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carin ashjianCarin Ashjian, Chief Scientist Carin is a researcher with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Read her Bio

All photos by Carin Ashjian except where noted.

See where Healy went during this trip.

other bering blogs

PolarTREC: Bering Ecosystem Change, by Craig Kasemodel, with BEST-BSIERP investigators Lee Cooper and Nora Deans (Healy Cruise 0801)

Global Ocean Exploration, by Gaelin Rosenwaks (Healy Cruise 0802)

PolarTREC: Bering Sea Benthic Studies, by Emily Davenport, with BEST-BSIERP investigators Allan Devol and David Shull (Healy Cruise 0802)

view from the bridge

Healy “Aloft-Con” records hourly images of the ocean ahead of the ship. A list of images is available here.

working on the ice next to the Healy

Note: All times are GMT; image file names ending in times between -1800 and -0600 show images made during the day. See more images

about the uscgc Healy

coast guard icebreaker Healy

Healy is a US Coast Guard cutter and polar icebreaker designed to conduct a wide range of research activities in the unforgiving conditions of Arctic waters. She can break 4 ½ feet of ice continuously at three knots and can operate in temperatures as low as -50 F.

The science community provided invaluable input on lab layouts and science capabilities during design and construction of the ship.

Healy features more than 4,200 square feet of scientific laboratory space, numerous electronic sensor systems, oceanographic winches, and accommodations for up to 50 scientists.

Find out more about Healy

Healy Cruise 0802
March 29-May 6, 2008

Read the Cruise Report to learn who was on the cruise and what was accomplished.

After two months at sea, 8,000 nautical miles, and more than 1,100 science evolutions at 200 locations, the USCGC Healy returned to Seattle.

Chief Scientist Carin Ashjian said the expectations and goals of the science party were met or exceeded. “Overall, we were impressed by the importance of ice algae as early spring food for the animals in the water and on the seafloor, as well as the animals that actually live on the bottom of the sea ice,” she said. “We have made a significant step toward understanding how the Bering Sea ecosystem relies on the presence and persistence of sea ice.” See full story in the US Coast Guard News

May 6: Return to Dutch Harbor

We docked in Dutch Harbor this morning. It is hard to believe that the cruise is over! But then, I just need to go back and see the labs, all clean with no equipment on the counters and no instruments humming or beeping, and I know that it is true.

It has been a very successful cruise. We accomplished many of our planned objectives and sampled at 184 different locations.

Some of the scientists have already departed, packing up their bags and cleaning their rooms before they left. The rest of us hang around, waiting for our turn to depart Healy.

It is going to be strange to return to the "real" world where we are barraged with news and facts and where our attention is diverted from doing science to the many other activities of our lives, some enjoyable and some just busy.

Soon I will board the plane for Anchorage and leave the Bering Sea behind ... until next year.

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