Next week my research group heads out to sea for our Gulf of Mexico research project on deep-sea wood falls. Make sure to pay attention to hashtag #woodfall for updates, images, and videos on both Twitter and Instagram. A Twitter thread started by Helen Scales, an amazing author of some of my favorite books who will be joining us on this expedition, asked what gear we like to take out to sea with us.

I am particular about my set of gear and equipment that I take when I am out at sea. Much time spent was spent on trial and error research and development of my sea kit. The items below reflect advice from my scientific mentors and advice about tools from my father and father-in-law, one an electrician the other an awesome car mechanic. This is by no means a comprehensive list but these are things I won’t leave home without.

1. Carhartts

Nothing beats a brand spanking new comfortable pair of Carhartts. No, wait that isn’t true. A new pair of Carhartts is rougher than sharkskin and when they get wet the chafing will start a fire between your thighs. Then why o’ why would a marine scientist wear them? Well first this is marine science not easy science, so suck it up. Second, when a pair of Carhartts are finally broken in, they are supple like leopard. Despite this, they will laugh in the face of sharp objects and protect your delicate marine scientist’s skin. The mud color, technically Carhartt brown, of the fabric means you can wear them for days in a row sorting benthic samples and nobody will know. Except for the smell. Protip: Don’t chintz and get the single layer ones, unless you are working in the tropics. You really want the double fronts.

Carhartt Men’s Double Front Work Dungaree Pant B01

2. Stocking Hat

Everyone calls this thing something different. My Australian colleagues giggle at me when I call it a ‘stocking’ hat. Take a second and think about it. No matter, spend some time doing deck ops at night, a few hours in cold and dark ROV control room, or processing samples in a cold van and you will definitely want this. I prefer a Carhartt stocking hat in charcoal grey because I look sooooo fine in it. Protip: When you do field work always look good.

Carhartt Men’s Knit Hat With Visor, Army Green, One Size

3. Hard Hat

You got to protect that noggin of yours because no matter how good you look in that stocking hat you are getting paid for your brains not your looks. Well hopefully. Everyone has their own hard hat preference. Some people use the ones lying around the ship. The same hard hats worn by 50 dozen other scientists this month alone. I prefer my own and one shaped like a cowboy hat. Look at me! I’m a Southern Boy at sea! Protip: Don’t hesitate to decorate the your hard hat how ever you see fit.

Vulcan Cowboy Hard Hat 6 Point Ratchet Suspension – White #VCB200

4. Pocket Knife

A decade ago when I went off to Antarctica, my wife sent me with a brand new CRKT pocket knife. I still have the knife and it is still reliable and sharp. Everyone again has personal preferences on what a pocket knife should include but let me tell you what I look for. You must be able to open it with a single hand. Good size thumb studs and fluid movement then are a must. I like a combo straight and serrated blade for a variety of tasks. And because I don’t want to slice my fingers off a locking blade is a must as well. The knife must also have a lanyard hole. You would be surprised how many knives do not. Also it needs to not be too big. You are not trying to be Rambo here. Protip: Grab yourself a sharpener. Nothing is more ridiculous than a dull knife. The Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic is amazing.

Crkt Knives 6813 Ryan Seven Combo Edge Knife

5. Lineman’s Pliers (or 9’s)

You want pull on something? Cut something? Grab something? Wrench something? And generally have a tool will accomplish every task you may face? You bet your bippy you do. That’s what lineman’s pliers are for and you must own a pair. Protip: Get a good set and be willing to spend a little money. My favorite quote from an Amazon review about 9’s is this “My grandfather used to say that if God had made 9″ Kleins first, it would’ve only taken him four days to finish the world.” Well you’re not God but you’ll be a little closer with these.
Klein Tools Tools D213-9NE 9-Inch High Leverage Side Cutting Plier

6. Snippers and Zip Ties

If you are good marine scientist you will go through your weight in cable ties. Make sure you get an assortment. You will also need something to snip all of those with. I have Hakko’s that are great quality and cheap. Protip: Purchase a divided utility box to keep your cable ties sorted by color and size.
Hakko CHP-170 Micro Clean Cutter, 16 Gauge Maximum Cutting Capacity

TEKTON 6235 Assorted Cable Ties, 200-Piece

7. These Velcro Straps

For binding up extension cords, rope, cable ties and just about everything else. Protip: Get them in multiple colors so you and your gear can be pretty.

