8/21/2014 #2: Mid-Morning Update

Plans have been hatched for today and tomorrow. With the winds dying down and it looks like we'll be out in both the big and small boats this afternoon. I am trying to use any down time to post updates given the uncertainty of a return time. Best use of time, not filler, I promise...

Big Boat: Rob, Irene, Will, and Thorleif will set out to redeploy moorings and the lander. The mooring got a solid cleaning from Will and I yesterday and Rob and Irene have been working hard to service the lander clams and clean the housing. Having sat for ~16 hours in the Calcein solution, the clams should have ingested enough of the anti-freeze like solution to glow sufficiently in the future. 

Early morning plans being made with the skipper (Thorleif)

Rob and Irene diligently scrubbing the lander housing

Small Boat*: Michael, Al, Maddie, and I will take off on the small boat to retrieve some clams using the small dredge, receive a bit of training on navigating the area, take some water samples, and maybe toss a line over the side to pull up some Cod for isotope and culinary sampling. 

Team Terrestrial: Mike R., Julie, and Aubrey will be off to the beach again to try and pin down the beach geomorphology through surveying and possibly collecting more shells. 

Side Notes: We hauled out the brand new larger dredge, weighing in at some 70 kilos. The machining is impressive and this thing is solely relegated to use with the winch and big boat. It is lowered down from the boat and the long net (currently coiled) acts as a sail for it to sink more slowly to the bottom. It is then dragged with a roughly 3:1 ratio rope, length to depth, across the bottom hopefully picking up deep water clams (~200 m) and potential sunken Norwegian dubloons (Krusty's Kroners?). 

Also: scroll to the bottom to check out some close ups of the clams in their final hours of the Calcein bath. Electrodes attached and hopefully they've swilled enough of the green stuff for it to show up in the shells.

Large dredge: looks menacing

Rear view 

Two full trays of clams soaking in the Calcein bath

Close-up of submerged clams

So cool...

*Plans change in an instant given the weather, surprise logistics, and the judgement of the skipper. It looks like the big boat will still go out to accomplish their mission but we've been told to stand down on the dredging. Instead, Dimitri from the Sjohus (our accommodations here at Ingoya) will join the small boat crew and we will undertake water sampling and Cod retrieval. Game on!