NeMO September 5, 2003

Cruise Calendar

Aug/Sep 2003

Logbook: September 5, 2003

45° 59.6' N, 130° 1.7' W
Air temperature 63°F, 1800 PST

Fluid sampling in a tubeworm clump at N-3 vent. The blue mat surrounding the sampler is a ciliate. Little is known about the ciliate, except that it is a single celled animal - perhaps with symbionts. It forms extensive mats of a cobalt blue coloration.

ROPOS dive R741 ended at 0015, early this morning. The dive was a success, sampling fluid at eight diffuse vents on the east side of the caldera. In addition to the fluid sampling, several suction samples of biota at the vents were collected. The two remaining transponders in the ASHES net were released and recovered at the surface. After the dive a CTD cast was performed. Four refurbished transponders were then deployed and calibrated, which will assist in ROV navigation in the caldera area. The PMEL elevator mooring was deployed, containing 5 extensometer instruments, which are presently being positioned by ROPOS at the north rim of the caldera during dive R742. When the extensometer placement is completed, ROPOS will proceed to the CASM vent field at the northern edge of the caldera. The lush vent biological communities at CASM will be examined.

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Teacher's Report
Bill Hanshumaker, Educator at Sea

Kim Wallace, electronic technician with the ROPOS group.

Researcher Interview:
Kim Wallace
Electronic Technician
ROPOS: Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science
Victoria, BC Canafa

Bill:
Tell me about how the ROPOS group is organized.

Kim:
ROPOS is operated by the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility (CSSF) and receives no governmental subsidies. CSSF is a non-profit group of scientists who put the vehicle back into operation after funding was removed by the Canadian government. There is only one full-time employee. The rest of the staff are contract employees who only work with ROPOS as needed. There is a crew of 10 on this trip. I've been working with ROPOS since August of 1996.

Bill:
What are your responsibilities?

Cloud vent, has been spewing hot water out of this cavernous hole in the seafloor since the 1998 eruption. Tubeworms bask in the warm flow. Two temperature probes were placed in the pit, which will be recovered next year by grabbing the yellow line in the lower left of the image.

Kim:
I am primarily as an electronic technician. My responsibilities include remotely operated vehicle (ROV) maintenance, upgrades and interfacing of the science electronics. We share most of the operational responsibilities, from launch to recovery, to the actual control of ROPOS while underwater.

Bill:
How did you receive your training?

Kim:
After studying engineering technology for three years at Ryerson, I worked mainly in industrial controls, communication and later in power supply technology. These fields have direct applications for what we do here. Communication, telemetry, power supply and distribution have targeted applications in the vehicle as well. There are distributed power supplies all around the vehicle that are fed via the umbilical line connecting ROPOS to the Thompson. ROPOS has a suite of inputs and sensors, with end effector and microprocessor-based control and feedback systems, just like an industrial control system.

Bill:What is an example of an "end effector"?

Marker-113 vent is located on the western edge of the 1998 lava flow. The vent sits on the edge of a collapse pit.

Kim:
Theses are the controls that operate the arm, motors, lights, cameras and hydraulic functions.

Bill:
What developments do you see for the future?

Kim:
Most of the other ROVs are heavily subsidized, and we have to compete with that. But we are good at what we do and we have contracts lined up. The optimistic view is to bring a second vehicle on line and expand the operations.

Bill:
How would that vehicle look different from this ROPOS?

Kim:
ROPOS can dive to a 5000-meter depth. But most of our work is like what we're doing here, in water above 3000 meters. Because of the oil industry, much of the equipment capable of going to that depth can be bought off the shelf, at a much lower price. The second vehicle could be less expensive and available for the research needed above 3000 meters. This ROPOS would be reserved for the deeper explorations.

Bill:
If someone were interested in a position like yours, what sort of advice would you give?

Kim:
There are very few places that train ROV people. Electronics, mechanical and hydraulic technologies are important trades for persons working in ROV support. You need to have at least one or more of those skills. Robotic engineering has perhaps the most similar requirements. However, most of the skills are acquired on the job. A big part of what someone needs is congeniality. This is a team operation. We've been out here 47 days in a row, working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. We get along, and you have to be able to do that. A lot of it is your attitude. You can teach someone to do anything. But you need a good work ethic and to be able to play well with others.