On this cruise we are taking large amounts of water to test for cesium. Cesium was last released into the ocean during the nuclear reactor leak in Japan following the earthquake in April 2011. A group at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute is leading the charge at sampling the Pacific Ocean. Interesting to note that they have not received any government funding for this endeavor and rely instead on contributions from private organizations and crowd sourcing. By measuring cesium levels in the Pacific we can utilize the isotope as a tracer and learn more about how ocean currents move in this ocean basin. I want to note that the levels they are detecting are extremely small, far below the levels that would cause harm to humans or marine life, and 1000 times lower than the acceptable level that can occur in our drinking water as set by the EPA. So go ahead and feel safe in drinking all the ocean water you want!
Finally I’d like to leave you with some photos from the sunrise and moonset this morning. The full moon and calm weather provided us with some beautiful views while sampling at 5am. While weather has been less than stellar these last couple of days (winds, increased waves, and some rain showers) we must have crossed over the boundary to the middle of the subtropical gyre now where things are calm and smooth. The wind this morning was 0.2kts (as compared to 11 yesterday) and the water honestly looks like a sheet of undulating plastic. I am enjoying this beautiful weather as I know that as we continue to move northward, warm days and light winds will be hard to come by.