It Takes a Village

Oceanographic research is a team effort, not only does it require a talented captain and crew (22 people total) to navigate across the ocean safely and comfortably but also the science is inherently interdisciplinary and complex, requiring researchers of all kinds, technical people with great skills, and motivated students to invest time and energy.

This expedition has been a tremendous team effort involving a wide array of people at sea and on land.  I can’t acknowledge everyone here, and I’m sure I’ll forget to mention some people.  But I thought I’d list some science folks onboard  (in no particular order) to give you a grasp of the many different individuals  involved in this effort:

Masako Tominaga from Texas A&M – looking at magnetic properties of the margin

Dan Lizzaralde from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution – interested in margin evolution and fluid  flow

Bill Danforth from U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole – technical experts for seafloor mapping and leading field surveying for USGS

Wayne Baldwin from U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole – technical experts for seafloor mapping and leading field surveying for USGS

Sid Mitra from ECU Geological Scientists– organic geochemist analyzing seawater properties from the shoreline to  

Erin Field from ECU Biology – microbial ecologist looking at seawater and sediments

Mike Muglia from UNC CSI/UNC Chapel Hill – physical oceanography researcher focused on Gulf Stream dynamics

Dave Sybert from UNC CSI – Education and outreach specialist and research scientist

Keith Garmire – technical staff from ECU/CSI for GIS and data processing

Trip Taylor – technical staff from UNC CSI  for ADCP analysis and data processing

Amy Simoneau – Marine technician on the ship

Ellen Roosen – Coring technician from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Joe – Marine technician on the ship

Ian Conery – ECU PhD student

Ryan Gibbons – ECU MS student

Caroline Webb – ECU MS student

Beau Benfield – ECU MS student

Reide Corbett from ECU/UNC CSI  - biogeochemical oceanographer focused on material exchange  and sedimentation

Me (J.P. Walsh) from ECU/UNC CSI   - geological oceanographer focused on sedimentation and margin construction

Everyone onboard is very professional and a pleasure to work with (except for me without coffee). 

Ian, Dave, Keith, Ryan and Reide (left to right) have a down moment of deck operations.

Beau and Caroline process water samples. 

Caroline filters water.

Sid (left) and Beau (right) are happy to have samples to work with.

Reide and Erin slice up a sediment core.

 Dan and Melody examine seismic data.

Wayne, Bill and Masako at work in the computer lab.

Masako examines magnetic variation data. 

 Wayne, the multibeam mapping wizard, cleans data with Caris.

 Jen pilots the ship on the bridge.

Mike, Reide and J.P., take a needed break from the stress of seep sampling.

Trips relaxes during some ADCP analysis.