The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How

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To kick-off my latest international adventure, here is a Q&A blog with answers to all your persistent questions.


You work WHERE? Doing WHAT?
My title is Seagoing Communications Specialist for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), which is an international earth science research organization housed at Texas A&M University. The IODP is funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation of the United States. I began working here on October 1, 2008. Expedition 323 - Bering Sea will be my first.

The purpose of the organization is to operate a scientific ocean drilling vessel (a ship) that travels the world collecting core samples of the ocean floor for research in earth history, climate change and plate tectonics, among other things.

Contrary to popular belief - we do NOT drill for oil. In fact, we take great precautions NOT to strike oil, because our ship is not properly equipped for the collection of oil. If we did strike oil, it would spill out all over the ocean floor and we'd be in big trouble. The word "drilling" in our title refers to scientific drilling in order to collect core samples.


Oh, so you drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico?
Wrong again. Our shore operations are housed at A&M, but the ship almost never comes to Texas. And we don't drill for oil. EVER.


Do you get lots of money from the oil you drill?
We DON'T. DRILL. FOR. OIL.


Oh...ok.


Why do you drill for core samples?
Because many of earth's secrets lie beneath the ocean floor. In the 1990s, off the coast of New Jersey, we collected core with clear evidence of the meteor that hit the earth millions of years ago and killed the dinosaurs.


What does a Seagoing Communications Specialist DO?
First of all, on the ship I'm called the "yeop," short for "yeoperson," which is the politically-correct (because I'm female) adaptation of "yeoman." I could explain it, but Wikipedia does a much better job.

On the ship I'm responsible for collecting and organizing all the scientific data. I also represent the publications department and assist the scientists with software and graphic issues. On a lighter note, the yeop acts as coordinator of social events; parties, kite-flying contests, t-shirt design contests, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries etc. Any event with cake, we'll celebrate!

On shore, my job sucks.* It really does. I sit at a desk 8-9 hours a day and format graphs. I also do a little bit of scripting, but the best part (I'm being sarcastic here) of my job is when we spend weeks going to various Web sites and clicking all the links to make sure they work. Thrilling. You really shouldn't feel jealous of me. There are "before and after" examples of our work included with this post so you have an idea of the torture we endure.

*That being said, in this economy - I'm very thankful to have a job at all, and I feel blessed to have a job that allows me to travel. Honestly, though, I don't travel enough to make up for the tedious, mind-numbing work on shore. Several times a week I curse myself for moving to Texas, or as I like to call it, The Cowboy Wasteland.


Wow, I actually feel sorry for you. Now tell me about your ship!
She's named the JOIDES Resolution, JR for short. I haven't yet seen her with my own eyes, but she's a beauty. She's a huge ship, 469 ft long, 69 ft wide and her derrick stands 205 ft above the water. The derrick is used to drill and recover core samples. To learn more about the JR, visit her very own Web Site.


Who sails on the ship?
The JR has berths (rooms or cabins) for about 120 people. About half of those are the crew of the ship; the sailors, cooks, janitors, the captain and his mates, the drilling technicians, etc. About 1/4 are IODP staff, my coworkers. We consists of chemists, microbiologists, lab officers, a core curator, a photographer, other types of scientists and me. The other 1/4 is the science party. Scientists from all over the world apply to be on our cruises. Usually the scientific objectives of a certain expedition pertain to their personal research and work.

There is also a doctor and clinic on board. The doctor can handle minor medical emergencies and there is a heli-pad in case someone needs to be life-flighted off the ship. It's rare, but has happened in the past. Once someone died (of a heart attack, in his sleep) on board and they put him in the freezer until the ship got to port.


What is life like on board?
Life on board is "work hard, play hard." Everyone on the ship works 12 hours a day, every single day. That means no weekends and no sleeping in for the entire two months (each expedition is two months long). There are four different shifts: 12 a.m. (midnight) to 12 p.m. (noon), 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., 12 p.m. (noon) to 12 a.m. (midnight) and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

For those of you familiar with military time, those shifts are at:

• 0000 - 1200
  
• 0600 - 1800
  
• 1200 - 0000
  
• 1800 - 0600
  

Meals are served four times a day, at noon, midnight, 6a and 6p. Each day at 9a, 9p, 3a and 3p there are cookie/snack breaks. So, during one 12-hour shift, a person will eat "breakfast" before reporting for work, then 3 hours later there will be a cookie/snack break. At 6 hours into the shift, there is the "midday" meal. 3 hours after the midday meal there is another cookie/snack break. At the end of the shift, that person will eat "supper."

Meals: 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800. Cookie/snack breaks: 0300, 0900, 1500, 2100.

The ship has two-person berths. Usually you share a room with a person on the opposite shift. The yeoperson always works the 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. shift, so my cabin mate will be a female who works 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. When I'm working, I'm not allowed to go into my room because that is when my roommate is sleeping/dressing/showering/relaxing.

For entertainment on board, there is a computer room, two movie rooms and a gym. There is also the ocean, at which I plan to stare for hours upon hours. Although we work 12 hours a day - there is ALWAYS room for some fun. Check back here a few weeks into the expedition and you'll see.


How do you get on the ship?
At the beginning and end of each expedition the ship ports in a harbor somewhere in the world. Since January 2009, the ship has been in Singapore, Guam, Honolulu, San Diego, and right now, she's headed to Victoria, Canada. I'll meet her there.

Everyone on board flies to meet the ship. Again, she almost never comes to Texas. It would be ridiculously expensive and time-consuming to sail to Texas in between every expedition.


When do you stop during the trip?
We stop the ship at pre-determined drill sites in the middle of the ocean. We'll sit on top of a site for as long as it takes to collect adequate core samples. We NEVER port mid-expedition, unless there is an emergency. Once we board, we're at sea for the entire two months.


Do you get seasick?
I don't think so. I've crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on a large yacht, sailed in a small vessel off the coast of Western Ireland and felt fine. I'm tough.

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