August 2, 2004
Jon’s Journal: Day 1
BY: Jon Warrenchuk
[editor’s note, by Jason] Jon Warrenchuk is currently participating in NOAA’s 2004 Gulf of Alaska Seamount Expedition.
JULY 30, 2004: I’m currently in a good-sized computer lab that wouldn’t look out of place on a University campus. But Puget Sound is moving quickly past the portholes, and a gentle sway reminds me that I’m actually on a boat.
“Boat” is a misnomer for the 275 foot “Atlantis“, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute research vessel that’s equipped to gather data from the bottom of the ocean and everything in between. We left port in Seattle 4 hours ago and we’re en route to the middle of the Gulf of Alaska.
I’ve been lucky enough to be invited along on a project to explore a group of little-known seamounts, which are volcanic underwater mountains that rise up from the ocean floor. There’s much more to tell, but I may be reaching the limit of my ship-to-shore e-mail… stay tuned!!