The weather started getting rough....

....the tiny ship was tossed!

Jason and Alexis deploy the CTD using tag lines

Working in the Caribbean is usually filled with picturesque islands, clear skies, and flat seas, but sometimes a weather system comes through that changes all that! The last few days we've experienced some big waves and windy conditions, and slightly altered our course to try to stay in more protected waters. We want to ensure the safety of everyone on board, as well as protect our delicate plankton nets and sensitive instruments.

Sara and Jason are ready to hook the CTD for recovery

Though we always have certain safety measures in place, we'll make some changes once the weather starts to turn. Everything on the ship needs to be carefully secured. We use tag lines to keep instruments steady during deployment and use hooks for recovery. We sometimes even have to change our course to avoid bad weather. This week, we diverted our trackline inshore to avoid wind speeds of 30 knots!

Weather is just one of the many factors we have to consider while sampling at sea!

Giovanni ducks to avoid a wave crashing on the back deck! 

Jason and Alexis weren't so lucky - they got drenched while rinsing down the Bongo net!

Thankfully, at the end of every storm is a sunrise like this:

Sunrise off the bow. Photo credit: LTJG Niki Norton