Feature of the system, explains. “Day and night trawls capture different animals. At night animals migrate from the deep, those at one kilometre will move up to 700600 metres and critters at that level will move higher toward the surface. ” The first few trawls produce some prizes: a bejewelled light-reflecting lantern fish, scaly dragonfish, vampire squid, rattail and a deep-sea scyphomedusa vermilion jellyfish of the Family Periphyllidae. The lantern fish is of particular interest as they and other small fish are a primary food source for numerous sea mammals around the planet – including seals in the Antarctic found with plastic in their stomachs. It’s all about the food chain. And each of these scientists is studying a particular area where plastics interact with this web. “You look tired,” I say to Chelsea, a first-year toxicologist. “I’m on the day shift,” she replies. “But it’s so interesting I want to be here. Maybe I’ll take a nap.” She emerges eight hours later to her shift where she will collect specimens to take back to test for pollutants. Some creatures such as salps (clear gelatinous globules known as filter-feeders) are more susceptible to retaining toxin traces. Squid are also excellent toxins indicators as they are higher up the food chain so have eaten a variety of lower chain food. It’s only day three into three weeks and we’re beginning to groove into a rhythm. Today is the start of transit time from the California area to the first station on the North Pacific Tropical Gyre, or Plastic Vortex. It will be five days of light towing and will be days that “Whaleman” Josh sets up his research area. “I love being out here. The farther I get, the weirder – more normal – I feel. Look at those velella. I love them, they’re right up there with whales, “ Josh passionately imparts as we congregate on the bridge bow. We sweep through nautical mile minefields full of delicate blue-based jellyfish known as “by-the-wind sailor” serenely drifting along with the ocean breezes. Josh and other scientists aboard are fascinated by these whimsical yet complex sea floaters for their structure - complete with “sail” that either steers them right or left when the winds blows. Suddenly Second Mate Kent yells from the control room, “Whoa, there’s something big out there – check it out...think it’s a squid.” All personnel to starboard and sure enough, a ruddy brownish elongated blob is floating by, distinctly of squid appearance. It’s huge. The squid is decidedly deceased and a decision is taken to recover it. Captain Wes manoeuvres the ship so that nets and a hookpole can secure it alongside. It breaks apart as it is being hauled aboard. The stench makes me dry retch. Josh, clearly familiar with slimy sea smell, enthusiastically pieces it together to resemble its original construction and shape. Miriam thinks it’s a colossus (later confirmed as a giant 52
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Net results: The daily routine of sea trawls brings in a plethora of sea creatures – as well as an everincreasing amount of plastic debris.
squid). Everyone on board muscles in to ogle Ships in the night: Halfway through the journey, the it. Matt kisses its beak as “Ocean” Annie, the Horizon meets the Kaisei – two vessels on twin missions. videographer, records the predictable “gross, disgusting” groans and giggles from onlookers. Chelsea is visibly excited and reaches deep into the squid’s eye socket to pull out her trophy for tissue sampling. It goes straight into the freezer. It’s the day’s science catch. A 3:00 am manta tow on day five signals a change. We net three pieces of plastic along with the usual small fish and juvenile salps. Each subsequent tow brings more plastic samples as we travel westward. During a tow Doug dips a net off the side and dishes up more than expected – a floating “fouling community” ecosystem. Two crabs on a large-ish piece of plastic have created their own mobile Sea World - there’s algae to eat, a barnacle and flying fish eggs. Because more plastic is being documented both in our nets and sighted floating in the water, I have been given another task – the Plastic Patrol. Which means sleep will occur as if I’m a firefighter or emergency room intern. Who needs booze when you have a sleepdeprivation buzz going and perma-adrenalin rush from deck duties and exotic Petri dish discoveries. We see a pattern of patchy swaths with a beginning, middle and end of a “river” of debris flow. The decision has been taken to go on full intensive deployment schedule. Each shift has at least ten deployments THE CORRESPONDENT
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