Weather Report
Time : 1: 50 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Air Temperature : 7.5 Degrees Celsius
Sea Temperature : 9.1 Degrees Celsius
Wind Speed : 11.6 Knots
Water Depth : 965 Meters
Latitude : N 52.15
Longitude : W 131.35
Ship Speed : 0 knots
Today we will launch the CTD off the southwestern shore of the Queen Victoria Islands at 52 degrees North. At this time the ship will be outside one of the Haida Eddies that formed earlier in the spring and has spun off Moresby Island. During these the CTD package will be lowered to a depth of 600 meters and then cautiously brought to the surface, firing bottles for more samples along the way.
After the first cast the ship will travel west at 52 degrees north latitude. Satelite imagery places an Haida Eddy in the ship's path. Researchers will perform CTD casts every fifteen kilometers to the depth of six hundred meters. In theory, the samples collected inside the eddy should produce higher levels of biomass, as compared to the samples collected outside the eddy. To complete the transect could take twelve hours, perhaps longer.
There have been minor technical difficulties as a sensor on the CTD has kept shorting out at a particular depth. The problem appears to have been solved. Three casts had to be aborted. Fortunately all is well and the transect continues. Looks like a long day.
Send comments and questions to Mr. Caddigan
wcaddigan@mlti.org
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