December 7, 2011 Slideshow

A rainbow appeared just as Maria Pachiadaki was preparing to launch Deep SID to a depth of 500 meters.

Earlier in the cruise, chief scientist Ginny Edgcomb, Hera Karayanni, and Maria Pachiadaki worked with the larger, brand-new in situ sampler, SID-ISMS.

SID-ISMS brought back many samples, but it experienced problems that prevented it from completing Maria’s experiment on grazing by protists on bacteria. Friend and colleague Hera Karayanni is in the background.

Deep SID to the rescue! The small in situ sampler is a proven performer at depths up to 1,000 meters. Here, Hans-Werner Breiner, Konstantinos Kormas (behind Breiner), Bill Orsi, and Hera Karayanni carry Deep SID out to the starboard deck prior to its first launch of this cruise.

Maria checks with the winch operator as she and SSSG Allison Heater prepare to launch Deep SID on Wednesday morning.

As Allison signals directions to the winch operator, Maria uses rope to control one of the 150-pound “bullets” that will help Deep SID remain vertical in the water. Notice the yellow Bouin’s fixative in the top half of each sample chamber.

Konstantinos Kormas, Ellen Roosen, and Allison Heater wait for Deep SID to reappear after its deployment to 500 meters.

Success! Seeing the yellow fixative throughout each sample chamber means that the instrument worked and Maria will have good cell samples to study.

After two weeks of hard work, Maria is able to complete her experiment on grazing by protists in the deep sea.