WHOI Launches First Expedition Since COVID-19 Outbreak

COURTESY OF THE WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION

WOODS HOLE – Nine science team members from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are departing Sunday for an 11-day expedition to service a collection of ocean observing equipment 55 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

The departure aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong is the first science expedition to leave Woods Hole following a “pause” in research expeditions imposed in March by UNOLS (University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System).

The UNOLS coordinates the U.S. academic research fleet ship schedules and has established guidelines for COVID-19 prevention and mitigation aboard the ships.

The journey aboard the R/V Armstrong is the second UNOLS science expedition to leave port with new stringent COVID-19 prevention protocols in place.

Scientists spent 10 weeks of preparation, two weeks of isolation, tested negative for the virus, had temperatures taken and have personal protective gear in place.

“We’ve worked extremely hard to implement measures that will help ensure the safety and health of our scientific party and crew members aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong,” said Al Plueddemann, chief scientist for the Pioneer Array expedition and a research scientist at WHOI. 

“It’s been an extensive planning and re-planning effort as our procedures had to adapt to changing circumstances. We’ve had to reduce our scientific team significantly to ensure there is enough social distancing room aboard the ship, and condense the work into one cruise leg instead of two, which forced us to scale back the scientific mission, as well.”

The Pioneer Array is a collection of long-term oceanographic observing equipment that provides continuous ocean measurements over a period of years.

The data collected are sent by satellite to a network server on shore for use by scientists, educators, and others.

The data are available for everyone to use in as near real-time as possible.

The long time-series data are helping to advance ocean research, understanding of ocean processes, and the changing ocean.

The equipment requires regular maintenance to ensure that it can continually collect and disseminate biological, physical, and chemical ocean observations for the oceanographic community and others who have come to rely on it.

The Pioneer Array is one of five ocean observing arrays collecting real-time ocean data as part of the National Science Foundation funded Ocean Observatories Initiative.