Mud Cores and Rachel Carson…

Just finished a trip on the research vessel, Gulf Challenger. We went out if Portsmouth, NH , headed out to ocean.
We brought a bunch of cameras to to get footage for a silly movie we are making this fall. It was also great to document the different processes. We lowered the CTD (measures salinity, temperature, flourescence, and turbudity) four times at differnt areas in the open ocean and in Portsmouth Harbor tributary. In the open ocean, Steve and I lowered a plankton tow in the water. We then collected two samples and saw mostly Copepoda and hope to look for forams back under the ‘scope (slang for microscope) at lab. The samples are in the freezer so they don’t die too quickly.
We also took some samples looking at the mud in the estuary. We took two cores and brought them up on deck. Then, with bare hands, we sifted through the mud for organisms. We found nothig but empty shells! In the second sample, we found some 1 cm long clams. Now we are hunkering down below deck as we drive the boat back to the harbor. I can’t nap- too excited and stimulated. Plus, I love being on boats!! Back to reading “at the edge of the sea” by Rachel Carson…

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