The acoustically-triggered release (yellow case) is connected to the ship’s winch wire and will be disconnected when the MFN reaches deployment depth.
Read MorePioneer 18 underway
The Pioneer-18 cruise is underway as of 8 April, with three surface moorings moved from their staging area on the WHOI campus (pictured), and moved to the R/V Neil Armstrong for deployment. The team has an ambitious schedule, and everyone was anxious to get started.
Read MoreTen moorings to be recovered
During Pioneer 18, ten moorings will be recovered. Once close to the ship, crew members grab the moorings with a hook, and direct them to the stern of the ship to be brought onboard
Read MoreGlider deployments
Three gliders will be deployed during Pioneer 18 and remain in the water for the next six months, collecting data in the water column between the Pioneer moorings.
Read MoreRemotely operated vehicle operations
Weather conditions and time constraints during the Pioneer 17 cruise precluded complete recovery of the Offshore and Upstream Offshore Profiler Moorings. If time and conditions permit, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) lead Jared Schwartz will used an ROV to complete the recovery of these two moorings, as well as several anchor recoveries.
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