Saturday, May 31, 2014

Chuck and the Rad-van

Tweeted this ad because "Chuck and the Rad-Van" sounded like a band
that could be playing in our destination: Seattle!

As a junior grad student under Dr. Cochlan at San Francisco State University, Charles "Chuck" Wingert, 27, is earning his master's degree in marine biology with a rare opportunity to work with the brightest and best from Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies. Chuck's been tirelessly working onboard, and the major-majority of that time has been spent in a 8 foot by 20 foot container box that has been converted into a mobile science lab. This one in particular is called the "Rad-Van" because Chuck is working with radioactive materials inside. He has the proper certification and dons the appropriate safety gear as he handles the radioactive isotopes needed for his work.
 
Calibrating the light intensity before
departing San Francisco, no protection
needed at this point
All plants gain their energy for production of glucose from carbon dioxide (CO2) and sunlight. Phytoplankton are no different in this respect; they are autophototrophs--converting the sun's energy into food for themselves and for consumers. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is relevant to us because of oceanic acidification (OA). Increased CO2 production is leading to a decreased pH, an increased acidity by the production of carbonic acid. "It's all about the free positive H's" as Chuck and Chris have said to me, both graduate students at RTC-SFSU. Acids have a surplus of positive hydrogen ions, and as the ocean's pH lowers, the more "positive H's" are floating around. But, the question is: Does a lower pH affect the efficiency of the "plants" (phytoplankton) ability to make its own food? Our research team hypothesizes that a lower pH due to OA decreases the photosynthetic ability of phytoplankton, some more than others. This is one of the many questions being answered on this research cruise.

Remember that every group on board has a specific focus for their research, but they all collaborate, sharing data and using differing methods to compare data as well. For example, Brian Bill' s taxonomy of phytoplankton was supported by Julia Matheson's work with the flow cytometer. Andrew Schellenbach's FIRe work determined photosynthetic health, happy versus distressed cells; now, we look at Chuck Wingert's work in the Rad-Van, testing similarly for the cells photosynthetic health but with another method.

Photosynthetron with samples, notice
the brighter intensity light at the
bottom of the picture
Chuck is using an instrument called THE PHOTOSYNTHETRON, a name so futuristic it deserves all caps. Basically, the photosynethetron measures the rate of photosynthesis at each intensity of light, providing a nice standard curve, steadily increasing then flattening out. This machine with Star-Trekish name measures the amount of carbon uptake to make glucose from the varying light intensities. Some species of phytoplankton are low-light adapted while others are high-light adapted. This is the way that we can determine their efficiency to perform photosynthesis at differing light intensity levels.
Photosynthetron without
samples added; each of these
cells are tuned for a specific
light intensity. 

In order for the photosynthetron to measure carbon uptake, Chuck has to add a radioactive isotope of carbon, C-14. Every atom of carbon has 6 protons, and on the periodic table, carbon has an atomic mass of 12.011 amu. That means every atom of carbon has not only 6 protons but 6 neutrons as well, combining to make up the atomic mass. An isotope is when the neutrons differ from the stable atom of the element on the periodic table; therefore, C-14 is an isotope of carbon that has not 6 neutrons but 8.
6 protons plus 8 neutrons equals 14, C-14.

Fume hood takes up all gases from the reaction. 
After Chuck adds the radioactive isotope C-14, he allows the phytoplankton to incubate for 2 hours to take up the radioactive carbon, C-14.  Afterwards, he then moves the samples to the fume hood and adds 10% hydrochloric acid, HCl. The hydrochloric acid, HCl, helps remove any C-14 that is not taken up by the cells. Through a chemical  reaction between the C-14 and HCl, carbon dioxide is produced as a gas and taken up in the fume hood safely to the atmosphere. This degassing takes 12-24 hours. All the C-14 that is left is that which is taken up by the cells; the excess removed.

