Saturday, May 27, 2023 – Newport, Oregon
Welcome Aboard the R/V Sally Ride!
I am onboard the Research Vessel Sally Ride with 23 scientists for the PUPCYCLE II Research Cruise. This is the second PUPCYCLE (Phytoplankton responses during Upwelling Cycles) research cruise I have participated in with Adrian Marchetti from UNC-CH, with PUPCYCLE I occurring in 2019. We are steaming out of Newport, Oregon and will head south along the Oregon coast in search of coastal upwelling sites.
Phytoplankton are like microscopic plants floating about in the surface layers of the ocean. Like land plants, phytoplankton rely on sunlight in order to survive. They also need nutrients. Lots of nutrients are concentrated in the depths of the ocean and are often pushed toward the surface layers by upwelling currents. Upwelling currents that are pushed up along coastal boundaries bring an abundance of nutrients to the surface where they are absorbed by phytoplankton. When upwelling persists for several days, a phytoplankton “bloom” often occurs and that is what these scientists are searching for during PUPCYCLE II.
While onboard the R/V Sally Ride, I will share all aspects of our journey through this daily log and social media posts (as long as I can acquire a signal). Please join us as we sail the North Pacific Ocean to locate, collect, and analyze these marvelous microscopic organisms that are so vital in providing oxygen to the air we breathe.