Susan von Thun writes: Over the last 10 days, we got into a very efficient groove that required coordination of everyone onboard the Western Flyer. We conducted two ROV dives each day, collecting as many cores as we can, given the time we have on the seafloor. This means that after the morning dive, the crew and ROV pilots recover the vehicle, eat lunch, and then get ready to redeploy. The recoveries and deployments require crew and pilots to work together to do the job safely and efficiently, communicating via headsets. From captain to crane operator to pilots on deck and in the control room, everyone has to be on the same page.

When the science team gets the “go ahead” from the pilots, we quickly remove the cores from the vehicle and start to process them. Each person has found a niche to fill—from slicing, photographing, or describing the core samples, to washing all of the muddy cores and returning them to the ROV for the next dive. We have become a well-oiled machine!