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We’re finished and heading home. The last CTD was completed just before our deadline of noon to begin the transit back to Hobart. Congratulations to all on board for a massive effort over the last four weeks. We’ve completed a huge amount of work with few breaks, so everyone is looking forward to a more relaxed few days as we run the final samples and pack up. Some work continues. The Continuous Plankton Recorder, or CPR, is now being towed behind the ship. This instrument collects plankton as we go, preserving them between two sheets of silk that are slowly wound onto a spool. On land, the silks are painstakingly read by experts who can identify the species trapped on the material. Some of the longest records of changes in the biology of the ocean have been collected using this simple instrument. This transect is part of a larger, circumpolar effort involving many Antarctic nations. The weather is good for travelling, and we are steadily eating up the miles between us and home.
REGARDS: Steve, Fred and Penny
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.