After degassing, he adds a special solution and places the samples into another machine, called a liquid scintillation counter. This device detects radioactive isotope, C-14 without detecting the stable carbon (C-12). The machine provides a printout of "disintegrations per minute" or DPM. The higher the DPM, the more C-14 present in the sample which means that it has a higher photosynthetic capacity. Chuck then uses this number in a formula to find the carbon uptake or the "rate of photosynthesis."
Liquid Scintillation Counter detects C-14.


Two photosynthetrons with samples for testing


Different species of phytoplankton all have the same general shape of the curve, increasing photosynthetic rates with higher light intensity but leveling off at capacity, but this curve varies with its values. In other words, some species will be better adapted than others for the chemistry of the ocean and the changes of the future. Our work here is particularly interested in which phytoplankton cells are best adapted for the higher acidity and lower available nutrients as well as the effect of higher acidity on photosynthetic health. 

Chuck is playing a huge role in this grand investigation. And, it continues long after this month of science at sea. In order for Chuck to truly see the photosynthetic abilities of each sample, he will need to input data for the formula to work. That data will come later as the group from University of Washington in conjunction with NOAA-PMEL (post upcoming) analyzes samples for DIC, dissolved inorganic carbon. It's all coordinated and connected--a beautiful picture of the ocean which we are studying.

Chuck Wingert and Chris Ikeda are both graduate students
 at RTC-SFSU under Dr. Cochlan.


Quick story from the bridge...

One the best things about being at sea is meeting new people and hearing the stories they have from life experiences. Sailors, especially for research vessels like the Melville, have been all over the world to some of the most exotic places. I have been amazed by their adventures, and I can understand why a young man or woman finds themselves with saltwater in their blood. This salty life, however, is reserved for those with an adventurous spirit and few ties to the mainland. With a wife and four children at home, I could never do what they do which is why I have enjoyed learning about their jobs and hearing of their adventures.

When I was writing my post about the bridge, I met all of the officers and the captain. Heather Galiher is the 2nd mate onboard, and she told be me about some of her favorite places that she's had the chance to visit in her young career. Heather told me about Papua New Guinea, and how she climbed into the mouth of an active volcano with the rest of her crew. She said that
the very next day that same volcano erupted! 
It's a pretty amazing story. But, it didn't make the impact that the pictures do.

Take a look at what Heather sent me a few days later to support the magnitude of her story.
Hiking up to the volcano
Eruption the next day
Heather Galiher unscathed, ready to board the R/V Melville.
The reason that I could never be a full time sailor.
left to right: Bryce, nearly 2, Olivia , 11, Jax, 3, Grady, 9

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Canadians, eh?

left to right: Dr. Mark Wells (U. Maine), Trey Joyner,
Dr. Charlie Trick (Western U.), and Dr. Bill Cochlan (RTC-SFSU)
As a southern boy, I haven't had too many encounters with our friends north of the border. Now, I find myself talking hockey and comparing climates of our homes with three of the four principal investigators: Dr. Cochlan, Dr. Wells, and Dr. Trick. All three of these men of science hail from the colder regions of North America and are proud of it. Dr. Wells lives and works in the States at the University of Maine, and Dr. Cochlan lives and works in California at San Francisco State University. Dr. Charlie Trick, however, continues to live and work in the great Dominion of Canada at Western University in London, Ontario, but was raised in Ohio.

Dr. Charlie Trick proving that fun and science do mix!
This group has been incredible, and it stems from the leadership.
I will be writing more about Dr. Trick in the near future, so I will concentrate on the complimentary work that he and his team from Western U. are doing in our oceanic lab at sea. Julia Matheson, "PJ," as she's known onboard, is a graduate with her master's degree in biology. She has been brought on by Dr. Trick to be his research assistant because of her experience with a sophisticated machine, called a "flow cytometer." Julia quietly works all day from her station, donning heavy jackets in the cold lab. With every 2 mL sample, she uses the flow cytometer to determine the phytoplankton species and concentration. While I was interviewing her, she showed me that the sample in her hand had 19 cells of the raphidophyteHeterosigma akashiwo a species known for forming harmful algal blooms ("red tides"), a fish killer. That means that the concentration of the sample contains 19 of these harmful cells per 100 mL of seawater. The PI's will analyze these results and the results of others to determine a possible conclusion, but they never jump to conclusions. Just like in my classes, they rely on the evidence to guide them, and just like my classes, they use multiple sources.

