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| Report: Anne Arscott Images: Peter Garrod and Lindy Chamberlain |
| Twenty eight members, being all true yachtsmen and undeterred by the Force 6 and white horses on Southampton water, embarked on RV Callista for the first session of our 'Discover Oceanography' Day. |
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| We investigated light penetration, temperature and salinity of water at the confluence of the River Itchen and Southampton Water, were generally amazed at how much marine life surfaced following a brief sea bottom trawl off Netley, namely spider and hermit crabs, a small sole, slipper limpets, an oyster, a variety of small shell fish, and assorted sea weed, seasquirts and tube worms. Slipper limpets and several other organisms have established themselves after being discharged into Southampton Water through ships' ballast tanks. |
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There followed the 'mud grab' - mud samples off Victoria Country Park were well oxygenated, with small shell fish and worms present, that off Fawley was black, smelly and virtually devoid of life, the result of pollution over 50 years.
It will take another 100 years to clear - a sobering thought! Then a plankton trawl and the fascination of watching phytoplankton and other small organisms by computer enhanced microscope. |
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After lunch at the centre, we had our chosen lecture, Oceanography from Space. We learnt about the interaction between the oceans and climate, weather forecasting based on oceanographic data, methods of measuring currents, temperatures, wave heights, and weather patterns from space.
Did you know waves can now be tracked round the world, that the seventh wave in a wave train is usually bigger than the rest, and that 'freak' waves originating out of a flat sea are fact, not a figment of sailors' tales? Best not to think about it. Our lecturer was brilliant, and answered our many questions enthusiastically. |
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Our visited ended with a quick tour of the aquarium, a walk past the RV James Cook, preparing for its next oceanographic expedition, and a look at the various small submersibles used for marine exploration.
Several had the capacity to go under ice, into rock caves and find their way back to the mother ship - truly amazing!
It was a great day out as evidenced by the 'thank you notes' we've received, and I've written to Oceanography to pass on those comments. |
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| We'll try to organise another visit to our local world class National Oceanography Centre later in the year. |
| The NOC runs a series of talks on current marine research on the first Thursday of each month starting at 7.15pm. These are free, open to the public, and of interest to all those who love the sea, see http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/nocs/marinetalks.php |
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| Report: Anne Arscott Images: Maggie Widdop |
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