During GP15’s stop in Hilo, HI, students from the University of Hawaii toured the R/V Roger Revelle.
GP15’s Joseph Gum of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Oceanographic Data Facility (Scripps ODF), explains the CTD Rosette to students from the University of Hawaii.
Martin Fleisher of Columbia University shows a sediment core collected during leg one of GP15 to students from the University of Hawaii.
Yang Xiang of the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) carving his jack-o-lantern for Halloween.
Co-chief Scientists Karen Casciotti (left) of Stanford University and Phoebe Lam (right) of UCSC hard at work on their jack-o-lantern just before Halloween.
Leave it to the Co-chief Scientists to create a GEOTRACES GP15 themed jack-o-lantern.
Co-chief Scientist Phoebe Lam of UCSC puts the finishing touches on her collaboration with Co-chief Scientist Karen Casciotti of Stanford University. The R/V Roger Revelle can be seen deploying all of GP15’s sampling systems in the detailed pumpkin carving.
David Murline, Captain of the Roger Revelle during GP15, poses with his jack-o-lantern in costume on Halloween.
Co-chief Scientists Phoebe Lam (left) of UCSC and Karen Casciotti (right) of Stanford University working together in costume on Halloween.
Virginie Sanial (left) of the University of Southern Mississippi and Susan Becker (right) of the Scripps ODF team sampling in costume on Halloween. Image: Karen Casciotti
Zoe Sandwith (hot dog) of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Virginie Sanial (taco) of the University of Southern Mississippi retrieve samples on Halloween. Image: Karen Casciotti
Chief Scientist Greg Cutter (center) of Old Dominion University pokes fun at his many hours on deck driving the winch in his “winch monkey” costume on Halloween.
A calm day in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Trace metal CTD rosette technician Kyle McQuiggan prepares for the next cast.
Clouds floating above the sea.
Research Technician Drew Cole of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography awaits the return of the CTD rosette.
The winch arm of the Roger Revelle hauls in the CTD rosette.
A sunset at sea, as seen from the bow of the R/V Roger Revelle.
Trace metal CTD rosette technician Kyle McQuiggan gets winch driving instructions from Chief Scientist Greg Cutter of Old Dominion University. This was the only time on GP15 that Cutter did not personally control the trace metal CTD rosette’s trip to and from the deep.
The GP15 team celebrates crossing the equator with music and dancing on the bow of the Roger Revelle.
Trace metal CTD rosette technician Kyle McQuiggan on deck at sunrise.
Colette Kelly of Stanford University stores seawater samples on deck in the twilight.
Scripps ODF Chemistry Technician Erin Hunt tends to her chemistry in the one of the labs aboard the Roger Revelle.
Tubes awaiting samples in the hydro-lab of the Roger Revelle. Scripps ODF Chemistry Technician Erin hunt monitors her samples in the background.
Co-chief Scientist Phoebe Lam of UCSC takes in a sunset at sea.
Co-chief Scientist Phoebe Lam (center) of UCSC and her two graduate students Yang Xiang (left) and Vinicius Amaral (right).
Vinicius Amaral of UCSC works with a smile in the sampling hangar.
Zoe Sandwith of the WHOI sampling helium in the Roger Revelle’s hangar. After filling a copper pipe with seawater she crimps it into individual sections that will be frozen for storage and transport.
The GP15 team gathers on the back deck of the Roger Revelle to catch the sunset.
Left to right: Sveinn Einarsson of Old Dominion University, Brent Summers of the University of South Florida and Laramie Jensen of Texas A&M University take a moment to appreciate the setting sun.
Captain David Murline (left) and Colette Kelly (right) of Stanford University making music in the fading light.
Colette Kelly and her PhD advisor, Co-chief Scientist Karen Casciotti of Stanford University relax at the end of the day.
GP15 passed by Flint Island, an uninhabited coral island approximately 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide. At its highest point it is just 25 feet above sea level.
The surface of the ocean takes on an array of textures and colors depending on the conditions.
Jennifer Kenyon of the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) and WHOI joint program in applied oceanography and engineering prepares samples for analysis.
Jennifer Kenyon of the MIT and WHOI joint program in applied oceanography and engineering prepares filters used to collect particles from seawater for analysis.
A seabird passes overhead near Flint Island.
An oceanic white-tip shark soars through the water on its broad pectoral fins after the Revelle has been sitting in place for more than 24-hours. As the ship’s shadow collects smaller fish seeking shelter, sharks and other predators come in to investigate. Sadly, the experienced oceanographers on board confirmed that shark sightings are much rarer now than they used to be.
The crystal clear waters of the South Pacific offer a virtually unobstructed view of this oceanic white-tip shark.
GP15 blog posts written by Alex Fox unless otherwise stated.
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GEOTRACES GP15 is supported by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
GEOTRACES GP15 
Looks like a great leg…I would have enjoyed being there…
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