Julia Matheson, research assistant, Western University,
London, Ontario, will be spending 12 weeks after
our research at sea in Bermuda with BIOS, Bermuda
Institute of Ocean Sciences as an intern with more time at
sea on the R/V Atlantis.
Julia is basically determining the same thing as Brian and Kathryn (see previous post) but using laser technology rather than traditional light microscopy. Both parties are observing the assemblage of the type and concentration of the phytoplankton in each sample. Brian and Kathryn are using concentration techniques, then, looking under the microscope for the general abundance of the phytoplankton present. Julia is using the flow cytometer which automatically sorts the cells by size and chlorophyll fluorescence, essentially observing the same things as Brian and Kathryn. From these two sources, the PI's can be sure that they have an accurate view of the biodiversity of the ocean's primary producers. Julia's machine also allows her to breakdown each sample into high, medium, and low chlorophyll production for each cast and each depth sampled. This is additional information to be shared with the teams to assess the relative health of the planktonic community.

Speaking with Dr. Trick, I realized that the food chain communities are size-based assemblages. In other words, large planktonic cells are food for larger zooplankton. The larger the phytoplankton, the shorter the food web, making it more efficient energetically. If phytoplankton cells, due to oceanic acidification or other variables, are smaller in size, then the food chain is longer, less efficient, meaning that more sun and nutrients will be necessary to provide the same amount of food for fish and other predators at the top of the food chain. Therefore, it is important to find out the cell size and their relative photosynthetic contribution to the natural community. And, like the iPhone, there's an app for that; in fact, there are multiple tools available that our marine scientists utilize aboard the R/V Melville.

Andrew Schellenbach, senior at Western University with
Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU) and Denis Costello and
Kathryn Ferguson in the background.
Andrew Schellenbach, our youngest science crew member at 20 years of age, is a senior at Western Univ., and hopes to use this experience to help guide him in the next chapter of life as he continues his scientific career. His job in this investigation has been to use two types of fluorometers, one approach uses a chemical, called DCMU to disrupt the flow of photosynthetic energy and then measure the fluoresence using a traditional fluorometer; and in another approach, rapid rates of light are used to saturate the photosystems of the planktonic cells. This latter type of fluorometer is called a FIRe. By firing light through the samples, FIRe is able to provide a measure of photosynthetic health--determining whether we have "healthy, happy cells or distressed, sad cells," according to Dr. Trick, co-PI. Andrew explained that FIRe uses a ratio from two different blasts of light, one short and intense, another longer, less intense. The light excites the photosynthetic cells until they are saturated. With each specific ray of light, FIRe records the cells' absorption of light until, no more light can be absorbed; it is saturated. Andrew's analysis using these two methods compliment another experiment onboard that goes even a step further. I will focus on Chuck and the "Radvan" later and show how it provides more evidence from yet another source to determine the health of the phytoplankton in our samples.
FIRe measures photosynthetic health from the ratio derived
from maximums that saturate the cell.

