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RioROCA Team Checks In!
July 26, 2012
ROCA (River Ocean Continuum of the Amazon), the partner project to ANACONDAS, has been busy in the river as the Atlantis team works the ocean side. Working together, these scientists aim to enhance predictive capabilities regarding the interplay between marine microbial communities, biogeochemical cycling, and carbon sequestration in a major river plume environment.
Their work will also help us to understand the sensitivity of these interactions to environmental change. The Marine Microbiology Initiative at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation funds ROCA.
Jeff Richey sent this update from the river team this morning:
“Greetings from Team RioROCA! - Aboard the good ship Reis I, under the extremely able Commandante Reginaldo, most ably assisted by Diego (Formigao) and Arnaldo (Tiririca), and fed by Andrea.”
“Daimio, normal hero self, (does) all of the local logistics/boat organization to running (very sweet brand new) ADCP, then chem sampling, then multiple trips ferrying gear in his pickup.”
Jeff includes a summary of the last week's work:
“Day 1 (Jul 22). Macapa North channel - ADCP, lab setup. Smooth sailing.
Day 2. (Jul 23). Macapa North – chemistry, then drive to overnight for Macapa South sailing. Smooth sailing
Day 3. (July 24). Macapa South – ADCP + TSS profiles vs ADCP backscatter. A little less smooth sailing. Squalls and rough waters most of day, hid for awhile. As mentioned, one wave sequence resulted in several boxes (and nearly Jeff) going overboard. Box had DIC samples - figured it was in a hurry to join Mama Tish downstream… ( retrieved no problem). End of day- all got done (except last part of TSS- too rough to continue). Overnight in mid side channel.
Day 4 (July 25). Macapa South chem. Smooth sailing.
Day 5,6 (July 26, 27) – lab, pack, ship
Final tally: Macapa- check.
Next up: Belem”
Thanks to Jeff and Brian Zielinsky for the update and photos from the river.
Atlantis has begun its journey north again- another post soon :)
Lollie
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Question of the Day
- Do the bacteria in the water make us sick?
Only a few of them. Bacteria are in every habitat on Earth, growing in soil, hot springs, radioactive waste, water, as well as in organic matter and the live bodies of plants and animals. Bacteria recycle nutrients, with many steps in nutrient cycles depending on these organisms, such as nitrogen fixation.