Cruise Experience Spotlight: Learning from CalCOFI: Technical Insights from the 2511 Research Cruise

It was great to understand the successes and challenges CalCOFI has overcome in their operations. We were particularly interested in the use of the CTD, salinometer, and oxygen titrator while at sea. Our team is involved in the development and trials of Deep Argo Floats, along with Scripps and Seabird Scientific. Understanding best practices around these instruments was important for us, as we will be using them for in-situ calibration of Deep Argo floats on future development voyages.

It was also useful to see the SUNA in use on the CTD rosette, providing real time data. We’re working towards integrating our own SUNA into our CTD systems, and watching CalCOFI technicians calibrate and troubleshoot while on the cruise gave us some valuable insight into its operation. Integrating our own SUNA in this way, to get real time nutrient data during deployment, will go a long way to help inform the sampling strategy our scientists may choose to implement adapt in the field.

It may not be immediately obvious how useful it is to see how a different institution samples water from Niskin bottles. Our technicians have learned some sampling techniques piecemeal over the years, and hearing the reasoning behind certain methods is invaluable. We will be able to pass along the knowledge gained from CalCOFI procedures to our team members. We are particularly excited to implement CalCOFI’s Y-Tube thermometer method for taking oxygen samples!

Globally, there has been a push towards open data science. This includes standardizing data processing pipelines, so data is comparable between institutions. It is fortunate, then, that ESNZ can implement a new system in collaboration with CalCOFI technicians and Seabird Scientific staff members we worked with on the voyage.

We’ll be taking inspiration back to New Zealand, to streamline some of our own processes as we move into new positions managing our laboratory and maintaining our CTDs. Our experience with CalCOFI will go on to help support multiple research projects conducted in New Zealand, across the Pacific, and even in Antarctica.