Sara Keltie - Landlubbers again After seeing land on Saturday March 2nd, for the first time since beginning the voyage, we all found ourselves savoring the last few days of sea life. As if mother nature herself wanted to send us one final reminder of what we would miss when we returned to land we were blessed with two dolphin sightings over the last two days. Both days of the weekend saw pods of dolphins make a beeline for the ship to take a ride on the bow. On science vessels as with tourist vessels; the moment dolphins arrive all work stops as everyone runs to greet them like excited children. Luckily we were well on schedule on the Sunday with regards to packing and cleaning our cabins and preparing all of the samples for transfer to the University or CSIRO for analysis. Whilst the PM crew had a late night hard at work for their shift the AM crew were able to relax knowing our work for the day had been successfully completed. We did, however, have a late night also. We first adjourned to the lounge to watch one last scary movie together, after which we all planned to go striaght to our bunks for a good nights rest. Somehow between the lounge and our cabins we made our way to the mess for one (or two) last hot chocolates and a big old chat. After four days on board working and living together we enjoyed the last evening we shared together. It was early on the Sunday when we stood for a group photo on the bow, grabbed our bags and stepped onto land. We all said goodbye and made our own way home and to catch up with the loved ones whom we had missed. The cruelest irony of all was that as we stepped onto land many of us felt ourselves overcome with land-sickness much as we had been overcome with sea-sickness when stepping on-board the ship four days before. For the remainder of the day the city swayed beneath my feet until I made my way to bed. And when I did I found I really missed the sight of waves out of the porthole and being rocked to sleep. Just as I knew I would.

Russell Ayers - 3/2/13 Final day. We awake early to clean our cabins and pack up the equipment, followed by a quick breakfast. Out on deck, I can see the entrance to the Derwent River, the final leg to our home port of Hobart. On my left is Bruny Island with a layer of low lying cloud sitting above, it looks spectacular. And below, there is a few dolphins that seem to be escorting us into the river. I go inside again to check everything is ready for disembarkation, but notice the CPR log needs to be amended as some omissions were noticed, cross referencing with CTD logs and logs kept up on the bridge the problem is quickly rectified. We meet up with the Hobart Pilot, and dock outside CSIRO, farewells are said and I feel sad that it’s all over. But hopefully there will be a next time.

Russell Ayers - 2/2/13 Awoke to less rolling this morning, get up and head out on deck to be greeted by the first sight of land in 4 days. I can see the north east part of the Freycinet peninsular, this means we will make it to our intended destination today; a long term monitoring site near Maria Island.. But first we complete a station, CTD, XBT all the usual stuff, we then redeploy the CPR and continue on our way to Maria Island. The sun is out, and the crew take the opportunity to get out on deck to take some photos and enjoy the sight of albatross and dolphins that have decided to follow the ship. It is a beautiful site to see so many albatross in one place, over 100! On arrival to Maria island a huge pod of dolphins, at least 50 strong, ride the wash of the ship and can be seen breaching the water and generally frolicking around the ship, as we slowly steam into position to run our final 4 stations for the voyage. 4pm, we deploy the CTD at a shallow depth <30m then head out to complete the second and third stations, on the third station we have a bit of fun by deploying some polystyrene cups that members of the crew have decorated we attach them atop the CTD and drop it to bellow 900m! the immense pressure at that depth squishes the cups down to about a third there original size. Really cool! The final CTD drop is done a little further east; I am a little sad that the voyage is almost over, as it feels as though we only just began.

Emily Panietz - Day 4 I found my sea legs today!! And just in time because today we went past Maria Island! Hundreds of dolphins were swimming around the boat - jumping, spinning and playing with each other is a sight I don’t think anyone will forget! The only thing that would have made this day any better is being able to swim with the dolphins, but one of the rules on the Southern Surveyor is no swimming. We sampled our last stations close enough to Maria Island to capture some beautiful photos! A beautiful day with no seasickness is amazing! I wish we could stay on the boat for longer but we arrive in Hobart tomorrow morning. Even through all of the seasickness I loved being out at sea and hope I get to return soon!

