Marine research ships Investigator and Aurora Australis have long been features of Hobart’s waterfront and always spark interest on our City Paddles. Curious about life on board we asked Voyage Delivery Co-ordinator/Voyage Manager, Linda Gaskell, about planning and working on research vessel (RV) Investigator.
Below are abbreviated responses to the questions we asked Linda. See the full responses here.
1. When does voyage planning on RV Investigator start and how different is trip preparation/experience under COVID?
Planning starts around 12 months out from voyage departure. My role is to manage all aspects of voyage planning with internal and external stakeholders, to ensure the ship departs with everything and everyone onboard.
COVID has had a significant impact; initially with the delay of all voyages until around mid 2020. The health, wellbeing and safety of everyone on the ship is paramount and we've adapted onboard activities to reflect the same restrictions you may face onshore i.e. physical distancing, enhanced cleaning regimes and separating teams of people on board.
2. What science programs are coming up in 2022?
January – March (Dr Alix Post, Geoscience Australia). Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is cold and salty seawater, produced uniquely around Antarctica. To understand future oceans, our research aims to understand past changes in AABW production.
March-April (Dr Martin Jutzeler, UTas). This expedition will collect new information on volcanoes responsible for the largest types of eruptions, focusing on northeast of New Zealand. It will provide novel data on hazards linked to submarine volcanic eruptions, such as tsunamis and breakage of underwater communication cables.
April-May (Dr Elizabeth Shadwick, Oceans & Atmosphere, CSIRO). This voyage will maintain the Southern Ocean Time Series (SOTS), a set of deep-ocean moorings that provide world-leading automated observations of the exchanges of heat, carbon dioxide, and oxygen between the ocean and atmosphere, and the physical and biological processes that control them. Sensor data is delivered live online.
For more information on these science programs see the full responses here.
3. Are there any peculiarities for working with science teams on board?
Our scientists are incredibly passionate about their work and their projects are many years in the making – being on RV Investigator is just one part of their overall research. It's not an easy process to get on board, so they are very focussed on their objectives in the finite time at sea. The entire ship's complement becomes a mini community, everybody collaborating in the work being undertaken with the scientists, support staff and crew all pulling together to make science happen.
4. Is there such a thing as a normal day at sea?
I don't think there is much which would be considered 'normal' whilst at sea! RV Investigator is a moving platform exposed to rapidly changing conditions, in what can be unfamiliar and remote circumstances. It is a closed community working 12-hour shifts, 24/7 in a dynamic and sometimes challenging environment. There is a real sense of achievement when we tie up alongside at the end of a voyage – a feeling of 'yes, we did that!'.
5. What was your most memorable part of your 60 day Antarctic this year?
There are so many: our first sighting of an iceberg, watching the stunning southern lights – Aurora Australis – overhead at night, a snowflake landing on my jacket during an onboard BBQ, being surrounded by more than 30 curious whales – so close I could almost touch them! And, of course, the food! The catering staff do an amazing job providing 3 meals a day and all the snacks you could ever wish for. The gym gets quite a workout – although walking up 10 flights of stairs multiple times a day also keeps you reasonably fit!
RV Investigator is part of the Marine National Facility, a national research capability funded by the Australian Government and operated by CSIRO on behalf of nation.
