fjordland

Prince William sound never disappoints. The morning started with an exciting and thorough tour of the engineering deck led by chief engineer and top-notch tour guide Rick. We learned that the Sikuliaq repurposes all the heat generated by the engines rather than dumping it into the ocean as heat pollution. There is also a screen to control every single operation on the ship, in addition to the manual way. This vessel was meticulously designed to be high tech, clean, quiet, and efficient.

the spools of the winches that maneuver our sampling equipment

We sampled several stations within Prince William Sound then made our way toward the mouth of Icy Bay. Today was dreary and cold, but nothing can compete with a tidewater glacier’s majesty. We transited through the fjord in the pouring rain then suddenly Chenega glacier appeared, poking out from a thick blanket of clouds. On a rainy day the deep blue hues of the glacier contrast dramatically against shades of grey. We collected samples within Icy Bay fjord to investigate how this distinct glacial ecosystem contrasts with the Gulf of Alaska. Now we are headed back to port in Seward with 15-foot seas forecasted for the transit; it should be a wild ride!

team phytoplankton!

I know you’ve been waiting for it: a cryptophyte update! During this cruise I collected 150 flow cytometry samples and made 100 slides for epi-fluorescent microscopy. I hope to detect a high abundance of cryptophytes in my samples since they can thrive in nutrient limited waters like those often recorded during the summer in the Gulf of Alaska. As mentioned before, there is significant seasonal variability in the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem. Like elsewhere in North America the transition from spring to summer is generally accompanied by fewer storms, higher temperatures, increased meltwater from the mountains, and more sunlight in the summertime. In the ocean these environmental factors combine to create a euphotic zone (where photosynthesis can occur due to proximity to sunlight) that is distinct in each season. This results in a seasonal succession of phytoplankton species. This shift in plankton community composition impacts the transfer of energy throughout the entire food web. Some plankton are simply more delicious and nutritious than others!

CTD sampling in Icy Bay

Cryptophytes are a popular organism in the Gulf of Alaska food web. Studies show that cryptophytes pack a high density of nutrients within their tiny cells, and they are selectively consumed for their chloroplasts. A planktonic ciliate called Mesodinium rubrum steals and employs cryptophyte chloroplasts to generate energy using photosynthesis as an alternative metabolic pathway. To complicate relationships further, a dinoflagellate preys on Mesodinium rubrum to use the chloroplasts originally stolen from the cryptophytes. Untangling the connections among the planktonic food web is like trying to decipher who is related to whom at a family reunion that your grandma forced you to attend. A messy and tangled food web is a more accurate description of the ocean ecosystem than a food chain. In terms of phytoplankton size, a dinoflagellate is large and likely to be consumed by zooplankton like krill and copepods, then on to larger consumers like seabirds and whales. Without the tiny, nondescript cryptophyte this energy might not reach higher consumers in the food web! The ocean is a captivating yet confusing environment.  

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this boat always gets in the way of photo ops

Stay tuned for updates from our land-based lab at Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes, WA as we process tons of samples and crunch data from the summer cruise.

the iron maidens

the official Iron Maidens: Dr. Ana Aguilar-Islas and graduate student Emily Ortega

There is a giant bubble onboard. To envision it think of the structure that ‘bubble boy’ lived in. Not unlike the purpose of bubble boy’s confinement, the Sikuliaq bubble keeps germs, dust, and unwanted visitors out. The trace metal team, aka the Iron Maidens, study iron cycling in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. Their bubble is manufactured out of rolled plastic, a wooden support structure, line, and an elaborate system of knots and duct tape. HIPA filters ensure that all air within the bubble is ‘trace metal clean’. Oceanographers often double as skilled carpenters, inventors, and problem solvers. Dr. Ana Aguilar-Islas, the lead trace metal scientist on the NGA-LTER, describes the bubble as a ‘positive pressure enclosure’. Ana and Emily, the Iron Maidens of this cruise, are researching the sources and sinks of iron cycling. Using a trace metal CTD they collect water from various depths at study stations to analyze iron and other nutrients. To augment the CTD data a towed instrument, called the fish, swims off the back deck continuously collecting water and transporting it directly into the bubble through a tubing system. Samples from both the fish and the CTD are filtered under strict trace metal clean regulations inside the bubble. Requirements for a tour of the bubble include shoe removal, a shower within the last three days, and chocolate bribes. Uncovering spatial and seasonal trends of iron availability and which species of iron (particulate, dissolved, colloidal, ligands) are present is crucial to understanding the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem. The work of the Iron Maidens is important because iron is an essential, and often limiting, nutrient for phytoplankton! Without nutrients phytoplankton cannot photosynthesize. The next time you consume seafood say a word of thanks to iron!  

