It is 5:30 a.m., and I am up on the bridge taking in the last images of the cruise. I love this hour — the sun trying its best to cut through the horizon where the sky waits in anticipation of the day. The brightest of
the stars still remain but not for long. I am not the only one awake — others have the same idea. There is a great deal of anticipation on the ship this morning. Everyone is up and putting the final finishes to packing in the hope that when we do tie up they will be able to quickly feel the shore beneath their feet.

For many, shore is a blessing, a comfort they have not felt in over 25 days. For me however, it is different. After so much preparation (over a year) and anticipation for what might be accomplished during the voyage, the adventure draws to a close — but I am really not quite ready. This is not an uncommon feeling to me, in fact one I feel each time I go to sea — it is just that I forgot and find myself unprepared (as usual) to deal with the disappointment of it all ending.

This has been my 25th Alvin cruise, and over the years I have grown to not only appreciate the capabilities of those that really make what we do happen but to depend on them. The Atlantis and her crew and the Alvin Group are a unique group of individuals that strive to make the often-impossible actually happen. It is so easy for us ashore to visualize doing something on the ship that will enable us to reach some objective, but it is these guys that make it happen.

To me, in many ways, Extreme 2003 was no different. We came on board on Nov. 29th with dreams of discovery and success and now will walk ashore with coolers filled with that promise — samples from the deep that may just answer those questions that brought us out here — but maybe not. What if, in this brief moment that we were given, we were unable to accomplish the task. Is that failure? Not in my mind because no matter what happens, we learned more about the system we work in, more about the process of science, and most importantly, more about ourselves. These together are invaluable and will certainly provide the new incentive to accomplish the task next time. This is what I believe science is all about, building on past knowledge to strive further into the realm of our natural world.

It is customary when leaving the ship that the Chief Scientist writes a letter thanking the Crew and Alvin group for all of their efforts to make the cruise a success. This letter is posted in the Galley area for all to read. While is often hard to acknowledge each individual's efforts — this general letter tries to bring the point up front that we (the science) know that our success is the direct result of everyone's efforts.

I would like to thank each of you out there who has dialed into our expedition though the Web. I hope that this short experience has informed you about what we know, enlightened you about the possibilities, and for some, opened a new door to discover science for yourselves. I hope you will all join us again next year for Extreme 2004. This is the Atlantis signing out.

Dr. Craig Cary
Associate Professor of Marine Biology–Biochemistry,
University of Delaware
College of Marine Studies
Chief Scientist, Extreme 2003