Emily Panietz Day 3 Today seems to be the roughest day but I’m not sure because every time I stand up I have to throw up. I tried to go and eat but I had to stop and throw up in another scientists’ cabin. Sorry Amelia and Cassie! Now for a quick insight into what this voyage is about - We are using six XTB’s for every CTD as a comparison to ensure the accuracy of the CTD’s. Then we use the CPR and plankton net to sample the trophic level and will later use these samples to identify the geographical changes of zooplankton.

Emily Panietz - Day 2 At 0630 I wake up to what must be a roller coaster ride but once I turn my light on I realize I am still on the SS and the weather has become worse. As I stand up and try to walk the 3 meters to the bathroom I crash and bump into every wall in my room. Showering is quite an effort with the room shaking and moving every which direction that I’m not prepared for. I finally make it up stairs to the Mess, after what feels like a marathon, and throw up in the hall bathroom. Today I have thrown up in three different places. Every time I stand up I think I will be sick again… My favourite place to be right now is laying down in my bed.

Emily Panietz - 28/02/2013 (Please see bottom of page for acronyms) One boat, fourteen crewmembers, two leading scientists and nine student scientists are aboard the South Surveyor for the next 5 days. At breakfast the crew seem at home, which is the polar opposite of the scientists. The ship is filled with nervousness and excitement for the adventure we are about to embark on. After 2 hours of inductions and emergency drills we all wave goodbye and take our last photos of Sydney. The first shift of students, including myself, is eager and ready before we arrive at our first station. Once we arrive at our first station all five students magically turn into toddlers not knowing what to do, where to stand and most obviously not knowing how to walk. Some find their sea legs quickly and transform back into the Master students that we are. I on the other hand realise I forgot to pack my sea legs and already start to feel seasick. With a lot of help from the crew we manage to sample with the CTD, CPR, XBT and plankton net within a few hours at the first station. Feeling more confident we all fly through our jobs at the second station and most are excited to see dinner ready. Feeling more and more seasick I skip dinner and instead try to sleep it off. CTD = Conductivity, temperature and depth recorder. CPR = Continuous plankton recorder XBT = Expendable BathyThermograph

Tom Coad - Final Day Land ho! On the home stretch of our transit journey, spirits were high as we sailed into view of the picturesque Maria Island, albatross flying overhead in droves. We were warmly greeted by a truly spectacular sight as pods of dolphins came from all angles to escort us to our next sampling station. It was ‘action stations’ with four sites (13, 14, 15 and 16) to be sampled at Maria with seven hours to do so. These stations were of high importance, comprising the primary focus of the voyage, a perfect opportunity to calibrate the IMOS CO2 sensing buoy in the area. We began a transect out from the coast, starting at 40m depth progressing through 90 to 1000m with CTD deployments yielding CO2 samples that would achieve this task. Everyone had a bit of fun on the final CTD of the voyage, sending down personally decorated polystyrene cups to 1000m where the crushing pressure produced fancy little keep sakes. A momentous souvenir from our travels. The CPR was retrieved marking the end of our journey with final samples of chlorophyll, oxygen and salts being analysed. Valuable tutorials were also given on swath mapping, acoustics and how the underway pCO2 sensing instruments collect data. As the sun set over Maria, so began our last night on board the RV Southern Surveyor. The voyage was a fantastic experience, one I cannot recommend highly enough. I would like to extend huge thanks to both Zanna and Patti for their thorough planning and guidance and of course the 14 crew that made it happen.

Rob Polmear - Last Day Today is only short because we got up, cleaned up and got ready to get off of the boat. Last night the night shift did really well and got an extra station done. We took a group photo on the bow with Hobart in the background. I also did a few salinity samples just before arriving but that was it. It was nice to be back in Tasmania. There were dolphins riding the bow waves from about Schouten passage to Hobart. Health: Everybody is in high spirits and eager to see family and friends. Some were keen for a 'liquid lunch'. Others were going to miss the SS and some were glad to not be sick for another day.

