Day ADEON Cruise 4 comes to an end.  We have accomplished much over the two plus weeks we’ve been at sea, and this is due to the hard work of both the science and ship crew.  I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the captain and all the crew of the R/V Armstrong. The ship ran smoothly and allowed us to complete our science in a fun, welcoming, and safe environment.  At the beginning of the cruise, in our first orientation and safety briefing, Captain Derek outlined the ship’s rules –one of which was No Crying. We failed here, as there were many tears born of laughter and humor, and all will be going home with good memories.

I also want to thank each of the science crew. Many graduate students were drafted by their advisors to take part in this journey, but there were many others that volunteered their time.  Science at sea is a team effort, and everyone helped to make this a successful cruise.  We had a first for ADEON on this cruise, thanks to our onboard artist Wendy Klemperer. 

Last afternoon, we had an art show that lined the walls outside the galley and down to the main lab.  Wendy shared her works that included portraits of both the science and ship crew, biology caught in our nets, and many of the ship and science hardware.  It was amazing to see what caught Wendy’s eye. She found beauty in many things we scientists and crew surely take for granted, and this has evoked a new appreciation for what we are surrounded by each day.

I am very much looking forward to ADEON Cruise 5 at this time next year. We will once again be boarding the R/V Armstrong in Nov 2020 for our final ADEON cruise.

Jen Miksis-Olds (ADEON Lead-PI)