These large deck incubators are located just outside the ship's laboratory in an
area where they are protected from rough seas.
The
deck incubator is a large box filled with seawater that is continually pumped through
it from overboard in order to provide an ambient (natural) temperature "water bath."
Inside the bath are large cylinders which are holding living plankton used for
research during the cruise. On board experiments include measuring the rates of
feeding, growth and reproduction of important zooplankton.
In the laboratory
inside the ship, two scientists are sorting and studying a fresh plankton sample
which was retrieved with a special net. Peter, on the left, and Bob on the right are
part of a team from the University of Rhode Island. Various equipment in view
includes microscopes and video recorders. Measurements of animals will be taken later
from the stored video images; this saves valuable time when the animals are being
handled to set up experiments or when fresh specimens are needed for biochemical
analysis.
Here in the
lab, you can see some planktonic organisms on the video monitor connected to a camera
on the microscope.
Larval fish are sorted and identified to species from a fresh plankton sample. The scientists are particularly looking for cod and haddock. Images are taken and recorded so that a specimen can later be measured for length. As quickly as possible, the fresh specimens are placed in liquid nitrogen (-80 degrees Celsius). Those specimens will be chemically analyzed later, in order to assess their growth rate.
After
sorting, individual video images of larvae are recorded by computer. Individuals are
then frozen in liquid nitrogen to preserve them for biochemical analysis back on
land.
Betsy from the
Woods Hole Laboratory of the National Marine Fisheries Service works with a specimen.
Scientific crew sort fresh larval fish from a live sample brought aboard by MOCNESS
nets. To help see the larvae, samples are poured into clear plexiglass trays which
are sitting on "light tables" (glass-topped tables with fluorescent bulbs
underneath.)
Pierre removes adult female copepods, Calanus finmarchicus. He will set them
up in an incubator at specific temperature and photoperiod (light:dark cycle) to
measure their egg production rates - an important part of understanding copepod
production on Georges Bank.