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Today, the RSV Nuyina continues it's passage northeast leaving the continent and its satellites of icebergs behind us for an open ocean layered in mist and cloud. Our newly arrived contingent of 18 expeditioners from Davis have settled in well to the ship's routine, adding their names to the lists for engine room tours, galley inductions, incident management teams and the ever expanding table tennis tournament.
Around lunch time yesterday the ship reduced speed as it approached the anticipated site for the KOMBI retrieval. KOMBI is short for 'Krill Observational Mooring for Benthic Investigation'. Anchored between 350 and 1500 metres depth, these moorings 'intermittently record the presence of krill at or near the sea floor by video camera and echosounder, measure currents and water temperature and salinity and record the vocalisations of marine mammals over the period of a year.' What is krill? Well, a cursory review of their Wikipedia page shows Krill consider themselves small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea. Calling all the world's oceans their home, their name comes from the Norwegian for 'small fry of fish'.
With the ship maintaining its position with the assistance of its dynamic positioning system, our resident part time science support team of Dane, Patti and Febes were eventually able to receive a signal from the inky blue grey depths advising us that the KOMBI was indeed down there and ready for a lift home. The acoustic release was activated and the KO instrumentation was released from the M plate to float gently up to the surface where expeditioners and crew waited expectantly, keen to be the first to spot its bright yellow top. At 1129hs, simultaneous announcements from the Ship's Master, DVL, Urs and Graeme could be heard that a yellow contraption had surfaced some way of the stern to starboard – and it wasn't the Beatles. A little after midday with some deft manoeuvring of the ship and grappling by deck crew, the KOMBI was safely aboard. Well done to everyone involved.
Early this evening we anticipate arriving over the site of a whale mooring we shall also be retrieving on our way back to warmer waters – this time with much clearer eligibility criteria on what constitutes 'a first sighting' and rights to the lolly jar.
Regards,
James & Brendan
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.