Day 4 on the EPA Lake Guardian and we’ve packed a lot of action into every moment. Operating a fully-equipped research vessel out on this mammoth body of water is a costly endeavor and researchers have much to accomplish in a tight timeframe. Scientists work around the clock gathering samples and preserving the specimens for analysis back in their labs on land. Data gathered in this single week can fuel a year’s worth of research for any of our scientists and there’s no‘re-do’ – they can’t hop a fishing boat to resample a 400 foot water column!

Our teacher cohort has ramped up quickly under the patient supervision of the researchers as we operate the sampling equipment at all hours of the day. Three key station types are run during a 24 hour schedule:

Coordinated Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) – As part of a five year rotation of monitoring among the Great Lakes – one lake each year – this protocol includes dropping the ‘Rosette” apparatus to gather samples along the water column from surface to lake bottom and an important data profile of the water column, sending out nets to catch tiny plants and animals (phytoplankton and zooplankton), and taking sediment samples from the floor of the lake.

COSEE River Transect (CRT)-Designed to evaluate the impacts of rivers on near shore lake ecosystems, the CRT stations follow 20 meter deep contours near the mouths of three different rivers. A profile is done of the water column using the “Rosette,” and plankton and larval fish are collected, with the initial processing of samples occurring in on-board labs.

Manta Trawl – Shaped like its ocean namesake, the wings of this 6 foot wide water sampling device skim the lake surface and gather any buoyant debris in a long trailing net. A device typically used in marine environments to gather plastic litter samples, our COSEE Lake Superior 2011 cruise is the Manta’s inaugural trip in the Great Lakes, initiating Dr. Lorena M. Rios-Mendoza’ research on the impact of plastic pollution in our inland seas.

Last night provided us with a new look at life and research on a ship as the previously tranquil seas gave way to high winds and 4-8 foot waves, making sampling difficult and stomachs turn. After battling the adverse weather conditions with waves breaking over the stern deck, at 4 AM the decision was made to suspend further data collection and find safe harbor.

Day broke with the ship docked near the Lily Pond of the Keewenaw Penninsula and impending inclement weather caused us to modify the day’s schedule. We will resume a very ambitious sampling schedule Sunday, as we head back out to open water.

What a privilege it is to work with scientists! For some of us the day began at midnight and for others, it was simply a continuation of their day: day of taking and processing samples. Some of us headed to the labs to search out the smelt larvae hidden within the gelantinous daphnia while others were on deck to pull in the specimens. Some of that included sifting through lake bottom sediment taken from depths ranging from 280-600 feet. Others headed to the biology lab for the magical mystery search to find blue-green algae. So far the search continues for the elusive buggers!

We received word that the ship was passing through the Apostle Islands to which we immediately dashed up to the top deck to stand in awe of the magestic view. The Apostle Islands offer a variety of recreational activities for the outdoor enthusiasts.

Another day comes to an end on this amazing lake we call Superior. Yes she is indeed!

Today was a busy day as we completed our first full day on the ship. The ship set sail from the Duluth port in the morning and headed out to start our adventure. Traveling under Duluth’s famous Lift Bridge was quite an experience and most of us were on the upper deck to capture the moment. We were definitely the envy of many tourists lining the channel waving at us. Before we started to sample, we first had to cover safety procedures which included what it means to ‘muster’ at the deck and how to properly don a lifevest and a cold weather safety suit. This made for some rather humorous pictures. You can definintely understand why they call it a Gumby suit! It was also comforting to know that there were more than enough life rafts aboard should we need them.

After we felt comfortable with the safety procedures of the ship, we had our first guest speaker. Dr. Lorena M. Rios-Mendoza from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, who came to talk to us about plastics in marine and large lake ecosystems. We will be collecting samples during our cruise which will aid her research, the first of its kind on the Great Lakes. Her research shows that in 1999 the mass ratio of plastics to surface phytoplankton in the Pacific Gyre was 6:1, meaning that for every 1 kg of phytoplankton in marine environments, there was 6 kg of plastics. In 2007, this ratio had increased an amazing to 44:1!

Dr. Jay Austin from the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota-Duluth then spoke to us about the lake temperature structure in lakes. We also watched the retrival of a glider which is the newest technology in gathering CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth) data on large lakes. The glider swims in a zig-zag motion through the lakes on a pre-determined course, taking continuous readings. Using GPS scientists can pinpoint its exact location and easily retrieve it. The glider is the first in use on the Great Lakes and is fittingly named “Gitchie Gumee”, which is the Ojibwe name for Lake Superior”. This vessel is provides a cost-effective way for vertical, lateral and temporal coverage of the Lake. The other two methods of collecting CTD data are moorings and CTD casts. Our group will be using CTD casts to collect data.

The Guardian next took us to our first sampling location and the teachers donned steel-toed boots, hard hats and life vests to learn how we would be collecting data. Evidently we were a somewhat slow group as the Captain starting moving the boat in circles simply due to boredom. Sorry, Captain Bob!

The group learned how to collect water samples from the Rosette Sampler that will be tested for water chemistry, how to net both zooplankton and phytoplankton, and how to collect and sort sediment for benthic organisms. Many thanks to our marine techs for their patience and expertise.

Wish us luck as we begin our “real” work tonight with shifts beginning at midnight. Its been an amazing day! Teaching: its not just a job, its an adventure!

It takes seven generations for a drop of water to move from the inlet to the outlet of Lake Superior. This means that what we put in Lake Superior now impacts the water and the food web for the next 170-190 years. With this cycle in mind, we are working to clean up legacy pollution and to prevent future harm to the Great Lakes basin.

The goal of this progam is for 7 scientists, 15 teachers, and 13 crew to educate each other in order to bring Great Lakes knowledge into the classroom and beyond. This is essential to the future of the conservation of our nation’s natural resources. We hope to encourage each other and our students to aspire to learn more, to question generously, and to set goals to know more about how to protect the largest source of freshwater in the world. By engaging ourselves and our students in solving and preventing tomorrow’s environmental problems, we hope to inspire them to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Although we have not yet left the Duluth Superior Harbor, our first day was a whirlwind of activity from getting settled, to exploring the Great Lakes Aquarium, and enjoying talks and conversation with scientists and natural resource professionals from EPA, DNR, COSEE, Sea Grant, and NERR who are working on restoration projects and long-term monitoring of the lake.

Educators participate in Great Lakes research first-hand as they cruise on Lake Superior for a week, July 20-27, 2011. They will work side by side with scientists on limnological inquiry and stop in ports for additional science learning. These events are in partnership with USEPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office.

More information available at http://coseegreatlakes.net/events/shipboard11

View the EPA blog at www.epa.gov/blog