With every experiment, with every method, with every collaboration and with every conversation; together - they reveal a clearer picture. Like observing a diamond from different angles, using different instruments and different eyes, we not only have a better understanding but a greater appreciation for its beauty. Personally, that is what I'm observing here everyday at sea: Beautiful complexity revealed one test at a time.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Domoic Acid in the Phyto's

To say that I'm learning a lot would be a gross understatement. I'm drinking scientific knowledge from a firehose here. Every day and night, our conversations with the brightest and best scientists, experts in multiple disciplines from biology to chemistry to geology, supersede my limited knowledge of the marine world. Little by little, my understanding grows. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 

Dr. Cochlan (SFSU-RTC) with former student, Brian Bill (NOAA-NWFSC),
enriching seawater for a domoic acid experiment.
The way research cruises work is that the principal investigators collaborate ideas, plan, and write a grant proposal to fund a specific investigation. In our case, Dr. Bill Cochlan was selected to be the chief scientist by the group. They then sent a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) that was accepted relatively quickly due to its uniqueness and importance. Normally, these proposals will take several drafts, but because of the urgency of field data to monitor effects of oceanic acidification (OA) on lipid quality and quantity on the only marine organisms responsible for their production--effecting the entirety of the marine food web, their proposal was accepted and funded on the first submission. After the proposal and budget is approved, Dr. Cochlan and his team not only begin the hard work of planning and testing for the target experiments on board but continue to reach out to other noted marine scientists to coordinate experiments that will compliment this target research. Therefore, many peer-reviewed publications of the past and the future will have repeating names as authorship: Dr. Wells (U. Maine), Dr. Trick (Western U.), Dr. Trainer (NOAA-NWFSC), Dr. Bidigare (U. Hawaii) and Dr. Cochlan (RTC-SFSU). Every group benefits independently from the use of the research vessel, gathering data from otherwise unaccessible waters without this great lab at sea, but they all benefit cooperatively by the sharing and comparing of data.

One of the complimentary groups that is adding to the overarching goal of this sea-faring excursion is NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Through the leadership of Dr. Vera Trainer, who I will be writing a post about specifically later, NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center has partnered with Dr. Cochlan and San Francisco University's Romberg Tiburon Center for years to collaborate and present the most honest picture of the ocean's "pulse." As teachers, we strive for interdisciplinary, even integrated, connections, and here at sea, this is best example that I have seen. 

Kathryn Ferguson and Brian Bill hard at work. 
Brian Bill, the research associate for NOAA-NWFSC, has been working diligently day and night with the team and on his own, using equipment foreign to me, analyzing the assemblage and health of the phytoplankton communities throughout our sampling sites. His focus has been on methods that reveal the taxonomy of organisms, classifying the autophototrophs (photosynthesizing organisms) and analyzing the production of domoic acid by harmful species. The question that he and NOAA-NWFSC is trying to answer is: Do the toxin levels in phytoplankton increase with lower pH (higher acidity levels) of the ocean? 

Brian has been working for NOAA since a biology undergrad at UW (pronounced "u-dub" by those that go there) in Seattle. From the area, Tacoma, Washington, Brian continued his work with NOAA as he began and completed his master's degree in marine biology at SFSU with Dr. Cochlan. After his master's degree, his title became oceanographer with NOAA, a fantastic career that few chose and fewer attain.

Kathryn Ferguson, Hollings Scholar, FSU/NOAA-NWFSC
Kathryn Ferguson, 21, has been assisting Brian. She's an intern for the summer with NOAA and will be staying in Seattle to work. Kathryn, or "Sunshine," as she's known on board for her contagious smile, is a prestigious Hollings scholar from Florida State University. Originally from Maryland, she now makes Orlando her home (in the "Sunshine State"). 

Brian and Kathryn have been physically counting the "general abundance" of phytoplankton and identifying the types that are present with each water sample. They use a technique that concentrates the phytoplankton through a sieve allowing them to see as many as possible in a small volume of water. The most common genera in their samples so far have been: Chaetoceros and Pseudo-nitzschia. Both of these can be harmful species of diatoms. The former sometimes kills fish; and the latter produces the poison, domoic acid

Remember that in the food web it's all connected. Phytoplankton produce their own food as autophototrophs, but they also produce lipids (think Omega-3) and toxins, such as domoic acid. These cannot be produced by any other source. As zooplankton, such as krill, eat the phytoplankton, they gain the nutrients as well as the lipids and toxins. Then the predators eat the zooplankton and all that is within them. So, just like the omega-3 lipids that are transferred to us when we eat fish, the domoic acid is transferred and accumulates in our bodies, causing sickness and even death. ASP, amnesic shellfish poisoning, is named because of the attack on the nervous system that causes temporary memory loss. It's a scary thought because the fish and shellfish are unaffected; it's us consumers that pay the price.

