Everything works out

This blog post is meant to be an acknowledgment of everyone’s work. It is when you have the best team of people that responsibility becomes lighter. During the first few days of this research cruise, we were all tight up putting everything together. For instance, the on-deck incubation set up.

The incubators had to be wrapped in blue attenuation filters and hooked to temperature cooling devices. It was my responsibility to set everything up yet, it was not long before everyone gave a helping hand. Teamwork at its best.

Aja, Álvaro, and Lucia were the ones who measured each side of the incubators and their covers and started cutting the pieces of Think Lee attenuation filters made to fit the incubators perfectly. It was a few hours of debating how to do it most efficiently, drawing and cutting as a team. Once all the sides were ready, they had to be glued together to attain the attenuation level necessary to simulate the different depth layers the samples were going to be taken from.

Incubators finished and ready for use

The gluing was tricky. Gustavo, the head technician of the Marine Technological Unit (UTM) on board, worked with us thereafter. Velcro had to be cut and placed on all the incubator sides to secure the filters. We ran out of it, and you would think that being on a research vessel, way too far from any store, would have prevented us from finishing, but no. On the vessel, somehow, everything gets done. The UTM gave us all the Velcro they had so we could finish, glued the filters together a couple times with silicon initially, then Sikaflex, since they were falling apart. The process took a few days, but it got done. The key to every aspect of this process? Teamwork.

Finally, I want to acknowledge, not only the people mentioned above, but absolutely everyone that has participated in this incredible journey of problem solving, waves and research; the scientific team, the UTM, and the Sarmiento de Gamboa’s crew. I could not be more grateful for all your work and for your friendship. Until we meet again!

Official group photo of the cruise

P.S: One last special shout out to the hard-working Aja and my main teammate throughout this entire research cruise. You made everyday way easier than expected.