Sara Keltie - Last day - Success of seasoned sailors Our last full day at sea was guaranteed to be a busy one; if all went to plan! Poor weather had denied us a few opportunities to sample in the days previously but we were steaming ahead to the most important location of all, the stunning waters surrounding Maria Island. The two scientific teams (AM and PM) stood at the ready. The AM team had a brief 'rehearsal' earlier in the day in which we practiced collecting the water from the CTD upon recovery as quickly as possible (the CTD is shown in the photo attached). It was testament to our hard work over the last few days that something that took over half an hour a couple of days before could now be achieved in less than ten minutes. We all chose a task we knew we could complete efficiently (ie the delicate process of collecting water for oxygen sampling, collecting and preparing water for chlorophyll analysis, etc.) When the moment came that the CTD rose from its depths (ranging today from 80-1000m) the scientific crew ran at the piece of machinery like a slightly more organised and significantly less aggressive ‘Running of the bulls.’ The conditions at Maria Island were perfect, we noted thankfully, as the waters lay calm and wind was almost nonexistent. At the start of each deployment I found myself seated behind a collection of computer screens (see photograph) that at the beginning of our voyage had baffled me. It was a relief and a joy to be seated behind them now in the manner of a confident Sherlock Holmes; able to (somewhat proudly) interpret the little dots and dashes and the small stories they told of the world beneath the waves. So efficiently did the two teams work that all stations were successfully sampled, with even a bonus one thrown in for good measure. The AM crew retired to the lounge to watch a film as the PM crew went about their work. I’ve had the blessing of sailing with a few different crews and one of the highlights is always the camaraderie that is formed. When you are working on a ship you have to be able to rely on one another, whether it’s trusting them to operate a piece of heavy machinery dangling above your head, aid you in measuring out the appropriate quantity of chemical catalyst, or sometimes even the horrid task of holding your hair back when sea sickness wins out. My point is that aside from the technical skills harnessed on board a vessel one of the most valuable lessons it teaches you is how to trust your crew to do their job well and how to earn that trust in return. I consider that a vital trait to be obtained for one seeking a career within the scientific community.

Tamara Bartholomew - The Serious Science on the CSIRO Southern Surveyor day 3 It is becoming more noticeable that the air and ocean is cooling as we head south. Overnight the boat picked up speed and today we were able to complete a station at 1400, it was nice to be outside for a change. As a part of the afternoon team I can say that the 2pm station appeared to go well. All of the XBT's had a good signal and worked well. The CTD did not get stuck or tangled and the CPR (continuous plankton recorder) got a new cassette put in it. The CTD has different tanks carrying water samples from different depths. 3 tanks were chosen to obtain samples of oxygen and salinity. Chlorophyll samples are taken from different depths and put through a filtering system. The CPR Silk cassettes needs to be changed every 450 nm but was changed at approximately 300nm. After dinner we were able to do some chlorophyll measurements in the samples that had been refrigerated for 48 hours samples. Now time to relax and watch a movie as the next 2 days may be quite busy.

