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R/V Pelagia Cruise HERMES
Saturday – 24 June 2006
The groaning and clanking that can be heard as the Pelagia rises and falls on the crest of the swell can wake even the hardiest of sailors during the night. Not a moment of sleep was missed last night, as our scientific programme continues to gain pace in the fair weather of the Rockall Bank. This morning, the ALBEX landers were primed and readied for deployment.
In spare minutes, box-corers were moved to the central A-Frame ready to sample the hidden depths of the Haas Mounds at depths of over 600 metres. Unfortunately, our search for living specimens of cold-water coral continues, as many box-cores returned a mixture of broken coral and silty sediment. Our lunch was delayed as the first of the ALBEX landers was deployed successfully. After lunch a brief glimpse of a whale's fin caused a tumult of excitement, just before the deployment of the second lander. Once again, events were, well, uneventful as everything went without a hitch. Towards the end of the day, the fading whir of the deep-sea winch signalled the last of the box-cores. Perhaps tomorrow, our search for the elusive living coral will come to an end.