ARK-XXII/1, Weekly Report No. 3

Weekly Report 11- 17th June 2007 (Week 24):

The Wonder from Traena

On Sunday, 17th of June, we are on transit on our way to a coral reef area not yet fully investigated, called “Sotbakken”. The weather in the past week had been very good and enabled us to work according to plan and we could regularly deploy measurements and sampling systems. However, good and bad luck follow one another. Due to bad weather, at first the submersible JAGO could not be deployed. However, the research group from Jacobs University improvised an OFOS-system that allowed us to make a series of video images of the reefs. Unfortunately, no simultaneous seabed sampling was possible. Earlier in the week when we were sailing from Roest Reef to Traena reef area that is relatively nearer to land, the weather improved considerably. Now the familiar rhythm of 2 dives per day with intervals inbetween for Hydrosweep and seabed samplings could be undertaken.
To minimize the effects on the reefs to the lowest level possible, we had borrowed a small Van Veen grab made of stainless steel from the University of Tromsoe. It was brought to Polarstern via helicopter the previous week. On Wednesday at 03:09 hour, the operated Van Veen grab became tangled up, such that it broke from the wire and it then disappeared into the depths of the sea. We discussed with the JAGO-team if they could keep a look-out for the Van Veen grab during the last dives at Traena Reef, and as it is shiny polished metal, it should be easily detected from a fair distance. Although the position was not precisely known, JAGO managed to locate the Van Veen grab – the Wonder from Traena - and we were glad that the loss was only reported within a small circle of people. On Thursday, we sailed again towards Roest Reef. The JAGO dives were systematically covering various different themes: collection of fossil and live corals, collection of sponges, habitat-mapping, photo-safari. The 1000th JAGO dive (a fantastic success of the JAGO team) was on the origin and geological structures of the Roest Reef. After the completion of the work on Roest Reef, since this morning we have been sailing towards Tromsoeflaket, south of which lies “Sotbakken”, a little researched area so far.  There are three days left where work is possible before Polarstern enters the port of Tromsoe for an exchange of some of the scientific participants. The HERMES-Outreach group with the 2 Norwegian and 2 German school pupils has been busy writing reports that are receiving press coverage and are also available on the HERMES websites. The pupils are integrated into several projects and learn what it means to be actively doing research. -All is well onboard the POLARSTERN!

Joern Thiede/Michael Klages