Sara Keltie Deep breaths from ocean depths - day 3 The vessel is officially a ghost ship no more as even those who were the most debilitated by sea sickness have finally stumbled upon the perfect cure for themselves and risen from their cabins. Whilst it was a blessing to have more hands hard at work many found it to be less of a blessing to have more hands to challenge for the cakes, biscuits, and other tasty treats kept in ready supply by the hard working galley (aka kitchen) crew. It was great to see them regain their appetites even if it did mean less TimTams for us. Due to the rough weather the decks became an 'out of bounds' area freeing up the crew to focus on work which awaited them inside. Rough, tumultuous seas are an awe-inspiring sight to be held. However quick gazes at the white caps had to sate our appetites as most of the day was spent below decks. As you can imagine rough seas quickly become less of a novelty when you are sitting in a small room with no porthole attempting extremely delicate work! Alas that is the life of a scientist at sea. The focus of the day was on analyzing oxygen and chlorophyll content of water samples taken by the CTD described in the previous post. Chlorophyll is utilized to estimate the abundance of phytoplankton present. Phytoplankton for those of you who are unaware are the microscopic plants of the ocean. These organisms, like trees on land, require sunlight in order to photosynthesize and thus are only found within the top 'trophic' layer of the ocean (<50m). Given that water covers 80% of the worlds surface it should come as no surprise that the majority of the oxygen in earths atmosphere (estimates ranging from 50-70%) comes from these tiny floral species. One can look at is as though every second to third breath that you take comes from the oceans, and is produced by such phytoplankton. As you may now realize its some of the smallest organisms on earth, the presence of whom we are generally unaware of as we go about our daily lives, that are some of the most important organisms on earth. Phytoplankton are in fact intimately connected not only with the lives of creatures that inhabit the seas, but also the lives of those on land; including our very own.

Cas price - Day 3 29.02.2013 0700 Sleep was average. The rocking and the sound of the waves on the side of the ship sends you to sleep, but during the middle of the night the sea was rough and the ship was rocking so much I thought at any minute I?d roll of my bunk! 1100 Science meeting. The morning CTD launch has been cancelled again due to weather. Discuss doing chlorophyll analysis with the fluorometers. Go down to the cool room, take the samples out and leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes. I retire to my bunk. Dam ship- the gentle rocking puts me to sleep. Wake up. I've missed the chlorophyll analysis. Mix some acetone for chlorophyll sampling latter on. Hmm the ship seems like a bit of a time warp and I really have to think how many days have we been on the ship- even though its only day 3, it feels like a week. 1345 Prepare the CTD for launch. To do this we first have to empty the water sample in the niskin bottles from the previous launch. Then ensure each niskin bottle is opened at both ends, by hooking each end open. We close the water nozzles and make sure the underneath hoses are unattached, to allow the water to pass through the sensors. CTD is now ready to launch. 1400 Today I?m deploying the XBT's . We are deploying 6 (3 surface, 1 at each pressure, 200, 400 and 800). We deploy the XBT's at the same time as launching the CTD. This is to assist with comparing the temperature and depth on the XBT and the CTD. There is no pressure measurement on the XBT but the fall rate is used to determine the depth. XBT's have been used since the mid 1960?s to collect data in the upper 1000m of the ocean. As we are leaving the back deck we check out the CPR (Continuous Plankton Recorder), this has been used since sometime around the late 1800's or early 1900?s or so to collect zooplankton/ phytoplankton. The boys are changing it over and putting in a new cassette. It?s pretty cool to be on a scientific cruises learning and watching how to use all the scientific equipment we have only studied in class. Wait till the CTD is on deck to collect, nutrient, salinity, oxygen and chlorophyll samples for further analysis. 1815 Analyse more chlorophyll samples (I?ll explain this process a bit later- as its movie time).

Russell Ayers - 1/3/13 By lunch time the weather had lifted and the swells have reduce enough allowing speed to increase and further progress along our transect toward Hobart to be made, at 2pm we stop to do a CTD, CPR and XBT deployment, the sun even comes out for us! We divide up samples of various parameters, chlorophyll, oxygen, salt, etc. from the CTD, then filter and store them. XBT deployments go off without a hitch. And the Continuous plankton recorder (CTD) gets a change of silk and redeployed as we leave the station. Weather permitting; we expect to be at the next station tomorrow morning.

Amelia Travers - Day 3 0600 AM shift woke to the rather fervent rolling of the Southern Surveyor in the southern seas. Due to the high seas the ship was running behind schedule so science had to take a backseat for the morning while captain made valiant efforts to catch up time. Many of our crew were feeling a little under the weather with the more enthusiastic rocking of the boat however we managed to undertake some chlorophyll sampling in the morning hours. With the ship ploughing through the waves we managed to gain enough time to undertake a sampling station after lunch. In an effort to expedite matters the AM shift joined forces with the PM shift to make the sampling as smooth as possible. From down in the operations room this appeared to be very effective (although it?s amazing how quickly time can fly by when you don?t have to stand on the back of a ship in the rain, where true oceanography is done).It's looking like we will have dropped enough small temperature sensors (XBT's) to calibrate this year?s batch which will be invaluable in the use of these data sets in ocean temperature and climate research. Although there?s been a few hiccups in this research mission its fantastic to be undertaking scientific activities on this boat that will help inform much larger global data sets!

