The ship's crew and science team operates 24 hours per day, dividing work into two 12-hour shifts. Data is taken at 193 stations at depths ranging from 10 m to 1000 m. Figure 3. Deploying an empty 300 lb. The CTD is retrieved and the water wamples are brought to the laboratories on board the ship. Characteristics of the water are recorded.
Water is filtered for both organic and inorganic particulate matter.
Behavioral Biologists use high powered binoculars to search for whales, dolphins, and other mammals. Filtering water samples from the CTD's Niskin bottles, a scientist looks for sediment from the Mississippi River. Fluorescence in micoscopic plant life is measured to help calibrate the SeaWIFS Satellite , being used to study ocean color. Scientists recorded sky conditions, such as fog or haze Graduate students from the University of South Florida used a multispectral irradiance meter to measure energy of various wavelengths varied with depth, as sea-truth for SeaWIFS color. This was done in cooperation with TAMU measurements of chlorophyll-a and other accessory pigments which will be measured using High Performance Liquid Chromatography.