You are here: /main/research expeditions/August/September 2007/Planning

Day 4 - Planning and Preparing
Tuesday, August 28

by Carlie Wiener

Click here to see where the Hi'ialakai is now.
Click here to see current data from the ship.

Really unique and dark clouds as the storm follows the ship, Carlie Wiener.

I awoke earlier today and was out on deck by 5:30 a.m. I have taken to watching the clouds; they seem really close and dramatic. The weather is still overcast and rainy but the temperature outside is still surprisingly warm. The storm front seems to be following the boat all the way up to the Monument. The ship is fairly quiet with the scientists busily working away and planning for the upcoming dives. The invertebrate’s team worked all morning to plan what samples they need to collect from Pearl and Hermes Atoll. They did this by overlaying previously examined sites onto a satellite image map. This is so they can prioritize sites areas that have yet to be investigated.

Dr. Toonen and the rest of the invertebrate team plan their dive site, Carlie Wiener.

It is important that the scientists are organized and have a good idea what they need. This will make the dives go quicker and much more efficiently. Others work busily away at their laptops trying to stay on top of their work. Dr. Meyer prepared his equipment, attaching floaters to a line for the receiver (a listening device).

Dr. Meyer attaches floaters to a line to prepare his listening device, Carlie Wiener.

The principal investigators spent the late afternoon working on their dive plans and met in the evening to work out the schedules.   It is difficult to accommodate everyone’s request but after prioritizing everyone seems happy with the agenda. The team decides that they will concentrate on the South East corner of Pearl and Hermes for their first day of dives. The dive areas are planned based on weather and swell patterns and the scientist priority sites. For example, Dr. Karl requires a small patch reef with 60%  coral cover preferably in an inside lagoon. One more day on the ship before we arrive at Pearl and Hermes. From the NOAA Ship Hi‘ialakai a hui hou!

The principal investigators meet to plan out the dive schedule, Carlie Wiener.

Click here for maps of the region