A Grand Entrance for Sir Float a Lot

Our sixth float, Sir Float a Lot, has been deployed

 

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Sir Float a Lot— Our Lady of the Lake Parish School in Seattle, WA

Location: 175° 29.6493’ E; 74° 54.0741’ S

Time: Thu 26 JAN 2023 00:15 UTC

Float Number: 21871

Float Type: Apex

Float Program: SOCCOM

This float was adopted by Homeroom 4 at Our Lady of the Lake Parish School in Seattle, WA. This gallant knight will now be travelling in the Ross Sea, taking measurements of the water column for all to see! 

map showing deployment location of Sir Float a Lot in the Ross Sea.

This map shows the location of the float deployment, approximately 330 km east of Jang Bogo Station.

photo of crew member holding Sir Float a Lot on the deck of the ship

Sir Float a Lot is ready to deploy. Photo by Jenn Magnusson.

Photo of Sir Float a Lot being lowered over the side of the ship

Sir Float a Lot rides valiantly down the side. Photo by Jenn Magnusson.

Photo of the crew launching Sir Float a Lot over the side.

This deployment was the smoothest yet, showing that teamwork really makes the dream work! Photo by Jenn Magnusson.

photo of the knight artwork on the float

This brave knight will do his oceanographic duty and guard over this float. Photo by Jenn Magnusson.

photo of the expedition sticker and the artwork copying it onto the float

Another sticker reproduction…this time for our hosts, the KOPRI SOLOMON expedition. Photo by Jenn Magnusson.

At the mercy of the sea and weather

Doing oceanographic research aboard vessels like the IBRV Araon is a never-ending dance that skips along between the research plan and the weather. As a result, the ship’s crew and research team are constantly watching the weather forecasts and making decisions based on the data they have at hand. When we left Jang Bogo, there was a low-pressure system coming south towards the Ross Sea that could impact our ability to safely conduct stations along our route. As a result, we first headed south, but then turned back north to tackle some of the northern stations before the weather arrived. Because of this, the schedule of when we will arrive at a particular station can’t be determined more than a couple of days ahead of time, so everyone on board must be flexible and ready to go when it’s their turn.

weather map

This shows the predicted weather for several days after we left Jang Bogo.