Posts Tagged ‘Coastal Pioneer Array’
Students’ Mini-Boat & Drifter Launched
On Sunday November 13, 2022, the Pioneer 19 Team and crew of the R/V Neil Armstrong switched gears from their Pioneer recovery operations to launch a mini-boat and a drifter. Both were constructed by high school students from Waterford, CT, with the help of fourth grade Waterford students, who decorated its sails and hull. The…
Read MoreWind and Waves
After a successful day Friday and recovery of the Surface and Profiler moorings in the balmy 70+ degree North Atlantic, post-tropical storm Nicole’s winds and rain forced the Armstrong team to head North to shelter from the worst of the storm expected Saturday morning at the array. Not to trek North to Vineyard Sound empty-handed,…
Read MoreStowaways
Sometimes marine life hops aboard the moorings, making their way to the deck. The Pioneer team does it best to return the marine life to its natural habitat as quickly as possible. Examples of stowaways are a small Trigger fish gently held by Pioneer team member Irene Duran. The fish got caught in the small …
Read MoreProfiler Mooring Recovery
Friday was a great day to be aboard the Armstrong. The weather cooperated and the team recovered the inshore profiler mooring. Shown here are some of its components in the order in which they were recovered: Submersible surface buoy, subsurface flotation sphere, and wire-following profiler. The latter is instrumented and moves up and down the…
Read MoreTwo on Deck
The Pioneer Array 19 team marked Veteran’s Day with the successful recovery of the Coastal Inshore Surface Mooring. Like glider 559, the mooring was initially hooked on the starboard side of the boat. Unlike the gliders, the large buoys are guided toward the back of the ship for recovery through the A-frame. From there, the…
Read MoreGlider Hooked
Pioneer Team member Jessica Kozik hooks glider 559 so it can be brought on board ship. The “hook”, or connection to the hauling line, is accomplished with a long pole and specially designed grappling hook that snaps open and quickly shut upon contact.
Read MoreWatching for Whales
Peter Duley is a marine mammal observer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He joins many Pioneer expeditions to survey the waters for whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals. While he surveys the water with his “Big Eyes” binoculars, he also keeps track of birds and other creatures that may happen by.
Read MoreEntangled Fishing Gear
When the Pioneer 19 team recovered the Offshore Surface Mooring, it came with fishing gear entangled in the buoy tower. This is not an uncommon occurrence, but it can be detrimental to the mooring system. The fishing line sometimes gets wrapped around the wind turbines, which charge the batteries that power the instrumentation. When this…
Read MoreGumby Try-ON
As the R/V Neil Armstrong steamed toward its first site at the Pioneer Array, the crew took the science party through safety training to ensure that all participants were familiar with onboard safety equipment, including the “Gumby” immersion suit. The suit is awkward to put on and sometimes looks a bit comical, despite the serious…
Read MoreEmpty Back Deck
The @R/V Neil Armstrong left the dock at Woods Hole, MA with an unusual empty deck. Deck Lead Chris Basque joins Third Mate Mariah Kopec-Belliveau in the uncommonly spacious area. The Pioneer 19 Team will be recovering the Coastal Pioneer Array and will not be deploying new moorings. The next time Pioneer will be deployed…
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