Tom Coad - Day 3 We continue south across Bass Straight, making slow progress as weather conditions refuse to ease. In fact the seas have become somewhat more unforgiving with Bass straight truly living up to its name. Weather has forced a number of voyagers out of action but those of us that could stomach it were greeted by a majestic welcoming party of albatross observed off the trawl deck, inviting us as we neared our island home. Only one station was sampled today at around 2pm due to us not having enough slack time up our sleeve, although we are now travelling at a comfortable 10 knots and should be able to make a number of stops tomorrow around Maria Island. These stops will be important for collecting carbon chemistry samples to calibrate the CO2 sensing instruments at the Maria IMOS station. CTD and XBT deployments were successful in yielding data although the plankton net tow has been sacrificed temporarily due to our need for speed. In absence of these stations, the day was spent analysing CTD chlorophyll samples via the on board turner fluorometer. Chlorophyll a analysis is a vital method used for estimated phytoplankton abundance and sometimes growth. Aspiring scientist have also been given invaluable tutorials regarding the processing of oxygen samples also collected from CTD casts by Southern Surveyor hydrochemist Mark Rayner. By now all students have had the opportunity to man the operation room communications while under the guidance of experienced voyager Lindsay Pender, during the deployment and retrieval of the CTD and XBTs. The CPR was scheduled for a cassette change having completed around two thirds of its 450 nautical mile tow range before being redeployed as we near the Tasman coast.

Stacy Deppeler Day 3: Mar 1st 2013 Catching up to speed. After a good nights sleep I tried to rise for breakfast and found that the sea sickness I had been feeling on the first day had returned, which was surprising as the seas had calmed down a lot since the day before. The morning was spent in and out of sleep until I was diagnosed with dehydration, an unpleasant side effect of the anti-sea sickness medication I was taking. Some hydration salts and a few hours sleep later, I was back on my feet and ready to help out for our next sampling station at 2pm. Our scheduled morning station was again cancelled due to time constraints and in order to make the most of our limited time, all members of the scientific party pitched in on this one. Myself, Tamara and Cassie went out to the back deck with a box of XBTs and waited for the ship to be positioned correctly and the CTD to be placed in the water. When we were given the go ahead we threw an XBT overboard, while the computer system in the Ops Room recorded its temperature and depth profile until it broke free of the copper communication line (around 950m depth). We performed this task two more times and then they began dropping the CTD to 1000m. We threw in another XBT when the CTD reached 200, 400 and 800m, respectively and recorded its temperature and depth profiles. This technique was used so that the fall rate of the XBT can be calibrated against the CTD. This results in much more accurate temperature and depth profiles for the XBT, which can then be used in climate studies to record temperature changes in the oceans. We were not alone while performing our duties on the back deck, others were out there working on the CPR (Continuous Plankton Recorder) as we had travelled close to 400 nautical miles meaning that the cassette, which captures the plankton, would run out before our next scheduled stop. The CPR is positioned at the back of the ship and is towed in the water just below the surface while we are moving between stations. A special intake at the front of the machine allows sea water and plankton to flow into the machine between two silk ribbons. These ribbons are then squashed together, capturing any zooplankton and phytoplankton that have passed through, which are then fixed by a small amount of formalin inside the machine so they do not break down. These ribbons are returned to the Australian Antarctic Division, where the species are identified and added to an ongoing database of plankton location and abundance that can be used in future studies. No more stations were scheduled for the day so in the evening some of the chlorophyll samples were analysed by couple of scientists and the rest of the team enjoyed an early night in anticipation for a busy day tomorrow.