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exclusive footage from inside the bubble!!

In other news, there is a storm forecasted to pass through in the next few days. We have already heard lots of chatter but little action on the storm front so none of us expect it to disrupt our tight research schedule.

sunset somewhere on the Kodiak line

As we transit into the coastal waters of Prince William Sound, I hope to see more marine mammals, preferably something crazy like a pod of hunting orcas or a newborn seal. We’ve already seen a fur seal, a sperm whale and a pod of porpoises!

hurry up and wait

Bear Glacier in the backdrop of our longest running station: Gulf of Alaska 1 (we have 50 years of data from this GPS location)

The summer 2021 cruise started in a slow and unique manner. The Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-Term Ecological Research (NGA-LTER) team was testing out brand new technology: the Deep Plankton Imager (DPI). As the DPI is towed behind the Sikuliaq it images the ocean continuously, targeting copepods, small jellyfish, small fish and other zooplankton. Approximately 160 liters of water is imaged every second! Dr. Russ Hopcroft, the principal investigator on the DPI project, described the technology as a “photocopier for the ocean”. Each photo is stored within the DPI’s memory to later be identified using advanced imaging technology by a process comparable to artificial intelligence. With this profound processing power, we take a giant leap in zooplankton research to gather data on species distribution, abundance, and environmental preferences throughout large expanses of the ocean.

DPI deployment

After several days of deployment, the DPI was brought back on deck and our routine sampling began on the Gulf of Alaska transect line. Simultaneously our free time disappeared. Although sipping tea while reading novels and gazing at coastal mountain ranges during the Alaskan summertime sounds like a dream to most, us scientists were antsy to uncover what mysteries the waters of summer 2021 had in store for us! We sampled 15 stations on the Gulf of Alaska line in 5 days and 10 stations along the Kodiak line in 2 days. This is the point when exhaustion, and maybe a bit of delirium, start to creep in. Like they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. Or is it bluer out here?!

grad students enjoying a long awaited break on the top deck

As a long-term study we have the same goals for each research cruise, but the ecosystem is often different from season to season and year to year. A main component of our research is to understand how the Northern Gulf of Alaska varies in time and space. We have decades of data from some stations that enables us to compare past and present ecosystem properties, and work to tease out natural environmental variability from anthropogenic induced change. The value of the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem to native communities, fishermen, large mammals, seabirds, seafood consumers and the flow of organisms among the entire Pacific Ocean food web adds pressure to sample every station on each research cruise.  

while we wait for the DPI testing….

In addition to our science, we are staying in touch with a group of undergraduate student researchers. These students are mentored throughout the entire summer by NGA-LTER senior scientists and will present a research project developed with NGA data collected on previous research cruises. Despite the fact that these students were saddened that they couldn’t join us on the cruise due to COVID restrictions, we are including them in the science frenzy using live-action video call.

Come back soon for highlights from ‘the bubble’!

Rest, rinse, repeat

a subsample of the diverse phytoplankton community near Middleton Island

After walking on dry land for about two weeks I finally stopped swaying while standing. The post-cruise recovery is no joke. Since spare time, Wi-Fi and sleep are sparse commodities aboard a research vessel we returned with lots to catch up on.

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  diatoms dominated the spring bloom!

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  a dinoflagellate feeding on a Phaeocystis colony

I started processing the microscope slides made at sea. Oh the wonders they display! The photo above shows some of the planktonic community at 10 meters depth near Middleton Island under epifluorescence microscopy. These slides were created onboard the Sikuliaq using approximately 65 ml of filtered seawater collected at each of our study stations. I used numerous filters to screen out both large and very small planktonic organisms in hopes of trapping planktonic cryptophytes on the microscope slide. With these slides I will be able to determine where cryptophyte plankton exist in the Gulf of Alaska and how prevalent they are at each station. Eventually I will have slides from spring, summer and fall research cruises to make seasonal comparisons. If you’ve been keeping up with our blogs thus far you know that cryptophytes are a highly sought-after prey organism worldwide! Understanding the contribution of different organisms to the food web helps us to understand how marine ecosystems function and to evaluate changes that may be occurring due to climate change.