Pseudo-nitzschia
Chaetoceros
Dr. Vera Trainer, Brian Bill and Kathryn Ferguson are playing a huge role in the determination of toxic content in the communities that we are analyzing. Finding these two phytoplankton types, Chaetoceros and Pseudo-nitzschia, in the greatest abundance in our samples is not a good sign. 

After finding these two harmful organisms in abundance, Brian goes to work analyzing the amount of domoic acid present in their cells. He uses a tool to detect toxic activity called ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immune Assay). He creates a standard curve with an expensive plate and machine that measures the optical density or color of the reaction on the special plate. Because this is a competition reaction, the more color, the less domoic acid. These plates are showing a lighter blue which means that the amount of domoic acid is high. 

NOAA-Northwest Fisheries Science Center works hard daily to analyze the waters, to communicate with fisheries, and to create public awareness programs for toxins such as domoic acid as well as harmful algae blooms which both may be increased by the lowering pH of the ocean. But, we don't know that yet, which is why we are here.

These are the samples before the diluted hydrochloric
acid (HCl) is added to each.
Brian uses this special pipette to add 0.1mL to each sample.
After the HCl (diluted hydrochloric acid) is added,
the samples change colors (indication of chemical change).
The lighter blue or clearer indicates high amounts of
domoic acid. This one is off the charts.
The plate goes into machine that reads the optical density of each sample.

Analysis of the plate gives Brian the standard curve.

Making a plate for domoic acid analysis
Standard curve used to determine
production of domoic acid.
For quick analysis of the general
abundance, a phytoplankton net tow is
used to make collections.








Tuesday, May 27, 2014

The Bridge



View of the bow
(front) of ship;
whales observed ahead.
After inspecting the inner-workings of this "Salty Ship" (twitter: @saltyship), it seemed only fitting to continue my exploration above deck. On the highest point, minus the "crow's nest," there is a room that they call the bridge. The bridge is the pilothouse, where the captain controls the movement of the ship. On this vessel, it is quite open for us to enjoy the majestic views through the windows that stretch 180° around the bow of the ship. While I was there blue whales were diving with their grand tails breaking the surface before slowly descending below. Pretty cool.

View of the aft (back) of ship;
for scale, the "A-frame" where we
deploy the CTD is hanging
out over the water.
Three crew members and the captain are responsible for the navigation and movement of the ship. Twenty-four hours a day, there is at least one person standing watch. Each mate takes two four hour shifts. The "mid-watch," for example, is on the bridge from 12 until 4, both AM and PM (00-0400 and 1200-1600). Along with the captain's mates, there is an "A/B" on duty as well. The "able bodied seaman" helps the mate keep watch during the same shifts.



Pat Redmond, 3rd mate,
enters weather data.
Patrick Redmond, 32, is the 3rd mate. From New Jersey, he decided to attend SUNY Maritime Academy in New York, before joining the NOAA Corp (one of the lesser known of the seven uniformed services in the U.S. with 300 officers that specializes in the sciences at sea). After his training and commitment there, he worked on some of the big tankers (Holland Oil), but as I have heard over and over, he much preferred the research vessels for the interesting science, the new people to meet, and the cool places that they go. Tankers and cruise liners take the same route over and over while these research vessels go absolutely everywhere. His favorites have been Fiji and Iceland so far, but it is still early in his career. Pat showed me how they report the weather back to NOAA every six hours. Every ship is encouraged to do the same; that way there is a report from all areas that can be used to match satellite data as well as provide weather information to others at sea. Today, the air temperature is 14°C, fair with a light wind--beautiful day and the best weather that we've seen so far.