Russell Ayers - 28/2/13 The Weather turned rough over night. Strong winds and high seas are slowing progress and restricting access to the outside decks. As a consequence our voyage South to Hobart has slowed to about 6knts, we need to get our speed back up to above 9knts to allow enough time for more deployments of CTD and other instruments. In the meantime, we have been keeping ourselves busy by analysing chlorophyll measurements, oxygen and nutrients, as well as some phytoplankton and zooplankton species identification work from samples collected yesterday. Tonight we have some leisure time and watch a movie, while we wait for the weather to calm allowing the ship to move further along.

Tamara Bartholomew The Serious Science on the CSIRO Southern Surveyor day 2 At 1100 we had a science meeting in which we discussed eddies the priority stations for this expedition are four stations off the coast of Maria Island, Tasmania. The reason for this is there are permanent environmental detectors that need to be calibrated. We are traveling slowly to make it to Maria on time due to a southern swell and short waves. As a result we are unable to complete our afternoon station sampling for today. Instead we had a look at the zooplankton from a late night net tow. This proved to be difficult as the boat movement made it difficult to see the little critters some of which were clearly very colourful. There appeared to be a variety of copepods and molluscs dominating the sample with some polychaetes also present. With the conditions becoming more turbulent it became too difficult to see or identify what was under the microscope. We decided to abandon our attempts in hope of calmer weather tomorrow We hope to be back on track tomorrow morning, ocean and ship speeding permitting.

Amelia Travers - Day 2 After being rocked into a refreshing sleep by the waves the AM science crew awoke to find that the first planned station of the day had been cancelled due to bad weather. With a spot of time on our hands until the next station we prepared all the scientific equipment and had some spare time to explore the ship and attempt to email home via the somewhat fickle satellite link. In the swell the view from the bridge (where the captain hangs out) was particularly spectacular. With nothing but waves and the occasional albatross it was humbling, although exciting to be adventuring out here. Around lunch time the weather and waves had chilled out enough to start the next station. The AM shift got right into it and ran successful drops and tests in record time. Sadly the weather then picked up and all future research stations have been put on hold. This was probably a reasonable experience of genuine scientific research, no matter how well planned a project something will still go wrong. The tasks left for the day involved significant periods of time looking down a microscope at various plankton forms captured from the water column, however it must be noted that looking down a microscope on a moving ship is not for the faint hearted, nor those whose sea legs may have wandered off.

Cas Price Day 2 28.02.2013 1050 Wake up in the darkness of the cabin, scrambled for the phone to see what time it is. Eekkk! Its 1050. We have a science meeting at 1100. Jump out of the top bunk, chuck on clothes dash upstairs, quickly stopping at the mess for a quick cup of tea. Make it in time? 1100 Science meeting . A quick chat on how things are going and a brief about what the day is going to entail. Small discussion on the giant eddy we had been sampling in. Apparently previous studies have shown that Bass Straight waters have been detected in similar eddies. Bass Straight water has high salinity, but we won?t really know what the characteristics are of the eddy until the samples have been analysed- so a bit of a wait but it?s still exciting. That?s why I really like science- investigating and discovering. Being on the PM shift means, no CTD launch until 2030, but there?s plenty of zooplankton to be looked at. Although it is lunch time and with salmon on the menu, I?m sure the zooplankton won?t mind waiting. Sometime after lunch Hmm , looking at zooplankton under the microscope while underway, is a tad bit more tricky then anticipated. Look there?s a copepod, then comes the slow rolling of the ship, the copepod moves out of view and I?m staring down the microscope at seawater. Less seawater is the key I reckon. New sample with less seawater, this time there?s an array of zooplankton in all shapes sizes and colours. My favourite is a copepod, that?s vivid purple and pink. Copepods seem to dominate, but there are also some pterapods, molluscs and polychaete (worms). Spend an hour or two sketching and identifying zooplankton. The weather is starting to pick up and you can feel the ship heaving, back and forth with a slight side to side roll, perhaps it?s time to put pack up. 1700 Dinner. Due to the heaving seas, the ship has slowed down to around 6 knots. We are starting to fall being schedule and the next CTD launch is cancelled due to weather and time. The evening consists of reading a scientific paper (more like flicking through) and watching a DVD.