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  Microzooplankton in the NGA: Laboea strobila ciliate retaining chloroplasts (left) next to a photosynthetic dinoflagellate called Ceratium sp. (right)

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  same species as photo on left viewed under epifluorescence microscopy (note yellow ingested chloroplasts)

Preliminary data processing has revealed exciting findings from the 2021 spring cruise! We measured some of the highest chlorophyll concentrations that we’ve ever observed in the Northern Gulf of Alaska spring bloom-up to about 30 micrograms per liter at some locations! We also detected tons of chain diatoms (organisms that look like fancy string in the photos included), and high diversity of other planktonic organisms such as ciliates, dinoflagellates, and cryptophytes.

We will continue to unpack the unique data from this cruise and work to explain how the 2021 spring bloom impacts the health and longevity of this precious ecosystem. Stay tuned for updates from the summer research cruise aboard the Sikuliaq as we return to Alaska next week!

Identity Crisis

As we near the end of this expedition I am sad to leave this immersive experience, but ready to bask under the Washington sunshine.

This research cruise has synthesized bits and pieces learned through many different avenues since I started graduate school. I now have a clear direction for how to tackle my thesis research. To elaborate a bit on my personal research goals: my master’s thesis is centered around cryptophytes in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. You’ve probably never heard of a cryptophyte; I hadn’t before I started grad school. Cryptophytes are tiny planktonic organisms between 2.5-50μm in size; for comparison that’s smaller than the average grain of sand. The group name cryptophyte translates to ‘hidden single cell’; although hard to detect they are important players in the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem.

They’re sought after as prey by tons of other planktonic organisms due to their nutritional value, digestibility and photosynthetic machinery. Basically, cryptophytes are a prey souce that packs a lot of bang for your buck. As a highly nutritious food source cryptophytes hold an important position in the Gulf of Alaska food web. Since they possess photosynthetic machinery that means they’re autotrophic, harnessing energy from the sun to generate carbon. You might be thinking, “Okay, so they’re marine plants”. However, cryptophytes can also consume other organisms. Maybe now you’re pondering, “How can they be both a plant and an animal?!”. What kind of identity crisis are these plankton going through? Cryptophytes are thought to be mixotrophs! A mixotroph can photosynthesize or feed depending on environmental conditions, prey availability and other mysterious factors. While the cost of maintaining the capacity to feed and photosynthesize is high, mixotrophs are ubiquitous and have a competitive advantage in environments with limited resources. With increasingly variable environmental conditions worldwide, organisms that are adapted to compensate for limited resources will likely outcompete more specialized organisms. Cue mixotrophic cryptophytes!

Ana and Marissa collect nutrient and trace metal samples on the back deck of the boat. (the backdrop doesn’t always look like this)

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Dr. Strom and Kelley process samples for chlorophyll and DNA.

My daily routine at sea involves collection of water samples from the Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) instrument at each station for our team’s ongoing projects, for my master’s research and for several collaborator’s research. Sprinkled between this sampling madness I process results, chip away at coursework, clean lab equipment, consume copious amounts of caffeine and candy, and make microscope slides. I will analyze these slides at Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes, WA to determine where cryptophytes exist in the Gulf of Alaska and if they are practicing mixotrophy.

Multitasking.

Through my master’s research I hope to shed light on the precise triggers of cryptophyte mixotrophy. As a valued prey, it is important to know how sunlight intensity, water temperature, nutrient concentrations, prey abundance and geographical location influence cryptophytes. In addition to being delicious and nutritious, the photosynthetic organelles of cryptophytes are selectively stolen and employed by other important plankton worldwide. Sucks to be popular. Basically, cryptophytes weave a spider web of links among the lowest levels of the marine food web, effectively transferring energy and nutrients throughout the Northern Gulf of Alaska ecosystem.

When we return home Kelly, Suzanne and I will have tons of samples to process and analyze-but first we need to hibernate for a few days to recover from this whirlwind experience.

Vacation’s all I ever wanted

The last 24 hours have been nothing short of astounding. After a short day (relative to how endless other days have felt) of sampling in the Prince William Sound area we transited to the mouth of Icy Bay fjord. The magic started as we played cribbage under a setting sun. This was no ordinary sunset; hues of pink and orange bounced off a cloud filled sky silhouetted by a backdrop of mountains and alpine glaciers. That was the moment it felt like vacation had begun.