Dynamic Positioning (DP) controls


Periodic checks are part of
protocol.

These are only a few of the flags on board; as R/V Melville pulls into a port,  they must display the US flag as well as the flag of the foreign country's port. As a research vessel, it goes all over the world; therefore, every country's flag is on board.
That's a lot of flags! 

Next in command, the 2nd mate has separate duties which include the voyage planning, the charts, and the extensive logbook; we can think of the 2nd mate as the navigator. Heather Galiher loves this role. She has been 2nd mate on the Melville since 2009 and literally seen the world. She showed me pictures of Patagonia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, India, and others. Since 2004, Heather, 33, has moved through the ranks from A/B to 3rd mate to now 2nd mate and will be taking tests soon to earn her 1st mate certification. Heather showed me some of the cool features of the ship.
Quick question: 2,516 tons of ship sits only 15.5 feet below the water. How?
Heather Galiher, 2nd mate, takes detailed notes of
every action on board.


In the engine room, I saw similar controls, four huge diesel generators, and the Z-drive motors to the thrusters. On the bridge, I see how these are controlled. I'm amazed. There are four different ways to control the vessel: manual, auto pilot, auto track, and DP or dynamic positioning. Manual is simply giving full control to the pilot with joysticks like a video game. Auto pilot is just that. You can set a course and let it go at that same speed and heading (direction). Auto track is like auto pilot but makes adjustments along the way, following a predetermined pathway on the computer. Dynamic positioning, DP, is the most sophisticated. It can use all three thrusters to stay within three meters of a predetermined pathway or just sit in one place. Using three GPS satellites to triangulate our exact location, DP calculates in real-time the current and the wind and makes adjustments immediately. It does what no person would be able to do, turning all three thrusters independently 360° to stay in one place. This is super important for research groups that want a core sample from one place, but it is not as necessary for us since we are moving slowly in an area to sample with our three methods.

Motion detector to prevent the
bridge from ever being unmanned
Heather showed off some of the other cool features as well. The Melville like other ships this size have controls on either wing as well as in the middle. The starboard (right) wing controls will be used when the captain goes to dock in port so that he can see directly below and all along the side, controlling it all manually at that point.

Another cool feature is the AIS or auto identification system. The AIS identified a 150m vessel 15.8 miles away that we could not see, but we knew was there because of the monitoring system. The system also told us the ship's name, it's heading, it's type, and speed. "The important number to look at," Heather said, "is the CPA." CPA stands for closest point of approach which means if nothing changes, this is when we would collide. "We don't want that number to be zero," she added.
Quick question: We started with 143, 453 gallons of marine diesel. As of today, we are using an average of 1,413 gallons a day. At this rate, how many days could we stay at sea?
Security on the bridge is lax but only compared to other types of vessels, since we are all science researchers and not carrying containers of materials. There are coded locks on the doors to the bridge, cameras all over the ship, and details of what to do in any emergency, including pirates coming aboard. We have emergency drills and follow protocols mandated by the federal government and Scripps for all of their fleet at sea. One of the security measures that is in many pilothouses now is the motion sensors that will sound an alarm if there isn't movement in the bridge for twelve minutes. No movement, the alarm will sound in the captain's chambers and the mess deck, so there is no sleeping while on watch!


John Jeskevicius, 1st mate on the bridge
The 1st mate, John Jeskevicius, started his career sailing yachts in 1969. As an early computer engineer that worked on the first computers for NASA, he was very successful, bought a yacht, but then needed to learn how to sail it. So, he spent a summer learning, before joining the Coast Guard and getting a job as a captain of ships that look for seismic activity for oil companies. Now, he continues to work at sea, radically different than the computer engineering career that he started.