Sara Keltie Day 2: Stormy seas and her secrets The East Australian Current (EAC) chose to keep its mysteries to itself today. Rolling waves and gushing winds prevented us, multiple times, from launching our equipment designed to reveal her deepest, darkest secrets to us (quite literally as we are surveying waters down to 1000m, well beyond the range of sunlight or the epitrophic layer as it is known.) Out of the four sampling sites we had planned only one was able to be conducted successfully and even then it required our scientific crew braving the cold wind and rain. This procedure involved lowering a large piece of equipment called a Conductivity Temperature Depth sensor (CTD) from the side of the ship down to 1000m. Various cylinders are programmed to shut at a variety of depths, allowing us to target specific layers within the water column of the open, or pelagic, ocean. Providing information on salinity and temperature this tool is an invaluable ally for the scientific community in conducting vital research into climate change. The heavy seas and strict orders to remain inside the ship freed up other crew to begin analyzing and classifying zooplankton samples from the day before. These are obtained by dragging a large net alongside the ship as she moves at a leisurely pace of a few knots, targeting fauna ranging from a few milometer to a mere half milometer in size. During my undergraduate degree a lecturer, in an attempt to draw out an affection for plankton usually reserved for the larger megafauna, stated "Looking at plankton through a microscope is no different to looking at a whale through a telescope." I took that to mean that just because these animals are so small and swim around us generally unseen does not make them any less beautiful, important or fascinating than those we are familiar with. Peering down a microscope one encounter creatures designed in the most unique fashion that even the greatest minds of science fiction could not dream them up. Take a moment to google such words as 'copepod' and 'fish larvae' and you will surely understand the fascination. That is one of the true beauties of science in that it opens up to us unknown worlds within our own, and through expeditions such as this we are able to understand how their lives are intertwined with the EAC and in turn with our very own.

Rob Polmear - Day 2 Today seemed a little easier than the previous day. It was mainly due to weather conditions. The captain had decided that it was unsafe to perform any CTD, XBT, and plankton net deployments and so station 6 was cancelled. However we were able to do station 5 just before the weather got too bad. It was actually quite fun on the back deck launching XBTs in the wind and rain. The wave action made it hard at times but we managed to do a very efficient and successful deployment. I also got to learn more about the particular sampling methods from the niskin bottle including O2 and nutrients. The afternoon went fast as the swell increased. I attempted to identify some key species in phytoplankton samples but found it challenging and felt a bit sick. After that I went for dinner but felt to sick and had to go and lie down, which pretty much concluded my day as I didn't wake till morning. A note on the others health.... it seemed that about half the group is either in bed sick or pushing themselves to help and running off to throw-up. Today was short hopefully tomorrow the weather improves. See ya rob

Tom Coad - Day 2 We have altered our course to south as we prepare to cross Bass Straight. With fierce weather slowing our progress and jeopardising us making it home on schedule, there was only one stop made today amidst a cold core eddy. Voyagers are making the most of transit time, spending the day analysing some CTD and underway plankton samples under the light microscopes on board. Some of these samples included an interesting fluorescence anomaly at 75m yielding large numbers of Dinoflagellate Ceratium sp. Operations that have gone ahead despite travelling delays are running smoothly with the CPR still happily underway. CTD and XBT deployments are going ahead, providing important information in allwoing us to accurately determine the drop rate of the XBTs. Most of us have found our sea legs and are taking advantage of the outstanding cuisine produced daily in the galley, definitely a major perk that comes with working at sea. We also celebrated our chief scientist Zanna Chase's birthday with sticky date. Currently our hopes are to pick up speed, allowing us to gather enough slack time to sample a number of stations en route to and off of Maria Island.