Adrian Martin – Principle Scientist for RoSES

26/11/2018
It seems like it’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally in Punta Arenas and just a couple of days off sailing, to begin the year-long study of how marine life in the Southern Ocean helps the ocean take up and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Today the last equipment came on board, including the huge buoy and mooring that we will be deploying at 55°S 90°W. Between now and Wednesday we’ll be setting up labs and equipment, making sure they are secure against what the weather might send our way. All the team are now on RRS Discovery, and hopefully you’ll be getting their individual perspectives over the next couple of weeks.

The buoy and mooring being loaded onto RRS Discovery (image courtesy E. Haigh)

As Principle Scientist my main job at present is not to get in the way, while the specialists get everything in order; filter rigs, oxygen analysis equipment, incubators and gliders to name but a few. Then on Wednesday, we’re due to be off, heading west along Magellan Strait into the Pacific, then southwest into the Southern Ocean, keeping fingers-crossed for the following two days, in the hope that when we finally arrive at our study site the weather lets us get cracking from the off.