Saturday, October 13
Saturday was our first day of filming on the
Spree. We started out by visiting the High Island 389 oil platform. We met the CEO and COO of W&T. Both men were very interesting. Because the platform was in the middle of Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary, the men on the platform have to be very careful of what they do. In order to properly protect the reef organisms that find refuge in the structures, they have to know as much about the creatures as possible. They made it clear that even though they are scientists, they aren't nerds. The CEO races Ferraris. After Dr. Robert Ballard, our host researcher, gave us a chance to interview both men, the men went back to the oil platform.
Our next endeavor was to launch the ROV, or Remote Operated Vehicle, and explore the legs of the platform. Cliff, the ROV operator from Texas A&M University, gave us a quick explanation of what he thought we would see. We not only managed to find most of what he told us we would, but we somehow got the cable tangled. It was somewhat comical watching Cliff wind around the "plumbing of the structure." After "reeling in" the ROV, twice because of filming purposes, we moved on to greener pastures.
Next came the snorkeling. We were all a little nervous before we went in, but once we discovered how exciting and exhilarating it was, our fears were dispelled. Chirag and I buddied up and were on our way. As schools of fish swam under and around us, and Barracudas studied our every move, I watched and wondered at the beauty of the spectacle. Our hosts from The Spree were visible diving below me, studying the coral and other organisms. After what seemed to me like only a few minutes, we were called back onto the boat.
G.P, an employee at Flower Gardens, informed us of a program designed to monitor manta ray activity in the sanctuary. Auditory sensors pick up signals from a chip implanted in the ray. G.P has to dive to the reef to recover the sensor. He can download the data to his computer. Although there are only a few tagged mantas, they are hoping to find a point where they congregate through this research and tag more.
Kelly, one of G.P's colleagues, gave us a crash course in fish identification, and then we suited up again. We reentered the water, and conducted a quick survey of the fish that were visible from the surface. We saw jacks, chubs, wrasses, creole fish, and barracuda. I was a little freaked-out by the barracudas but otherwise I was okay. We gave our results to G.P and tried to conclude something about fish behavior and why they are found in certain places. I wasn't sure that we really had enough info to make a very accurate hypothesis.
Sunday, October 14
On Sunday, we started the day with another ROV outing. This experiment took place at the West Bank. We were able to see some really awesome stuff like coral and some very colorful fish using the cameras mounted on the ROV. Cliff explained to us why some of the coral was bleached. The coral that appeared white was unhealthy. I found it very interesting to find that the color of the coral could disappear due simply to fluctuating temperatures.
Our second ROV sample taken at Stetson Bank was disappointing. There was so much current where we had deployed it that the thrusters on the ROV couldn't even propel it in any direction. We saw nothing except a single barracuda and an abundance of water. I was particularly disappointed because the edge of the Stetson Bank was our best chance of seeing a tiger shark or manta ray. The cameraman got some really cool video of the ROV at both West Banks and Stetson Banks. I was amazed at the clarity of the video.
This expedition has been an amazing journey that has both enthralled and inspired me. Dr. Robert Ballard showed me that by doing, not just hearing, you can be inspired, taught, and amazed.