We awoke early to enumerable snowy mountain peaks, small glaciers, and the first hints of floating ice. As we slowly crawled deeper into the fjord we caught our first glimpse of Chenega glacier. This mighty glacier played hide-and-seek behind the twists and turns of Icy Bay fjord as we transited closer. Suddenly I heard an alarming sound. Did we hit something? Did we hit an iceberg? Jack? Rose? Scenes from the Titanic were flashing through my mind. We did in fact hit ice. The sound I heard was the SIkuliaq’s first impact with thin spring ice. There was absolutely no need to panic. This vessel was designed to break through ice; the name Sikuliaq is from the Inupiaq language and translates into ‘young ice’. From this point onward we gently broke through the ice with the bow of the ship. Finally, we could see the face of Chenega glacier. Awestruck is the only word that comes close to describing this experience. The brilliant blue ice contrasted sharply against the mountains and moody grey clouds. The sun sporadically illuminated the glacier leaving me wondering if a more magical place exists.

Just as I was beginning to think we were the only multicellular life around, a newborn harbor seal pup popped through a hole in the ice. Harbor seals give birth to pups on the ice this time of year to shield them from predators. If you look closely enough Icy Bay fjord is beginning to experience its own kind of spring bloom. This expedition was not all-play-no-work. We sent down the CTD, collected zooplankton samples in a net, and sampled the water for trace metals and nutrients. Nutrients and metals can be found in dramatically different concentrations around glacial ice. Researchers in our program have found ‘glacial relic’ zooplankton species stranded near the terminus of glaciers. These organisms are normally confined to Arctic habitats nowadays, but here they are relics from times before the significant decline of glaciers in this area. The flow of freshwater and nutrients from glaciers significantly impacts the ocean ecosystem nearby, so gathering data here provides us with both important information and incredible vistas.  

Despite the exhausting workdays and general sleep apnea, the rewards of this work will be engrained in my memory forever.  

spring has sprung!

Sunsets like this are rare, but treasured, out here

The weather in Alaska has transitioned through four seasons in about a week. Upon arrival we were greeted with below zero temperatures and high winds. Several days later we were walking around Seward in t-shirts basking in the warmth of the spring sun. The rays from the long-awaited sun seem to have sparked a rapid transition in the Northern Gulf of Alaska! Not unlike the first blossoms of spring on land, blooming of phytoplankton in the ocean sparks a dramatic chain reaction.

We capture water samples and data from sensors using a CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth)

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Kelly measures chlorophyll fluorescence in the floating lab

Brown ocean waters, bright green chlorophyll extraction tubes and a colorful map of satellite data all indicate high photosynthetic activity in the Gulf of Alaska. The spring bloom is happening!! This means that phytoplankton are rapidly photosynthesizing and growing, kickstarting the return of a flourishing ecosystem. As phytoplankton bloom, other species follow suit. Springtime alleviates the turbulent conditions and food shortages associated with winter, just in time to nourish famished populations of marine species. The spring phytoplankton bloom is a vital event that leads to an ocean teeming with krill, herring, salmon, seabirds, whales and more!

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The top satellite image was captured on April 18th, the bottom on April 24th. In just one week the chlorophyll concentrations in the Gulf of Alaska skyrocketed!

Although high levels of productivity have been detected at several of our sample sites, that does not mean the spring bloom is happening everywhere. The Gulf of Alaska is a dynamic ecosystem with tons of variability over space and time. One of our research goals is to determine what influences the timing and magnitude of the spring bloom in the Gulf of Alaska. It’s likely that some combination of sunlight, wind, freshwater input, nutrient availability, species composition, physical ocean features and water temperature regulate the spring bloom. For now, the exact answer is awaiting discovery!  

Megan filters water samples for chlorophyll measurements

full speed ahead

The transit out of Seward was the calm before the storm, the sampling storm that is. We departed under bright blue skies and calm seas, surrounded by white mountains from the winter that overstayed its welcome. Many of us were able to enjoy a hot cup of tea on deck while watching the sun sink over the mountain tops, one last moment of relaxation before work began. Little did I know that would be the last relaxing moment for the next three days!

With three consecutive nights of sampling from morning until after midnight, I am beginning to comprehend the dedication required to be successful in this field. Senior scientists have certainly earned their titles-and deserve many more. As a newbie to oceanographic research, my first few days were filled with lessons on sampling techniques, instruments, distinguishing and labeling bottles, completing data spreadsheets and learning where all the tripping hazards on the boat are.

