Notes from the Field

Life on an oceanographic research vessel is definitely different than daily life ashore.

Eric Lindstrom passed up rocks and geology to pursue oceanography, a path that ultimately landed him at NASA.

Gathering detailed information on the temperature, salinity, and turbulence structure in the upper meter of the ocean is notoriously difficult to do directly from a ship.

There is something about being at sea, totally surrounded by blue sea and blue sky that demands blogging about blue.

Recent calculations project that by 2050 there be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

Lasers can help scientists get a qualitative measure of the increases and decreases of mixing at the ocean surface.

Although communication between those at home and those on a ship has improved over the decades, being in mid-ocean still has quite a few communication challenges.

The primary job of the SPURS chief scientist is akin to conducting a symphony orchestra of oceanographic measurements.

Crew and passengers need to be prepared to help ourselves and our mates.