So, we're back in Longyearbyen, and currently doing a little bit of drowning/paddling furiously in data, so it's taking me a little longer than hoped to write blogs. However, there's still some cool photos to share, so I'll do my best! The excitement isn't over people!
Sunday was all about the packing. Packing packing and a little bit more packing. All that science equipment you’ve seen and more has been shipped up here from various homes, the US, Trondheim and Tromsø for the most part and it all has to get back home. Batteries, boxes, computers galore and more boxes of dive equipment than any reasonable person could expect to see in one lifetime. Most of it is coming on the plane with us, something they all seem very cool about, I guess this probably isn’t the weirdest stuff they’ve seen.
So all up, it was mostly about the packing. We did do some student presentations, however those photos are on my phone and technical issues are blocking me from uploading them. So you’ll just have to trust me, they looked a lot like normal presentations. The idea is that we are going to do up a technical report, which outlines everything that we did in our groups and then presents the data and then we’re going to work with different groups to write up a mock scientific paper. That’s the Masters students, the PhD’s have to write up a real scientific paper, the thought of which has caused a few grey hairs to spontaneously appear over the last few days. But it’ll be good for them!
Anyhow, today we took the last photos of the samples the divers have collected on their journeys. Farewell hiding fish and blobby fish and misc creatures.
Sunday was all about the packing. Packing packing and a little bit more packing. All that science equipment you’ve seen and more has been shipped up here from various homes, the US, Trondheim and Tromsø for the most part and it all has to get back home. Batteries, boxes, computers galore and more boxes of dive equipment than any reasonable person could expect to see in one lifetime. Most of it is coming on the plane with us, something they all seem very cool about, I guess this probably isn’t the weirdest stuff they’ve seen.
So all up, it was mostly about the packing. We did do some student presentations, however those photos are on my phone and technical issues are blocking me from uploading them. So you’ll just have to trust me, they looked a lot like normal presentations. The idea is that we are going to do up a technical report, which outlines everything that we did in our groups and then presents the data and then we’re going to work with different groups to write up a mock scientific paper. That’s the Masters students, the PhD’s have to write up a real scientific paper, the thought of which has caused a few grey hairs to spontaneously appear over the last few days. But it’ll be good for them!
Anyhow, today we took the last photos of the samples the divers have collected on their journeys. Farewell hiding fish and blobby fish and misc creatures.
And we admired the habitats that we dredged from the deep. This is one of our samples that the divers collected
And this is what it looks like in water. Perfect Ghost Shrimp habitat. Don't ask me for the latin name, latin names and me have a loooonnngg history. But the point is, it looks like a great place to hide and have some hanky panky (it's a technical term) if you're a shrimp. And it is a great place to hide if you're a shrimp. Until some enthusiastic biologists decide to come and have a peek and want to REALLY get to know what you're doing in there. I mean, they REALLY want to know!
So I spent half an hour or so spotting the shrimps then putting them in some alcohol for further analysis. As shrimp deaths go, I have to say it's probably one of the nicer ones..
So I spent half an hour or so spotting the shrimps then putting them in some alcohol for further analysis. As shrimp deaths go, I have to say it's probably one of the nicer ones..
And this is what happened to the shrimps that were spotted. They're going to be investigated later, once all the wetsuits are dried, the boots are found, the boxes are shipped home etc.
It was a sad day, our last day as a whole team in Ny Alesund. From here on in we'll be loosing people to their homes, lecturers have to return to their lectures, research assistants have to return to their homes and above all the world must go on.
However, it must be said that this time has been most certainly a once in a life time adventure. For many of us it's the most exotic thing we've ever done, and a million thanks go out to the whole team that's made it happen!
But, enough of the sop story, more photos to come later, and maybe some more science too, if you're lucky!
However, it must be said that this time has been most certainly a once in a life time adventure. For many of us it's the most exotic thing we've ever done, and a million thanks go out to the whole team that's made it happen!
But, enough of the sop story, more photos to come later, and maybe some more science too, if you're lucky!