May 12, 2009. Newport Hydroline

The Point Sur arrived at ~0930, and as soon as the boxes were transferred we left the dock and headed out into a wavy ocean.  Winds were at about 10 kts, causing some degree of seasickness for most of the scientists.  I was sick too, but was able to keep functioning thanks to my scopolamine patch.  Several others were not so lucky.  The emergency alarm sounded at about 1030 and we all grabbed our life vests and mustered in the dry lab for a safety meeting.  After some comments from Murray and Gus we watched a 20 minute safety video.  Well, most of us did.  For some scientists the warm, dark lounge where we watched the movie aggravated their seasickness.  I barely made it myself.

We reached the first sampling station, NH-3, at 11:30 and did our first CTD cast.  I spent the time hustling around making sure (1) our CTD leaders Matt Walhowe and Alex Jaramillo learned how to run the CTD console, (2) our chemistry filterers Pete Kahn and Misty Blakely and our nucleic acid collectors Vikki Campbell and Michelle Maier understood our sampling protocols, and (3) our bacteria production team of Erica Kiss and Mariya Smit knew the routine in the isotope van.  As we worked our way out the Newport Hydroline, I found that the Coast Guard interns, Dan Smith and Zach Spence, were very helpful with CTD operations.  In fact Dan was assigned the job of deck lead for the midnight to noon shift, working opposite Gus and Zach who were on the noon to midnight shift.  We collected water samples at four stations (NH-3, NH-10, NH-20, NH-55) and conducted CTD casts at nine stations. Primary production was measured at station NH-3.  Extra sampling depths were added at NH-55 for chemistry and chlorophyll measurements to better define the euphotic zone. 

Progress was slow, however, and we did not sample our last station of the day until well after dark.  This set us behind schedule and we had to make adjustments to the plan for the 13^th.  We decided to postpone our plans to sample the estuarine salinity gradient and to dock at the Beaver Army Terminal in the Columbia River.  Our work on the 13^th would focus on the CR coastal line that runs parallel to the Newport Hydroline we sampled today.