August 12, 2026
Today was an early start. We were diving at Southern Hydrate ridge, and the dive started around 11:45 pm on August 10th. This is the site of several known methane plumes, about 780 meters deep. A methane plume forms from a stream of bubbles coming up out of the sediment. There are significant deposits of “solid methane” in the form of methane hydrate beneath the surface, and occasionally visible in cracks. The site is highly dynamic and prone to changes. I had gotten off watch at 8 pm, but didn’t want to miss the site survey of the area, which would occur after the switching of the digital still camera at Einstein’s Grotto had taken place.
I asked Oliver, one of the RCA lab techs, to wake me up when switching of the 2025 camera with the 2026 refurbished camera was nearly complete. I went to bed around 8:45, and at 11:45, Oliver shook me awake, as he said I didn’t twitch when he tried gentler methods to wake me up. So, I got ready and headed up to the main deck, but then saw on the monitor that the Cam DS (camera) operations were still ongoing, so I hopped on my laptop and worked on some tasks that I had. I would look up occasionally, yet the ROV was still working on the camera. 1 am comes around, and then 2 am, and then 3 am. I got a lot of work done and grabbed some leftover lasagna and vanilla ice cream at 2:30 am and waited anxiously for the camera part of the operation to conclude. After my early morning snack, I would go in and out of the ROV Jason control van and listen in on the proceedings. The camera portion was taking longer than expected to complications, such as the sediment mound where the 2025 camera was had partly collapsed, and they were trying to put the new one in exactly the same place. There were also some troubles with the tilting functions of the new camera. However, right around 4 am, when I got behind the monitor to operate the video recording system, the science survey part of the dive commenced.
Deb Kelley, the Chief Scientist, came in the van, and one of the RCA staff members, Jolee, got into the hotseat and replaced the lead engineer. The science survey was different from most of the dives in that we were not switching out any equipment, but instead driving around surveying the ocean floor, and taking 4k video shots of things of interest. It was my job to switch the recording from the HD camera to the 4K camera and log the switch. I was also responsible for grabbing stills or taking screenshots of the 4k video feed.
We started by driving up close to the site that the camera was pointed towards, which was a hummocky stretch of seafloor that Dr. Kelley said that likely contained methane hydrate below the surface. We zoomed in on some cracks that showed the exposed hydrate and got some close-up video footage. Then we headed over to a known seep location called Smokey Caverns, a known site of methane plume emissions. On the way, I was shocked to see how much life was on the ocean floor, even at around 780 m. We saw rockfish, hagfish, anemone, snailfish, crabs, and lots of clams, although there were many more dead clams than alive ones.
We made it out to Smokey Caverns, there was a pink flamingo left behind by previous researchers to mark out the spot. We found a few bubble plumes, before winding our way back to the starting location. When we got back to the camera, a pleasant surprise awaited us. The cracks in front of the camera at Einstein’s Grotto, which were dormant when we left, were now pouring out bubbles, only an hour or two later. We got lots of 4k video recordings there. After swapping out with another student participant, I got to talk with Dr. Kelley in the back, where we discussed the science happening before us, but also about how we had both been swimmers in high school and worked as lifeguards. Eventually we were relieved by the next shift as the ascent was beginning. Because Jason was so deep, it took over 45 minutes for the ROV to come back to the surface. This was easily the best dive and shift of the cruise so far, although as we will be sailing to Axial Seamount tomorrow, the best dive of the cruise overall is likely still to come as the hydrothermal vents await.
Another highlight from today came during the 4 pm shift, as Jason was ascending from the Slope Base. Slope Base is the deepest site of the trip, at around 2,900 meters such that it took Jason 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach the surface. Because of this, the pilot of Jason on shift let students in the control van control one of the manipulators (arms). The arm is controlled by a small metal joystick with hinges on it that mirror the hinges on the arm. You hold the end like a pencil, and there are two grooves that can be squeezed to open or close the claws. Then you move and bend the joystick, and the arm follows those movements. It was really cool, as we got to move the arm around out in front of the ROV, and then touch the claw to the basket, which is the metal grate beneath the arms that baskets can be attached for holding things.
August 10, 2026
Today began with an early start. My alarm went off at 3:30 am, and I stumbled around my room getting ready before heading up to the main deck. My shift began at 4:00 am in the wet lab, as the CTD had been down in the water and recovered on deck. Students from the previous shift were preparing water samples, so as my shift came on, we did the same.
On the CTD there are 24 large PVC plastic tubes with lids, called Niskin bottles, that close when a computer triggers each one to do so. A scientist can pick which depths they want their water samples. We fill smaller sample bottles (either glass or plastic) from a spigot on the Niskins, so scientists can later analyze the samples on- and offshore. The CTD has numerous sensors on it. Hence, the water samples are also analyzed on deck to ensure that the sensors on the CTD are calibrated correctly. These data are also compared with data from the instruments on the seafloor and on the moorings, to ensure the instruments are also calibrated correctly. There are slightly different bottles used to store water samples, depending on the analyses. We retrieved samples for oxygen, salinity, chlorophyl a, and measured temperature directly from the Niskins.
We finished that task around 6:30 in the morning, and I grabbed a bowl of cereal around 6:30 am while the Jason crew were finishing their pre-dive checks and moving Jason into position for the launch. At 7:30 am, the ROV was in the water, carrying a BEP (Benthic Experimental Package) down at the Oregon Offshore site. This dive site was approximately 575 meters deep, so it took a while for Jason to reach the bottom. Along the way, the cameras imaged jellyfish, a school of small fish, and medium sized fish near the bottom.