Velcro Color Coded Multi-Pack Cable Ties in 6″, 9″ and 13.5″ Lengths

8. Multi-Bit Screwdriver

Don’t be that person with a mutlitool or the tip of your knife trying to screw something. My father-in-law gifted me a Klein multi-bit screwdriver years ago. I LOVE THIS THING. Everything right where it needs to be and all the head choices you really need—big and small, Phillips and flat heads. Protip: Make sure also to grab the little one too for all those tiny places.

Klein Tools 32557 Heavy-Duty Multi-Bit Screwdriver/Nut Driver

Klein 32561 Std. Stubby Screwdriver/Nut Driver with Cushion Grip. 6 in 1 Tool.

9. Duck Tape

Yeah I know it’s actually duct tape but I didn’t realize that until I was 9, or 29, years old. Go ahead and stock up on this because this miracle of the 20th century will probably save your ass more than once. Protip: Don’t get fancy with colors either because that will cost your more but do not buy an off brand, go straight for the 3M.

3M Utility Duct Tape 2929 Silver, 1-22/25 in x 50 yd 5.8 mils (Pack of 1)

10. Gridded Petri Dishes

Need to count a bunch of tiny things under the microscope? Or just need to start sorting fauna out of sediment samples. Then gridded petri dishes are your friend. The biodiversity of the deep sea is both a blessing and a curse. The lines actually help alleviate the latter.

Petri Dish, Square Grids – Package of 10

11. Stainless Steel Tally Counter

If you have never counted so many things that you needed a hand counter you are probably missing out. Not really. However there is something very soothing about clicking away the time with your thumb. Protip: Get the stainless steel one for the obvious reasons—like bragging to other scientists about your stainless steel tally counter

Buy Jump Ropes H-102 Stainless Steel Tally Counter

12. Tupperware

I cannot even begin to enumerate the reasons why you will need Tupperware in the field. Are you going to need to hold stuff? Are you going to need to keep stuff from moving about? Are you going need to construct something with just duct tape, zip ties, and Tupperware? Yes, Yes, and Yes. Protip: Buy an assortment pack.

Rubbermaid 50-Piece Easy Find Lid Food Storage Set

13. Cafeteria Tray

When working in the lab or at sea it is important to contain your mess and items. Cafeteria tray to the rescue! I’ve used these for dissection trays and for transferring items back and forth between the cold room and the lab. The fiberglass trays, as opposed to the plastic, are more durable. The one I use is stain, odor, and scratch-resistance perfect for marine invertebrates. Protip: Get one in black as it will make a nice background for shooting photographs of animals, rocks, and other samples.

Cambro 1520-110 Fiberglass Camtray Rectangular Cafeteria Tray, Black

14. Restaurant Bus Tub

Basically the same philosophy as the cafeteria tray but with sides! Keep your stuff organized in the lab and provides a nice containment area for all that wet sorting. Protip: Buy two.

Rubbermaid Commercial FG335100BRN Undivided Bus/Utility Box, 7-1/8-gallon, Brown

15. Shelf Liner

Shelf liner is cheap and keeps your laptop, coffee cup, microscope, and everything else from moving around. May just prevent that laptop from sliding right off the table onto the lab floor when the boat is rocking.

Con-Tact Grip Premium Non-Adhesive Shelf Liner, 12-Inch by 4-Feet, Black

16. Shop Paper Towels

Can some explain to me what is up with the little boxes of Chemwipes? They are expensive and do not absorb anything—sort of like John Wayne toilet paper. Chemwipes are the scooters of paper towels. Sure there cute and little but if you are driving more than a couple of miles worthless. On the other hand, blue shop towels are the pure Detroit 70’s muscle power of paper towels. The 1970 Plymouth Hemi’ Cuda. You could dry an entire research vessel with just one square of these. You will never look at paper towels the same again.

SCOTT- Shop Towels, 12 rolls

17. Custom Lab Notebook

I like my music, dance moves, vehicles, and much more old school. My data recording is the same way. I record everything into a lab notebook. I print graphs from my computer and tape them in my notebook. I write notes and new research ideas in my notebook. It is way for me to engage with the information around me. At the Book Factory you can custom order hard cover lab notebooks and have your name embossed in gold on the front cover. Protip: Opt for the gridded pages.