Captain Wes Hill shows me the route through the locks to Seattle.
It seems that the saltwater gets into your veins, causing men (and women) to make career choices that last a lifetime. As a single person, I get it; as a married man with four children, there's no way.

Captain Wes Hill, like others that have been doing this a while, shucks aside the feat of working at sea for this long. Twenty-four of his twenty-eight years as a sailor have been with Scripps. Born and raised in the Appalachians of Pennsylvania, Captain Hill attended the Merchant Marine Academy in Kingsport, NY and began as a 3rd mate after graduation. Now, nearly three decades later, Captain continues to set sail. There is definitely something in the saltwater. Maybe it's all the phyto's that we're studying... Or, maybe it's the fact that after all of these years at sea, Captain Wes Hill still enters a new port every year. This year, it's the Ballard Locks as we make our way through all the draw bridges and channels to dock in Seattle.





Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Belly of the Salty Ship

Controls for emergencies such as fire alarm
With a ship this size, simple maneuvers take a long time. We have been staying within a small area everyday to send down our casts, sampling with the CTD, the Go Flo, and "the Fish." This ship is quite unique in its propulsion, so much so that it was featured in the movie "King Kong" in 1976. It's monster props (thrusters) can turn a full 360°, allowing it to move sideways in the water to stay on a station for scientific purposes. This vessel was launched July 10, 1968 and will be retiring this year after only 3 more excursions. Therefore, this is my only opportunity to see firsthand the engines that power such a historical beast.
Engine control room


Override controls for thrusters
Caterpillar diesel engine generator fills the room;
ear protection required







Sue Swader, 3rd asst. engineer and Dane Wheaton, oiler
clean the filter--Look at all that krill! These zooplankton
fed off of the phytoplankton that we are studying. 
Space maximized by engineering

Sue Swader agreed to give me a tour today. As a graduate of the California Maritime Academy and a native Californian from Ventura, she feels at home at sea. Sue is the 3rd assistant engineer and will be moving up to 2nd assistant on the next cruise. Each position on the crew has specific jobs that they are responsible for; she's over the oilers and other ordinary seamen and aspires to continue moving up the sailor ladder. At 28, she's well on her way.

Electric-powered motor provides
a smoother, quieter ride
Her department is responsible for the massive engines and motors as well as the water intake and sewage system on board. It is hard to describe just how big and loud these marvels of engineering are to scale. The entire lower deck (floor) of the nearly 300 foot ship is fitted wall to wall with steel pipes and moving gears. Sue showed me the controls where she spends most of her time. It is very much like the controls on the bridge (pilot's house) which I will write a post on later. In case of emergency, there is a backup plan for a backup plan. For example: if the Captain lost abilities to control the ship, the engineers below could take the controls. If those controls went out as well, they could manually control the engines and props directly. This hasn't happened on the R/V Melville. In fact, these engines are so well maintained that they haven't had to work on them in transit before.

Electric motor connected to thruster
Two of four diesel engines, side by side
There are four diesel Caterpillars, three large and one smaller. When I say smaller, it is definitely relative. The Fleetwood RV that I drove last summer had 400 horsepower off of one Caterpillar diesel engine, powering the 50 plus feet of motorhome and Jeep Grand Cherokee in tow. These bad boys produce 1,385 horsepower. Each.
And, the coolest part is that these diesel Cats are just the generators for electricity. 

Krill filtered from the water inlet
Thrusters below the R/V Melville
The generators produce electricity by turning a turbine within. Electromagnets around a massive coil of copper wire produce enough electricity to power the ship's electricity like a small city with superfluous energy for the electric powered "Z-Drive" motors in the bow (front) of the ship. The only connection between the engine generators and the electric motors is the large wires carrying the current. The electric motors power the ginormous thrusters hanging below the ship. These have the functionality to turn 360°.
I'm amazed by the ingenuity of the vessel--and to think that it is being retired for a newer, more sophisticated machine.