The things you do for science

IMG_20160408_182136Life on a boat is very special in many ways. You are squeezed into a small area with people you might not know. There is constant noise unless you are at harbour. And then there is the sea sickness. A couple of us (myself included) got their share of this unpleasant experience during the trip from Gothenburg to Gotland.

We have now visited the first station for the first time. The benthic lander (will be described later) is now in the water, hopefully doing what it is built to do. Not being satisfied with putting stuff on the bottom, we also brought a piece of the bottom onto the boat. Thanks to this, a few of us (once again myself included) could dig around in the anoxic sediment with numbing arms, mud up to the elbows, under the weak April sun. The things you do for science…

IMG_20160408_170955Finally arrived in lovely Herrvik we are all enjoying some peace and quiet. Ugo and Sebastiaan (next post will contain a presentation of all scientists) is hiding in the dark in their lab, processing their first samples. Misha and Madde have used their brains and duct tape to fix a leaking gas connection. Per is taking care of his never-ending duties as head of the marine department. Personally, I am recovering from an afternoon in the cold container where I have been fighting with a stubborn oxygen sensor. This eventually ended with a method that was completely new to me. Calibration in beer. Yes, beer. The things you do for science.

Astrid