The day started as each day should… by taking a sample of the surface (<30 m) plankton. It was a wonderful tow filled with animals that we need for experiments. When all else fails, one can look at tropical plankton and that act will to make you smile.
We have been blessed with delightful weather to date. Yesterday the ocean looked like a lake with just a hint of a breeze to create a slight ripple on the sea surface. The R/V Johnson bobbed gently in the swell while we worked inside and outside of the lab. The temperatures are probably in the mid-80s and the sky is dotted with clouds. This is, of course, a prime condition for massive sunburn for those of use whose ancestors came from some northern European state. To avoid this problem, I use a putty knife to apply SPF 45 sunscreen twice a day.
This afternoon offered an opportunity for a visit to Nassau and many of the group took advantage to reacquaint themselves with their land legs. Those of us who remained barbequed steaks on the back deck had a nice meal with corn, baked potatoes, and salad. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening before going back to the lab until 1 a.m.
Both submersible dives were less than spectacular and that is simply the nature of the game. The distribution of animals is not even on the ocean floor and a hundred meters can mean the difference between feast or famine for collecting. Tomorrow we will be working off of Egg Island in an area east of New Providence Island in hopes of finding some giant predatory ascidians (bottom dwelling distant relatives of our own species).