BCHS Prawn
Launching the BCHS Prawn float, adopted by the Ballina Coast High School (NSW, Australia)
September 30, 2024
Greetings from the beautiful National Geographic Resolution! I’m on the repositioning voyage from Kobe (Japan), which we left just 3 days ago (September 27 at 07:30 GMT), to Puerto Montt (Chile). One month of voyage through the Pacific Ocean, crossing the dateline (done it a few times already), the equator (never done before) and with a brief stop in Tahiti, French Polynesia. I’m super excited to be here, to get some sea time after more than 4 years and deploy my favorite instruments: the biogeochemical floats! I couldn’t have asked for a better adventure, ship and crew to be with!
Almost ready to leave Japan. Photo credit Isa Rosso.
Isa in front of the National Geographic Resolution. Photo credit Isa Rosso.
First sunset at sea. Photo credit Isa Rosso.
Yesterday was a very busy and exciting day: we deployed our first float on this voyage! As we approached the intended location of deployment, curiosity, excitement and an overall joy was on the faces of my fellow shipmates. It was already very dark outside, so for safety reasons we deployed from the side of the boat garage. It’s pretty cool to see and hear the loud noise of the large garage side door opening! Then, a crane was used to deploy the float, again for safety of the crew members involved in the operation.
The BCHS Prawn float, adopted by the Ballina Coast High School (NSW, Australia), started its journey at 09:56 AM (GMT) on September 29. At BCHS they are very proud on representing the prawn as their mascot. They say that the prawn/krill, being a large primary component of the food chain, is indeed vital to the ocean ecosystems as it moves around the ocean. They also say that the journey of the BCHS Prawn float, which will drift with the ocean currents, will be symbolic for the students to understand that, despite their small size and singular nature, they can have an impact on decisions and action to reduce the impact of climate change. By viewing the data from the float students will understand these changes from the past and into the future.
BCHS Prawn float ready to be deployed! Photo credit Isa Rosso.
BCHS Prawn Float in the crate. Photo credit Isa Rosso.
Deployment with a crane, through the boat garage port side door. Photo credit Isa Rosso.
As the first profile of BCHS Prawn float comes up, the data will be publicly available at the GO-BGC data website. Check out the data and the rest of the GO-BGC array in real time and stay tuned to hear about the next float deployments!
About the Author—Isa Rosso is a hybrid oceanographer with extensive experience in numerical models, ocean observations, and satellite data, with a deep passion for being at sea, where she can truly experience the power and beauty of our oceans.