18. iBomb

You will most definitely want to get you jam on. At 1:30 am sorting samples in the lab it will definitely be time to blast Beastie Boy’s Sabatoge. This little speaker is THE BEST portable speaker out there. It will fit in the palm of your hand and produce enough base to rival any Ice Cube’s low low. Protip: Develop a special field playlist.

iBomb(TM) EX350 High Quality Wireless Bluetooth 3.0 with 3.5mm AUX Input, Microphone, Micro SD Card Slot Include for MP3 Function, Rechargeable Super Bass Sounding Stainless Steel Mini Speaker (Silver)

19. eBags Mother Lode

My consistent fear is over packing. This is only second to my fear that others will think I am over packing. What you need is a piece of luggage that doesn’t look like you are packing a lot. Enter the Mother Lode. It is really phenomenal how much you can fit inside this carry on bag. Well made and with all the same properties of a Tardis. Protip: Choose the black color so stains will not show.

eBags Mother Lode TLS Mini 21″ Wheeled Duffel (Tropical Turquoise)

20. Chubby Bottom Coffee Mug

Let’s face it, you will be drinking a lot of coffee in the field. A skinny travel mug will be no good at sea. Always tipping over. You need something with a fat bottom that refuses that laughs in the face of a rocking boat. Great mug but with its fat bottom it will laugh at standard size cup holders. Protip: Buy a carbineer to attach it to your travel bag.

Stainless Steel Thermal Insulated Chubby Cup

21. Pelican Case

Pelican cases are water and crush proof to protect all your available assets. If they made larger ones you could ship your students in them. I get hours of enjoyment cutting the foam inserts to fit exactly around my field dissecting scope Protip: Choose one with roller and extendable handle for easy travel.

Pelican Storm Case 24.90″ x 23.70″ x 13.10″ Case w/out Foam – Black

22. Alcohol Resistant Markers

No not that kind of alcohol but that would be important too. Not much to say other than when you labeling the jar or bag of a valuable specimen you want that information to last forever. Protip: Buy many.

Alcohol Resistant Cryogenic Permanent Markers – Black – Pack of 6

23. Amscope

Why would you take an expensive Zeiss microscope to sea or the field? Great optics are find for the lab back home. But in the case of loss or damage you do not want you $10,000 Zeiss in the line of fire. Instead opt for the Amscope where you can purchase a dissecting scope for as little as $400. Protip: Purchase the digital camera through Amscope as well.

24. Your Own Blanket

Every ship supplies you with a scratch wool blanket from the 1920’s. I always bring my own because I prefer not to have skin rubbed off during the night and it is never quite clear to me when these were last cleaned. I use a fleece blanket because it packs up quite small and can double as a pillow on a flight. You can use a zip tie to keep it cinched. Protip: Order a fleece blanket with some flare so you know it is yours. I like the one below with a Bald Eagle on it. ‘MERICA!

American Eagle Print Comfy Polar Fleece Throw Blanket 60″ X 70″ – Bigger, Better, Softer – One Week Clearance Sale On Now!

25. Waterproof Smartphone Case

Without going into the painful details, I have lost two iPhones to water. Protip: Buy one now.

LifeProof Cases

The post My 25 Favorite Things For Ocean Field Work first appeared on Deep Sea News.

The post Snow At Sea first appeared on Deep Sea News.

WE’RE ON A BOAT! That’s right, The Blogfather Dr. M and myself (Dr. Bik, Assistant Blogmaster?) are in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico AT THIS VERY MOMENT!

To celebrate this awesome scientific cruise, we’re running a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session Tomorrow, Saturday May 27th from 8AM – 8PM Central Standard Time (Louisiana, USA time zone).

Hi @reddit_AMA! Ask me anything this Sat. I’m currently on the ocean for a science research cruise studying the deep sea with a robot #AMA pic.twitter.com/dvkQ67VPx8

— Craig McClain, Ph.D. (@DrCraigMc) May 25, 2017

Why are we here? Well Dr. M has a nifty new NSF grant to research wood falls in the deep oceans; logs and whole trees that saturate with water and sink to the deep-sea floor. These wooden carcasses bring a rare commodity to the deep sea devoid of light and plants: food. On the seafloor, these wood falls are covered in unique marine invertebrates wholly adapted to eating wood.

