Societal lessons from a floating research lab by Holly Olivarez

The synergy on a hydrographic cruise is an excellent analogy for community life in any circumstance. Sixty people are on the ship for the purpose of taking measurements from a "vehicle" (more on that later) that holds many instruments to measure or collect various things in the ocean (temperature, saltiness, oxygen levels, etc.). This means we all work together towards a common, agreed-upon goal.

 

People on board the ship are identified as either part of the ship crew or the science party. The ship crew know and maintain the ship, feed everyone on the ship, provide support as needed (including medical and moral support), and keep things in order. The ship crew also deploys, runs and recovers the "vehicle" I mentioned above. The work of the ship crew graciously allows the science party to focus on their duties of collecting, measuring, recording and organizing their measurements and samples. The science party also cares for the "vehicle" we are on board for. The "vehicle" I keep referring to is called a rosette (see photo). The rosette holds 36 bottles for collecting water samples, as well as many different instruments.

Moonrise photo taken by winch operator Pam Blusk.

Humans have basic needs we all can quickly name: needs of food, water, and sleep. But humans also need acknowledgement and respect, especially in the way of being respected for our skills. This is where I am so impressed by the environment of being on this floating research lab for 30 days: each person on the ship knows their purpose and responsibility. Each person knows the shared goal of our on-board community, each person understands their role in accomplishing that goal, and each person is respected for their particular skill in working towards that shared goal.

 

As an example, the winch operator and scientist handling the rosette during the same shift acknowledge and respect each other for their individual skill. The scientist respects the winch operator for their ability to carefully lower the rosette into the water and then balance the tension on the cable carrying the rosette while lowering and then bringing back up the rosette to and from the sea floor. The winch operator respects the scientist for their skill of ensuring all of the instruments are ready to go into the water, as well as keeping track of the various depths the water bottles will be tripped so as to collect sea water on the bottles' way back up to the surface on the rosette.

 

As I walk the halls of the ship every day, I can name every person I encounter for their skill. I recognize how critical their presence is in order to ensure the shared goal is met. From engineer to steward, from captain to a first-time scientist-at-sea like me, each of us is dependent on every other person on board in order to eat, remain safe, and collect the most precise measurements from the rosette that we can. Over the course of 30 days, sixty people work and live together as a community. The synergy of it all, combined with our basic needs being met here, is admirable. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to not only learn what a floating research lab is like but also to have witnessed what I consider an ideal community setup with principles that communities across the world could benefit from.