March 1, 2022

Author: Gisela Nucciarone, C Watch, College of the Atlantic

Butt sweats! C Watch the Dream Watch bracing the squares (Colleen, Gisela, Sophia, Sil)

Puerto Rico on the horizon!

Last night on dawn watch (0100-0700) Bird (deckhand Haley) and I took a break from diligently plucking spiny lobster larvae, baby squid cephalopods and Halobates out of our Neuston and meter net tows.

I stepped outside of the lab to see a line of shimmering lights on the dark horizon. Even though the chart was predicting it this whole time, after a few days straight of ocean, ocean and more ocean it's still a thrill to approach land.

Some more thrills: showering up in the foc'sle with 4-5 foot seas which involves a bit of crashing against the walls, hearing whale songs on the hydrophone while watching them breach off the starboard beam, learning to furl the jib for the first time in the dark while hanging off the ship as we crash through the swells, and Jenna showing Margot and I how to throw figure eights in mid-air!

Holy neusty tow!! (Orly, Antoine)

Shoutout to Ela, my fishy friend. Miss you & thought of you lots as we sailed by Tortola! [insert squid emoji]. Lots of love to the fam.

Gisela Nucciarone, C Watch, College of the Atlantic

Contact: Douglas Karlson, Director of Communications, 508-444-1918 | dkarlson@sea.edu