As part of this work, Dr. M is also collecting sediment cores, which I’ll be using to isolate nematodes for environmental sequencing and genomics work.

But there is a whole team of people here on the boat, and you can ask them anything too! Our scientific cast is:

–Dr. Craig McClain, a deep-sea biologist, DSN Blogfather, and the Executive Director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON).
– Dr. Clif Nunnally (LUMCON) – Research Associate, Actual Person in Charge of the cruise
– Chase Landry (LUMCON/Nicholls State) – Undergraduate Researcher, Cajun Translator
– Dr. Virginia Schutte (LUMCON)- Media Officer, unfortunately a Morning Person
– Dr. Thomas Webb (U. of Sheffield) – Statistical Guru, “All the gear, no idear” (he’s British)
– Dr. Holly Bik (U. California Riverside) – Microbial Genomics and nematode taxonomy, bringing high fashion to the high seas
– River Dixon (U. South Carolina) – Undergraduate Researcher, has no idea what she signed up for
– Jason Bradley (Bradley Photographic) – Photographer, probably has kissed more sea animals than you
– Chase Lawson (Texas A&M) – Undergraduate Researcher, literally just spent 2 hours handling raw meat
– Dr. Alicia Caporaso (Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management) – Underwater Archaeologist, studies shipwrecks but can’t touch them

The post Reddit AMA (Saturday May 27th): DSN on a boat, throwing wood in the ocean! first appeared on Deep Sea News.

But what we’ve both learned through our marine biological travels is that rabid Firefly fandom is common throughout the ocean science world! I once spent an entire month-long cruise trading juicy Firefly quotes with the chief engineer, and had a second mate tell me “Oh, I thought you were just wearing some dorky science t-shirt, but when you took off your PFD I saw that it’s a Firefly shirt!”

And so, Dr. M and I have conspired to send me to San Diego Comic Con as the first ever (to our knowledge) Official Ocean Science Correspondent. For one day of Comic Con, I’ll be reporting on the latest intersections between ocean science and science fiction. In honor of this, and of Firefly’s 10th anniversary, Dr. M and I have put together this list.

Top 10 reasons why seafarers love Firefly

10. Quarters are tight, but your berth is your castle. This is where you can relax, surrounded by comforting objects, whether they are trashy novels, music, guns, or that purty purty dress. Yes, one of us may take a dress to sea with them, and it’s not Miriam. Frankly, Serenity‘s cabins are nicer than most research vessels we’ve been on – private and with their own toilets! Pretty appealing after sharing a cabin so tight that you and your roommate can’t stand up at the same time. Also, sharing a very very small room means that you best be careful when it’s time to “be in your bunk.” (H/t  Angela Quarles for the screenshots.)

9. Meal time is social time, and the galley is a gathering place. That is unless you prevent someone else from getting their meal.  On both a ocean- and space ship, space is at a premium, and there’s no room for multiple social spaces. And after working hard and bickering in close quarters for days on end, relaxing over food is a way to reconnect with your shipmates, even when the food is not that great. Everyone runs out of “freshies” after a while and has to resort to processed and preserved food.

Click for video (sorry, for some reason this & some of the other videos will not embed).

8. Safety is vital. Ok, it seems to be a little less vital on Serenity  than on most research vessels, but it’s still vital. It’s a big and lonely ocean and galaxy, and there’s often nobody to help.

Click for video.

7. Recreation is really important when you’re all stuck with each other for weeks and months. People get creative about using existing space for fun. Most ships we’ve been on have had game tournaments, haiku contests, and tons of movie options.  When in Antarctica aboard a German icebreaker, Dr. M competed in a croquet, water basketball, and improvised winter Olympics.  Till this day the certificate for winning the water basketball tournament hangs in his office.

