Participant Interview:
Chris Meinig
Engineer
NOAA/PMEL Engineering Development Div.

Jeff: What are your responsibilities on NeMO 2000?
Chris: As an engineer, I make sure the equipment we've brought out from PMEL works properly and gets safely into the water. I also troubleshoot and fix anything that breaks down. Some of the equipment on this cruise includes the vent fluid sampler, the extensometers we've deployed, an array of temperature loggers, and bottom pressure recorders. We're replacing the old NeMO Net camera with a new one attached to a surface mooring (buoy). NeMO 2000 is equipment intensive but not uncharacteristic of a NOAA Vents type of cruise.

Jeff: How did you end up working as an engineer for PMEL?
Chris: During graduate school I sold skis at REI. A guy came in and I asked him about his job because he was wearing a uniform. He said, "We go out to see. We fly helicopters and airplanes. We go to the North Pole and South Pole." His job sounded interesting. So, I drove a NOAA ship for 2 years and then found out about the PMEL lab. They offered me a job and I've now been with the lab for 10 years.

Jeff: What do you like most about your job?
Chris: You're involved in projects from start to finish. You can dream up an instrument, write up a proposal to fund it, build some prototypes in the shop, test them out, then bring your working instrument into the field and watch go into the water. There's an adrenaline factor because if it fails, you're right there in front of it. It's disappointing. However, if it works, fantastic! You actually see it work. I think it's rare in this day and age. Most designers and engineers are removed from using their products.

Jeff: Do the scientists come to you and say, "Hey, we need something that can do X?"
Chris: Yes. We've taken a science-driven approach. The researcher comes into the lab and we kick ideas back and forth. We generate a design, come up with a prototype, then take it to sea and see if it works. I'm really fortunate to have a really talented and fun group of people to work with.

Chris Meinig preparing the bottom pressure recorder (BPR) for deployment.

BPR being deployed from Ron Brown.