Ship Operations Support - 2005

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Harbor Branch's Research Vessel SEWARD JOHNSON is scheduled to operate 279 days in CY 2005 in support of science programs. 140 days are in direct support of NSF funded research programs. Since this is a 5-year cooperative agreement, funding for the years 2006-2009 will be renegotiated yearly and will dependent on the number of days at sea to support NSF funded oceanographic research.Intellectual Merit and Technical MeritThe Seward Johnson will support four NSF programs in 2005. The programs involved are in the areas of Atmospheric Science, Marine Geology, Chemical and Biological Oceanography. Although one of the most distinct features of the SJ is to support Johnson Sea-Link submersible operations, the ship is quite capable of general oceanographic work, and can support a large science party and in distant ports.For 2005, the SEWARD JOHNSON will be participating in the "Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean" (RICO) experiment supporting Dr. Bruce Albrecht and his colleagues from over 20 institutions and 4 countries. The overall goal of this project is to better understand how precipitation is formed in trade-wind cumulus clouds and the effects of such clouds in climate models. The ship will be working in Venezuela and Grenada in March 2005 with Dr. Frank Vernon. Much of this area is volcanic in nature with at least one active underwater volcano ("Kick 'Em Jenny") nearby. The overall goal of this project is to understand further the geometry and chronology of the Caribbean-South American oblique arc continent collision zone. Monitoring the fault zone over a one-year period will enhance the findings of previous studies completed in the same area in 2004.Dr. David Hutchins and investigators from the European Community CarboOcean project will utilize the SEWARD JOHNSON to study the interaction between global climate and the marine biosphere, particularly the algal community structures and the biogeochemistry in the North Atlantic Spring Bloom.Broader ImpactsThe versatility and effectiveness of the SEWARD JOHNSON promotes its ultimate capability to support science programs that have been funded for intellectual and technical merit by the NSF Science Panels, in addition to providing undergraduate, graduate and PhD students opportunities to participate in science cruises. These scientific programs result in publications in scientific journals as well as media coverage on public TV stations (PBS TV) that make this information available to the general public in a form that is readily understood. The Seward Johnson and HBOI have active outreach programs for K-12 students, teachers and administrators from area schools. The ship holds open houses whenever possible, highlighting the submersible, which is of high interest to the students and general public. Additionally, local and national media are continuously provided releases and video of new discoveries and newsworthy cruises, many of which peak public interest and informal science education about the world's oceans.