The water was much clearer than at the first shallow Shelf site (80 m), but it was still surprising to see how much particulate is in the water.
I was relieved from my shift before Jason got to the bottom and headed to the galley for breakfast. After breakfast, I spent some time in the back of the Jason control van and in the Main Lab, before eventually taking a nap. I nearly missed lunch as getting out of bed when my alarm went off was quite the challenge. However, I made it right before they began to clean up. After lunch, I headed to the Main Lab to do work on my laptop.
I headed to the control van at 3:30 pm, as I wanted to watch the ongoing Jason dive before my shift started. At 4 pm, I took over as the logger who recorded all of Jason’s actions. We were switching out a camera at the Endurance Offshore site, which was around 580 meters water depth. I was amazed at the number of sablefish present at the seafloor, below 500 meters. In contrast, there were hardly any fish within the top 200 meters of the water column. The dive was already far along, and Jason soon began its accent back to the surface. After dinner, I helped prepare water samples that would be used to analyze chlorophyll. We ran the water through a filter that removed all the chlorophyl, plankton, and sediments and vacuumed out the water. Then, we folded the filter paper, put it inside a tube with acetone, and then put the tube in the freezer for storage. When the samples get back to the lab, further analyses can be done to determine the concentrations and compare those data to the instrument data.
Being out at sea has been far more exciting than anything else, and I have gotten to see some fascinating things in the past two days. I have not been feeling sick at all, although as I was in the smaller analytical lab towards the front of the ship working with the chlorophyl, I started to notice the ship moving up and down, and side to side a lot more. My stomach was then starting to feel a bit woozy. I took some time outside just behind the analytical lab to get some fresh air and look out at the ocean. I think I saw a whale jumping out of the water in the distance, although I only caught the end with the head in the water and the tail in the air. I am going to try to get a nap in around 8:30, as I will likely wake up far before my next 4 am shift to watch the dive at the methane seep site, also known as Einstein’s Grotto.
August 9, 2026
Today is our first day out at sea! This morning, I woke up on the RV Revelle after arriving in Newport, Oregon yesterday and getting settled on board. I got breakfast in the galley and got to meet a couple of people who worked on the ROV Jason (remotely operated vehicle). We later had our orientation for the Jason control van, where the data people showed us the different roles inside the van. The pilot, navigator, and the engineer all sit in front of a wall of monitors showing the different cameras form the deck and on Jason. The hot seat sits behind the pilot and navigator and is where the scientist or engineer tells the Jason crew what they want them to do. Two students, working at the same time, are behind three monitors in the middle of the control van. There is one student who is monitoring the video recording and taking still shots of the video feed that look interesting. The other person is in charge of doing the Sea Logs. Using a software, they record all the actions during the dive, including if the ship moves, where the ROV is, and what it’s manipulators (arms) are doing. The recorded action is paired with pictures taken at the time that the action is recorded.
After our introduction to the control van, we got introduced to the CTD. Some of us, including me, had worked with one before, but for others it was their first time. The CTD measures many ocean water parameters, including oxygen, salinity, temperature, chlorophyl a, turbidity, and pH. It also has 24 “Niskin” bottles that collect water samples, which can be closed to capture water at a chosen depth. While we were doing this, the ship took departed, and we hurried to the bow of the ship as we headed out of the Yaquina harbor, under the bridge, and out to sea. It was quite calm and sunny, and very windy. We arrived at our first diving site, the Oregon Shelf, around 11.
After lunch, we had an abandon ship drill. The alarm went off with six short bursts and one longer bursts, followed by an announcement over the PA system saying it was an abandon ship drill, and all science and crew members were to muster (gather) on the O2 deck (second deck above the main deck) with our immersion suits, life vests, and the other emergency things we were told about in the prior day’s safety meeting. After roll call on the deck, we split up between the science party and the crew. With the science party, I watched as we were told what the procedure is used for release of lifeboats during an emergency. Then, we went to the Main Lab and all put on our immersion suits. They are bright orangish red and feel like a thick wetsuit.
Once the drill was over, I hurried into the control van and sat on the bench in the back to watch. The first site is about 25 km off the coast, and the shore was still visible from deck. We are still on the continental shelf, so the sea floor is about 80 meters below the surface. The ROV was already on the seafloor when I entered the van. The BEP has a bright yellow shell, and is about 8 feet by 6 feet, and around 4 feet tall. As I took my seat, the Jason crew were pulling the fiber optic cable, which powers the BEP, from the 2025 one and plugging it into the new unit. The old one was covered in barnacles, pale white anemone, and a handful of bright pink starfish. After watching the operations for a few hours, it was then my shift. At 4 pm, I got in the seat to operate the Sea Logger. I did that for an hour and a half, until I was released to go eat dinner. During the dive that I was working, the goal was to add a new camera and take up the one installed in 2025, which had fallen over within the previous year. After dinner, I came back and operated the video logs, until the third person in my shift took over. At 8 pm, the shift was up.
My next shift will be from 4 am to 8am. I am hoping to fall asleep before 9 and get some sleep before waking up sometime around 3:30.
It is hard to leave the control van, as it is fascinating to watch the ROV as it begins its third dive of the cruise. It is also interesting to hear the pilot, engineer, and scientists communicate as they operate Jason. Because the site is (relatively) shallow and in a very productive zone, it is very hard to see anything. The water is filled with debris (sediment and biologically-produced material). We must rely on sonar until the vehicle is within a few meters of the instruments or platforms. Natural sunlight barely reaches this part of the water column, so we use the bright lights attached to Jason to see. I am going to watch the sunset, grab some of the apple crisp that is still out, and then try to get to sleep as soon as I can.