Day 11-12: Alaska 2024 GNSS-A Deployment - Merrily We Roll Along

With our passage through the Shelikof Strait almost complete, our expedition gradually draws to a close. As we roll along at a steady 10 knots, we're graced by the presence of the snow-capped volcanoes of the Aleutians portside, and the rugged mountains of Kodiak Island starboardside. The last couple days have been chock-full of wildlife, with humpback and orca whales, puffins, and albatrosses in droves.

Bathymetric and contour map of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Arc, with our trajectory plotted (red line). Green polygon marks our current location. Map downloaded from the R/V Sikuliaq internal Map Server.

Kodiak Island observed starboardside of the ship as we pass through Shelikof Strait. [PC: Behnaz Hosseini].

Despite the completion of the deployment campaign, the science crew has managed to keep busy the last couple days, with tutorials and technical presentations from Dr. Andy Newman and Dr. Glenn Sasagawa, as well as research presentations from graduate students Joaquin Julve and Alex Skrubej. Aside from presentations, the science crew has been hard at work compiling a summary report of the Alaska 2024 GNSS-A Deployment Campaign.

Dr. Glenn Sasagawa giving a presentation on pressure gauges and drift correction methods in the Main Lab. [PC: Behnaz Hosseini].

Graduate student Joaquin Julve presenting his research in the Main Lab. [PC: Yinchu Li].

Graduate student Alex Skrubej presenting her research in the Main Lab. [PC: Behnaz Hosseini].

Today, we had the added privilege of touring the ship below the Main Deck, including the Thruster, Motor, and Winch Rooms, under the guidance of the ship's Chief Engineer Sean Gardiner and Electrician Dan Buchsbaum. This tour really gave the science crew an appreciation for the engineering prowess behind the design of R/V Sikuliaq, and all of the meticulous work that goes into keeping everything on the Main Deck and above functioning and running smoothly.

Chief Engineer Sean Gardiner giving a tour of the Engineer's Control Room. [PC: Yinchu Li].

Tomorrow marks our final full transit day, with some potential stops and small-boat operations along the way, so check back in for new and exciting updates!