Bigelow Laboratory Senior Research Scientist Ben Twining is taking part in the IRON-MAN expedition in and around the southernmost continent. Today, we are excited to share a few video updates from his time aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough.
ANTARCTIC DISPATCH 2: ABOARD THE RRS SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH
When we arrived in Ryder Bay, IRON-MAN science took a back seat to surfacing, splashing whales. What an amazing show to behold!
Once we left Chilean waters, the trace metal ‘fish’ was deployed. This is a titanium torpedo that is towed outboard from the RRS Sir David Attenborough and allows us to collect surface seawater that isn’t contaminated by the hull of the ship (which is made of iron!). The water is brought on board and pushed to the clean laboratories with an air-powered teflon diaphragm pump. You can just turn on the tap and get some of the lowest iron water on the planet: an ocean scientist’s dream come true! Luckily, we’ve been able to leave the fish in the water while on station, and it’s been fun watching it bob with the waves.
Lastly, here’s a time lapse video showing how we collect uncontaminated seawater from below the surface using a titanium rosette. It’s as cool as it sounds! (Curious about why Ben’s measuring ocean iron? Check out this Bigelow.org article about his trace metals research!)
Thanks to Ben for these video captures! And keep an eye on Currents this February for more details about his Antarctic expedition.
