Logbook: August 5

47°56.95'N / 129°5.88'W

Educator at Sea
Mike LeBaron, Lake Norman High School

Mooring to be deployed for acoustically imaging the hydrothermal plume above Dante Vent. (click image for larger view)

My name is Mike LeBaron.  I teach Earth Science and AP Environmental Science at Lake Norman High School in Mooresville, North Carolina.  I’m at sea on board the R/V Atlantis, participating in the NeMO2007 oceanographic research cruise to the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 300 miles offshore from the mouth of the Columbia River. This is a whole new experience for me that has been made possible as part of an research grant from the National Science Foundation that was obtained by Dr. Daniela DiIorio of the University of Georgia at Athens.  When I first heard about the opportunity to participate in an oceanographic research cruise my first thought was “that sounds like a real kick”!  I love the sea and ships and being a geologist, I’m interested in learning more about the earth.  For me this is an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.  I’ve done plenty of field work, but this is the first time my field area has been under 2200 meters of salt water and what you see is limited to the eyes of an ROV (remotely operated vehicle or unmanned submarine)!

Looking back, the first thing most people asked me when I told them I was going on the cruise was “do you get seasick?” Question number two was “why are you doing it?”  My answers were, respectively: “NO!” and “it sounds like a blast!”  So far both answers have been right on target.

I’ve got two jobs on board the Atlantis.  One is to assist with Dr. DiIorio in her research, which is focused on making measurements of hydrothermal fluid flows from the Endeavour vent field.  The second, longer term job is to come away from this cruise with relevant data and activities for high school science classrooms.  As a teacher, I’m expected to help students understand why science is (or should be) important to them personally and how research like the work being done in NeMO2007 is a dynamic, living body of knowledge that adds to man’s understanding of Earth. Making education relevant to students is NOT an easy job, but having first-hand experiences like this to share with them makes the job more fun for them and me!

What have I learned so far?  From a practical standpoint, I’ve learned that the Atlantis is like a big classroom itself – it just moves around a lot, even when it’s staying at one spot!  I’m here to learn, and my education is provided by the scientists, ships crew, and the ship itself.  The scientists include chemists, physicists, geologists, and biologists.  Each team has a specific research focus, but they don’t ignore what the rest of the groups are doing because they all appreciate that real understanding comes from the integration of knowledge from multiple disciplines.  That’s a take-away that will have real value to my students.

The ships crew is a great bunch.  No ship can operate without its crew, and the Atlantis is no exception.  My first observation is that the ship’s crew are all professionals who are dedicated to making sure that the vessel is ready for anything that the science team asks of it.  Raul Martinez, able bodied seaman, was one of the first crew members I met when I stepped on board.  He’s been on the Atlantis for 10 years, beginning with its second cruise in 1997.  Then there’s Kevin Threadgold – I’ve seen him doing everything from waxing floors to assisting in the launch of Jason (the ROV) and he’s always singing (really well too).  I sat with John Porter (Communications Electronics Tech) at dinner the other night and learned that he was a U.S Marine who grew up in Virginia and still lives there when he’s not at sea.  Deane Lindbloom is an electrician. Deane has ultimate job security because on this ship the engine room is really the generator room, and everything on board, including the main propulsion system, is electric.  Another of the crew is called Catfish – I need to catch up with him and find out where that name came from.

This is only an introduction to what I’ve seen and learned out here on the Atlantis.  Every day is a new adventure that provides material to think and write about, so expect to hear more from me later on in the cruise.