6. Staying in shape is hard, but important. It’s hard to realize that on a ship, there’s no place to walk or run. A lot of people get really into lifting weights – which frankly is more appealing on a spaceship than on a rocking ocean ship. Although lifting weights in heavy seas is great workout to build core strength.  Of course, so is holding yourself in your bunk during heavy seas…or puking during heavy seas. (Miriam, a sea sickness professional, is currently trying to break her personal distance record.)

5.  The bridge is the beating heart of the ship. This is where planning and decision-making occur, and this is where the captain needs to be whenever something unexpected is going down.

4. Tensions can run high. You’re stuck with these people for so long that every tiny habit can become unbearable irritating. If you’ve already got a tense relationship with someone…well….getting stuck on a ship can make it worse.

3. Everyone knows your business. Don’t expect privacy or quiet – and your personal scandals are going to affect everyone’s morale.  And don’t expect those especially risque scandals not to be known either – although at least this will raise two people’s, um….”morales.”

2. You can develop close and unexpected friendships. Sometimes these friendships can seem a bit…odd…to outsiders.

1. And of course, port call is vital. Port is where you hear from your family – and whether you travel the sea or space, when in port, you aim to misbehave.

The post Shiny! Top 10 reasons why seafarers love Joss Whedon’s Firefly first appeared on Deep Sea News.

Libertarians always seem to want to run away to sea. Most recently, Paypal founder Peter Thiel made news by promoting and financially backing the Seasteading Institute, which wants to build floating oil-platform-like independent countries anchored in international waters and free from all that pesky government regulation. The most famous of these attempts is Sealand, which is actually quasi-occupied, but many other seagoing libertarian paradises have been planned, such as the Freedom Ship and Atlantis Project.

Logistical issues aside, I don’t think it would have been very nice to have Ayn Rand as a shipmate – dramatic personal issues make a small space even smaller. A pleasant life at sea is difficult and requires a lot of teamwork to keep danger and chaos at bay. Still, I have no problem with these people taking themselves off to sea, so long as I don’t have to go with them. (Though China Mieville has an eloquent deconstruction of the entire idea.)

However, as a seagoing scientist, I can’t help but feel they have an extremely naive idea of what life at sea is like. Here’s a short list of some of the technical problems they will no doubt face when living in their tax-free utopia.

• Constant maintenance. The battle against rust is continuous, and requires considerable organization. On the science ships I’ve sailed on, the ABs needlegun  the deck almost every single day – a unpleasant, noisy, dirty job. All the important moving parts must be regularly inspected, maintained, and replaced.  Even with constant maintenance, everything breaks at sea, and it always seems to be the part that is least expected. The heads seem to be particularly sensitive (and nothing else ruins your quality of life so much), but there’s plenty of examples of fires, propellers falling off, and watermakers breaking. Who will have the expertise to deal with this on board a libertarian paradise? Are there enough libertarians with shipboard experience, or will they have to compete with oil platforms and cargo ships for skilled engineers and mariners?

• Severe weather. According to the Seasteading Institute FAQ, they have a pretty minimal plan for dealing with severe weather. Certainly there’s nothing wrong with moving out of the way, but storms and associated wind and waves are not always avoidable or predictable. Size alone is no refuge. Here’s a video of an aircraft carrier hitting some serious waves – and think of how huge an aircraft carrier is!

• Sewage and trash. Apparently the seasteaders intend to abide by the same maritime laws as large ships, while simultaneously staying relatively close to shore. Well, that’s nice – but where are they going to put their sewage and garbage? Presumably this libertarian paradise would not be located in any country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, so it would have to be more than 200 miles off the coast, which would make discharging raw sewage legal, if not pleasant. (Hope they’re not doing it in enclosed seas. That didn’t work well in the Baltic.) However, discharging plastic is illegal at any time, so they would need to hold their trash until they could ship it back to the mainland, where they will have to find a facility that can take it. (This is a matter of some contention in the Caribbean, where small island nations are inundated in cruise ship trash.) Assuming your trash barge can go 10 knots, which is pretty fast for a barge, that’s a minimum two-day round trip just to get to the mainland and back, with all the diesel costs that entails. It’s almost like you’d want some kind of a goverment to manage all that waste management, infrastructure, and disposal.

What else? I’d especially love to get a mariner’s take on this.

H/t Michael Robinson for the tip!

The post Logistical challenges of floating libertarian paradises first appeared on Deep Sea News.

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