Posted by graduate student Alison Sipe, University of Delaware College of Marine Studies.

Everyone is excited for the first Alvin dive. It is 6:30 a.m., and the sun has yet to rise. Stars still shine in the medium-blue sky. The observers for today’s dive are Drs. Craig Cary and George Luther. The submarine will be piloted by Bruce Strickrott. Both observers woke up early this morning, took quick showers, and got dressed in clothing made of all-natural fabrics. Synthetic clothing is not permitted in the sphere. They both are wearing denim blue jeans, cotton t-shirts, and large sweatshirts. People who dive in the sub are instructed to not wear any deodorant or perfumes that would cause irritating smells.

The night before the dive, each observer packs up a pillowcase with items that they will bring into Alvin’s sphere. Craig Cary’s pillowcase is filled with the following: clipboard, maps, dive notes from a 1998 Jason expedition to the same vent site, pens, digital moving camera, extra socks. George Luther’s case contains scientific papers, a clipboard, pens for taking notes, a computer to support some of the chemical analytical instrumentation, a hat, heavy wool socks, and an extra sweatshirt. Everyone seems quite prepared for the dive, which will last approximately eight hours. The water temperature gets very cold (4° C) at the bottom of the ocean, and so plenty of extra clothing is necessary. There are also wool blankets inside the sub in case they are needed.

Neither observer drinks many fluids this morning. Eight hours is a long time to go without using the restroom. There are ways of relieving yourself while in the sub, but the quarters are so close that it can be awkward. Craig Cary indicated that he has not consumed any water. George Luther drank a small amount in order to flush down his daily vitamins. They are overseeing last-minute preparations to the submarine and then will move on to the mess for a quick breakfast. The sub will be lauched at 0800 hours, and there are still many things to be done before this time.

Posted later in the day . . .

Today was the first successful Alvin dive of the Extreme 2000 cruise. Alvin began its dive at 0820 hours and descended to a depth of 2008 meters. The two science observers (Dr. Craig Cary and Dr. George Luther) and the Alvin pilot (Bruce Strickrott) were in the submarine for a total of seven-and-a-half hours. The Alvin’s inner sphere is only 6 feet in diameter, so there are very close quarters in the sub. The dive was an important reconnaissance mission because the scientists located key vent features that will be sampled during the course of the cruise. The DLK-SUB-1 electrochemical analyzer is a sensor that can measure water chemistry in real time when operated remotely by the scientist sitting in the submarine. This sensor successfully collected 75 data points during the dive. The mission also involved the collection of one tubeworm of the genus Riftia. This tubeworm was brought to the surface in the “coffin” collection box and immediately sampled by the vent biologists on board. The organism was dissected and tissue samples were placed in small vials and frozen in the -80°C freezer. The scientists will study the worm using high-tech genetic experimentation.

At 1145 hours, the submarine received a teleconference call from 11 classrooms representing the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and California. Dr. Craig Cary fielded questions that were assembled by inquisitive students that have been learning about the hydrothermal vents in their science classes. Unfortunately, the seas became choppier during the day; the winds were as high as 35 knots at times. It is very dangerous to retrieve the submarine from the water when the winds are greater than 25 knots because Alvin bobs on the wavy ocean surface for approximately 15 minutes between the time it surfaces and it is safely returned to the deck of Atlantis. The Alvin group decided that the submersible should abort the dive early in case the weather conditions worsened further. Safety is of utmost importance when conducting submersible operations.

There were several marine mammal sightings throughout the day. During the Alvin launch, the scientists gathered on the ship’s fantail in anticipation of the dive. One of the scientists with a keen eye spotted a pod of pilot whales on the port side of the ship. The pod was about 100 feet away from Atlantis. It was a thrilling addition to the already exciting Alvin launch. Later that afternoon, the captain and his crew on the bridge of the ship spotted a group of blue whales off the starboard side. The bridge is where the captain steers the ship and so there are many windows, providing the best view of the surrounding ocean.

The science party met for the nightly science meeting at 2100 hours. Dr. George Luther briefed the group on the highlights of the dive. The scientists discussed the dive plan for tomorrow, in which they will continue to collect geochemical data, sulfide samples, sediment cores, and vent animals. Alvin will concentrate on a feature of the Guaymas basin vents called Rebecca’s Roost. Patrick Hickey, the Alvin Expedition Leader, will be piloting the sub tomorrow morning. It is essential that he and the two scientific observers — Drs. Anna-Louise Reysenbach and Don Nuzzio — get plenty of sleep this evening before their big day tomorrow.