Participant Interview:
Geoff Lebon
Chemist
University of Washington, Vents Program

Geoff Lebon is a particulate chemist that assists Principal Investigator (PI), Dick Feely in gathering the data necessary for the inorganic particle research. He has been on 30 VENTS cruises. Goeff is in charge of the deck operations for the CTD. Part of his job is to run the mooring operations. When we recovered the yellow moorings earlier this cruise, Geoff directed their recovery. He is really pleased that this recovery went so well. Towards the end of this cruise, Geoff will see that the moorings are released to specific locations and that the release codes are correctly set.

How do the scientist's collect water samples on the CTD when it is so deep in the ocean? Goeff has set up trip wires that are released by a signal from the scientists in the ship's computer room. When the CTD is back on the deck, Geoff sees that that small 200-milliliter samples are taken. Then the large nisken bottles are set in racks where the rest of the water is filtered.

Geoff"s home is in Seattle, Washington. His degree is in Chemistry from the University of Washington. Some semesters he teaches at the university. He also fishes off the coast of Oregon for salmon. He has even had whales sleep beside his boat!

Geoff removing the water out of the Niskin bottoles after a CTD deployment.