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Yesterday was a difficult day for equipment. Our fibre-optic cable to the Rectangular Midwater Trawl failed electrically as we were bringing up the net from 200m. Fortunately we were able to bring up the net open and retain the catch, Repairs have been made overnight and we are ready to go again when the opportunity permits. Our deep trawl system MIDOC had a few hiccups as well but persistence has paid off and we managed to complete the station successfully.
This morning we are in the pack ice in low visibility. We have found an opening in the ice and are currently on way point 0403 doing a CTD in 3600m of water.
There is a slight swell at the moment and the undulations in the sea ice together with the complete absence of a horizon made quite a surreal view from the trawl deck this morning. Doesn’t seem to bother the seals seen on the ice floes though. We expect to spend a bit of time pushing through and around further ice over the next few days as we endeavour to get further southwards. Under these conditions the quickest path is rarely a straight line. One benefit is that there will necessarily be longer between deployments and so people may get a little more opportunity to rest.
Lloyd and Brett
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.