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We conducted four shallow dives in close
proximity to the coastline near Isla Coronado. These dives continued our
efforts to determine if rhodoliths are transported from the shallow waters
where they live to greater depths. Today’s dive locations were selected
because rhodoliths are abundant in the shallow water along this part of
the coast. The first dive landed on a muddy seafloor at 894 meters. As we
explored the seafloor in this area, we found some outcrops of hard slabs
of rock and collected samples for later study and identification. After a
few hours of |
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carbonate. This conglomerate pavement on
the seafloor may have been a beach face at one time, and once this
pavement subsided, the corals grew on the hard surface.
Here is the answer to yesterday’s
mystery photo. Doug Alexander,
Darrel Palmer, and Paul
Ban are deflating large air cushions that are hung between the R/V
Western Flyer and the dock to protect the ship’s hull while
it is in port. There isn’t much deck space on the Western Flyer,
so these cushion are deflated and stowed after every departure.
Another mystery photo has crossed my desk today—the answer will appear on Monday, May 19th.
– Bill Ussler, reporting, with assistance from Jorge Ledesma-Vasquez.
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exploration and the collection of sediment cores, 
During
the past two evenings, we have processed the sediment cores in the wet
lab. The push cores are extruded onto towels, cut longitudinally, and
measured and described. The push cores are cleaned in water and placed
back on the Tiburon for use the next day. Because the vibracore
tubes are made of aluminum and typically contain up to one meter of
sediment, we cut the cores longitudinally using an electric sheet-metal
shear. Nearly all the cores comprised greenish to brown silts and clays,
and some cores displayed a thinly laminated structure caused by
alternation between the silty material and light-colored, calcareous sand
of a biological origin. These layers of sandy biogenic material were
derived from calcareous (calcium carbonate-bearing) organisms, such as
rhodoliths and molluscs, and are indicative of high-energy storm events. 
And,
for the fans of Pinkie, Pinkie has returned to the Western Flyer!
She appeared this morning in the wet lab, anxious to catch up on shipboard
news and to have a look at a map of our dive areas (see left). Although
she missed the fire and boat drill held a few days ago, she wasn’t able
to slip by without some review of safety on the boat. Our staff
photographer caught her reading the posting about how to use an immersion
suit. 
“B-b-b-but…,”
she asked. “Do you have my size?”