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When delirium sets in…

If you haven’t gathered it so far, our research focus is plankton in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. We collect water samples at a ton of different depths and locations to paint a picture of the ecosystem. Our team, the Strom lab, measures chlorophyll, particulate organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, nutrients, plankton species composition, photosynthetic pigments and more. The goal of our research is to understand how the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem functions- and how these very productive waters change according to environmental conditions, season, and passing years. Plankton are super important because they are the crucial link to transform energy from the sun into consumable energy for the rest of the food web. No plankton, no fish! If that wasn’t enough to convince you to love plankton, then know that phytoplankton generate about 50% of the oxygen worldwide!

This CTD collects water samples for us to analyze-it can swim over 1500m down!

While the first few days felt more like a few weeks, we are now settling into a routine. Our days are jam-packed with sample collection and processing, recording data, and consuming copious amounts of caffeine.

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Dramatic change of scenery in just three days!

We’re currently about 100 km offshore from Middleton Island if you want to find us on a map. Stay tuned to hear about the rapidly developing spring bloom!

Dreaming of plankton…..and bungee cords

At first glimpse of the R/V Sikuliaq, I thought, freedom!!! This pre-cruise quarantine has been mentally draining. The odds and ends to tie up before going out to sea for several weeks seem endless. I never thought I would enthusiastically trade a full-sized apartment for a bunkbed in a tiny berth that sways according to the mood of the ocean.

R/V Sikuliaq at port in Seward, AK (so many cool gadgets, so little idea how anything works)

Upon further inspection, I’ve seen this boat before. Well, maybe not this exact vessel but one just like it. I’ve seen boats like this from a distance, always with the curious thought “wow, cool stuff must happen on that boat’. Research vessels have been on my radar for years; each distant encounter has left me with the wishful desire to be a stowaway simply to watch oceanographic research in action. Only in my wildest dreams did I think I would step foot on a research vessel as a contributing scientist. Hey wildest dreams, it’s very nice to finally meet you!

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Lab setup (‘which box did you see that pipette in?”)

Although tying up the odds and ends of everyday life was an uphill battle, transporting an entire laboratory onto a moving vessel is best visualized as moving a decade of a hoarder’s accumulated belongings into a new place in 24 hours. Thanks to the assistance of a crane and the wonderful crew of R/V Sikuliaq we loaded six pallets of carefully packaged gear aboard and began setting up a fully functioning shipboard laboratory. Among the lab spaces to organize were a slide making station, a fluorescence measurement station, a centrifuge, molecular analysis equipment, an entire chlorophyll filtration system and more! Once every test tube and bottle found a home, everything was tied down with a complex system of bungee cords, knots, bolts and more bungee cords.

Strom lab takes over the wheel house

Did I mention that there are six other marine science teams (and all their gear) aboard! Collectively we represent the Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-Term Ecological Research team; we’re part of a network of 28 sites studying distinct ecosystems worldwide. Despite the tight quarters aboard, the sense of camaraderie and collaboration abound. We haven’t left the dock yet and I’ve learned so much already!

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We’re ready for extreme weather survival!

Bon voyage!

PS: quarantine had its perks, like the evening this pod of four orcas swam all the way into Resurrection Bay!

Are you sure they call this the ‘spring’ cruise?

View from the airplane somewhere above the Chugach mountain range

We arrived in Seward, Alaska on April 6^th for two weeks of pre-cruise quarantine. The flight from Seattle to Anchorage through clear skies is nothing short of astonishing- mountain peaks that have probably never felt the footsteps of a human abound. We were afforded an aerial view of jagged coastlines, deep glacial valleys, fjords and powerful rivers that work in harmony to fuel the productive ecosystem we set out to study. Based on the sunny skies at 30,000 feet and my unfounded expectations of what spring in Alaska should be like, I thought these two weeks would be filled with nonstop productivity sprinkled with pleasant hikes through mountainside fields of spring flowers. In reality frozen waterfalls, 60 mph windstorms and negative temperatures have us all pondering why they call this the ‘spring cruise’?

This departure from expectation is a gentle reminder that my journey to a master’s degree will not go as planned. Research, while methodical and well planned, never goes exactly as expected. My hypotheses may change, laboratory experiments may continuously yield nonsignificant results, I might not find cryptophytes in the Gulf of Alaska! Nonetheless, I dreamed of pursuing a master’s degree for years. I cannot believe I’m finally here!

So, despite the fact that there are exactly zero spring flowers to be found in Seward, I am mesmerized by everything around me- like these rowdy Stellar Sea Lions:

words of wisdom from a campground dumpster

-Megan

The next few blog entries will be shared primarily from the perspective of Megan O’Hara, a graduate student in the Strom lab.