April 15, 2024
Although there is a ton of science happening aboard research vessels, there is also a surprising amount of arts and crafts during the down times. So far on this cruise, many science technicians and crew have been involved in decorating the SOCCOM and GO-BGC floats before we deploy them. A school or class adopted each float before we departed and they all provided a name for their float, as well as inspiration for our decorations. We all enjoy taking a break from our normal jobs to doodle together.
Decorating an adopted float onboard the RVIB Palmer
The finished product – Sakai Clyde!
The dark Navis floats are decorated with metallic sharpies!
Artwork on adopted float Amelia Earhart
More artwork on Amelia Earhart
Today we decorated a float named “Saruhashi” that was adopted by Sakai Intermediate School in Bainbridge Island, WA. They named their float after geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi, who developed the first method and tools for measuring carbon dioxide in seawater. She devoted much of her life to advocating for equal opportunities for women in science. We thought this was a great name for a float and enjoyed decorating it!
This float was named after geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi.
In addition to decorating the floats before they are deployed, we also decorate Styrofoam cups. This is a tradition in oceanography where you draw or write on Styrofoam cups, put the cups into a mesh bag attached to the CTD, and then send the CTD down to the ocean depths. The result is similar to a Shrinky Dink – when the cups come back to the surface, they are much smaller than they were before! This is due to the large amounts of pressure squeezing all of the air out of the Styrofoam when it is deep in the water. Drawing on the cups is a fun activity, whether it is your first time or fiftieth time.
Decorating styrofoam cups on the RVIB Palmer
Beautiful cups all ready to shrink!