Helen FieldsScience Writer

More Bering Sea material is up on the website! You can find out what a Van Veen grab is at my brilliant section on the various sampling tools that scientists will be using on the ship. The text borrows heavily from some material WHOI already had on their website, but I also called a few of the scientists who will be on the ship to ask more about these tools. They were very patient with me and explained how the tools work and what they do with the samples. It was really useful background information for when I’m on the trip, and I was happy to find out how friendly they are, too.

I’ve been asking everyone I talk to for advice on the icebreaker. What’s the one thing everyone tells me? Not what brand of mittens to buy or how to avoid getting knocked off the side of the ship. No, the one thing everyone agrees on is that I should bring sheets. The ship provides sheets, but apparently they’re really strict about having your sheets clean when you get off the ship, which means everyone is all stressed out about doing laundry just as the ship is coming into port. I’m borrowing a set of ancient sheets from my mom so the Coast Guard’s sheets can stay nice and clean for the whole trip.

There are plenty of other things people have told me to bring, too – a towel, steel-toed boots, a face mask – but there’s clear unanimity on the sheets.

I also learned from these interviews that last year on this cruise (with many of the same people) there was a…drum roll please…knitting group! Woo!!

The website also now has a list of people in the science party. That includes me – check out my self-portrait, from a trip to visit friend and fellow science writer Kate in Oregon in the fall. (Incidentally, also the trip where I learned how to knit.) I sent photographer-colleague Chris a picture of me on the street in D.C., which is really my natural habitat, but I guess he thought this one made me look more rugged.