We recently were conducting operations near the DWH wellhead site. It has been impressive to see the two relief-well drilling platforms with my own eyes and up close. The rigs remain floating over the shut-in well site as if they are monuments to the unfortunate events that transpired. A few support ships hover around these giant structures, providing some visible evidence of how big these platforms are. It's hard not to think of the many images that have been shown about the oil spill, from the initial explosion and fire to the oil-stained shorelines and birds. Fortunately, oil is no longer flowing from the well. Last night, flying fish swarmed around the stern of the ship as we retrieved the multicore. It was nice to observe fish that appear active and happy (soaring and crashing aimlessly) so close to the site where things looked so bleak not long ago. Of course, we still don't really know the impacts on the ocean below and the long-term ecological consequences. Our work will hopefully shed some light. Read about our research activities at: http://missionlog.noaa.gov/category/pisces/
Fortunately, the weather has been great with fairly mild temperatures. Last night we had a beautiful sunset.
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