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MAPPING SEABED HABITATS OFF wEST AUSTRALIA SS07/05 Jul 05 [Introduction] [The Voyage] [The Voyagers] [Ship to shore] Ship to shoreDAY 1 - Casting off by Alan Williams
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 The crew gather in the lounge for a science briefing from Alan Williams. |
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We threw the ropes off at 10.30 this morning and departed the untidy Dampier landscape - a jumble of red boulders and heavy industry - in a brisk breeze and choppy seas.
Twelve hours later we are closing in on the first sampling Station, off North West Cape, where the sea has calmed and reflects light from a clear full moon.
I'm writing this report on my laptop on the vessel's bridge, where I'm able to stare up at a multitude of stars and enjoy the warm breeze wafting in through the open door. What a pleasant change from the cold air and rough seas in my usual working area off south eastern Australia.
Day 1 at sea is typically hectic, and today has been no exception. There has been a variety of deck gear and sampling instruments to prepare, and long hours have been required, over the last two days, to get everything ready for the start of the sampling program at 04:00 this morning. The day has also been peppered with meetings: a brief on the science plan for the science team and ship's officers, a health and safety induction tour of the vessel, a welcome and general brief from the ship's Master, and a 'muster' drill in lifejackets at the emergency muster station on deck.
We are at the edge of the continental margin where the flat sandy plains of the outer continental shelf give way to the escarpments and muddy terraces of the continental slope as the seabed plummets from around 100 to over 1000 m depth in a short distance. Our interest in this part of the Australian seascape is driven by the relatively poor knowledge of the shelf edge ecosystem (compared to shallower depths) and its largely unsampled biodiversity. Results from this survey will help underpin the scientific basis for planning and evaluating management strategies, particularly the establishment of offshore marine protected areas.
Sampling will start with the first deployment of the new deep water camera system which will film the seabed 400 m below the surface at the first of the 'latitude stations'. Digital images are beamed up to the vessel in real time through a fibre-optic cable which enables our camera pilot, Matt Sherlock, to 'see' the seabed in real time and guide the camera system safely across often steep and rough terrains.
As I sign off at 02:30, the bleary-eyed nightwatch assemble, contemplating five hours work before breakfast. On the wall of the Operations Room, the "What's Happening Next" whiteboard lists a series of tasks ahead.
Sorting the biological catches is probably my favourite part of the job. The great biological diversity I am able see, first-hand, never fails to impress, and there is almost always something fascinating among the assortment of fishes and invertebrate animals that are collected. I hold a good deal of anticipation and excitement for the sampling we are about to undertake off Western Australia - an area believed to be characterized by a rich and unique fauna, but largely unsampled for benthic animals beyond the coastal margin.
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Updated: 29/03/07
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