NEWSLETTER WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHlC INSTITUTION APRIL 1991

DSL christens new JASON testbed

HYLAS, a new shallow-water ROV (rerrotely operated vehicle) was S christened with a bottle of cham­ pagne last month at the Coastal Research Lab (CRL) tank. A Like other vehicles developed by l WHOl's Deep Submergence Lab, HYLAS gets its name from a figure in Greek mythology. The tradition started when Bob Ballard named JASON after the legendary seeker of the Golden Fleece. DSL's Nathan Ulrich was responsible for naming HYLAS. According to myth, Hylas was an Argonaut and the pageboy 01 Her­ cules. When the ARGO stopped on the way to retrieve the Golden Fleece, Hylas was sent for water. A nymph at the spring thought he was so beautifullhat she came from the DSL Staff Assistant Anita Norton christens HYLAS by pouring champagne water, wrapped her arms around him, over it in the Coastal Research Lab tank. and dragged him down into the pool to live with her forever. Hercules was designed to be compatible with those JASON precisely in the critical areas so upset that he wandered off into on JASON. JASON's manipulator that will be used for testing, the the forest looking for Hylas, and was arm and electronics will be used on testbed vehicle was built ~ss expen­ left behind when Jason and the initial experiments with HYLAS to test sively. For instance, HYLAS uses ARGO put to sea. methods of vehicle/manipulator light, inexpensive foam instead of the Like its namesake, the ROV control. An improved manipulator costly syntactic foam used on HYLAS will spend its life in a pool. design which will work on both JASON. HYLAS will kept primarily in the be vehicles is also being planned. HYLAS was designed by Nathan CAL tank, and will be used to test HYLAS is about 40 percent of Ulrich and Dave Mindell of the Deep new systems for other ROVs such the size of JASON and is about 3 Submergence Lab and was built by as JASON. feet by 3 feet by 6 feet. Will Sellers. Dana Yoerger was the The systems on HYLAS are Although HYLAS duplicates principal investigator on the project. Aubrey, Emery dispute sea-level rise theories in new book In a book being released this accurate numbers for relative sea­ obtain these measurements are month, WHOI sCientists David level rise." placed primarily in the northern Aubrey and K.O. Emery dispute Many researchers interested in hemisphere and along continental recent analyses of sea-level rise and the climate change debate consider margins where land movement is question scientists' ability to accu­ sea level a good early indicator 01 high. rately measure changes in sea level. climate shifts because slight in· Acoording to Aubrey and Emery, Sea Levels, Land Levels and creases in atmospheric temperature land movement caused by both Tide Gauges, published by Springer­ may produce expansion of ocean natural and human activity is not Verlag, is the culmination of ten water a nd a greater volume of water always taken into account by scien­ years of research on the impact of from melting glaciers. tists analyzing sea level records. In tand movement on tide gauge Current records indicate that sea Bangkok, for example, the earth is records of sea level. It indudes level is rising about one millimeter a compressing 10 centimeters a year analyses of prehistoric and modern year. But Aubrey and Emery a'rgue becaUse of the pumping of ground knowledge of relative sea-level that the causes of this rise remain water from aquifers below. Land change in areas around the world. unclear, and might have more to do movement caused by volcanoes, ''The focus of the book is that the with land movement than wnh faults, and sinking deltas further land moves more than the sea," says warming. compncate measurements. Aubrey. "Until we understand more Furthermore, they argue, sea The high level 01 aclivlly on land, about tectonics and man's effects on level data is biased because the tide the authors argue, leaves scientists land movement, we can't prOduce gauges that have been used to without a constant surface against which to measure sea-level change. Ship Notes Henri Berteaux repairs to its septic system, and then hosts workshop ATLANTIS/ALVIN set out again for Ponta Deigada, Azores. Senior Research Specialist Henri ATLANTIS and AL VtN departed On or about May 1, OCEANUS Berteaux of AOP&E hosted the Acapulco March 28 on Leg XXIV of will depart Ponta Delgada on Leg /I Marine Technology Society's Buoy Voyage #125. of the voyage. This leg will carry it to Technology Workshop at WHOI April The purpose of the cruise is to Funchal, Madeira. 10-12. conduct hydrothennal, The purpose of the cruise is to About 75 researchers from the volcanological, and geochemical initiate the field program of the United States, Canada and France studies on the East Pacific Rise. Subduction Experiment, a multi-year attended the workshOp, which A total of 25 dives by DSV study of the mechanism by which provided an informal forum to ex­ ALVIN will be made to collect rock water masses in the mixed layer and change information on current buoy and water samples. near·surface layer of the ocean find technology and act/VRies. The Night-time scientific activities will their way into the upper thermocline. workshop consisted of eight sessIons include rock dredge and gravity core The location of experiment will be the covering hulls, mooring materials and stations and surveys using Sea eastern Atlanlic, south of the Azores. systems, anchoring systems, buoy Beam and 3.5 kHz systems. electronics, buoy instrumentation, The vessel will return to drifting buoys, and field experiments. Acapulco April 27. KNORR WHOI speakers Included Henri, George Tupper, Sean Kery, Richard KNORR is expected to be Trask, Dan Frye, Paul Fucile, Brian OCEANUS delivered to Woods Hole in late July, Howes, Wayne Spencer, Mark following completion of ns upgrade Grosenbaugh, Peter Wiebe, Keith OCEANUS departed Woods and shipyard work in Louisiana. von der Heydt, and Alessandro Hole April 22 on Leg I of Voyage The vessel will undergo Bocconcelii. #239. After one day at sea, the shakedown and outfitting in Woods The workshop was sponsored by vessel returned to port for minor Hole through the rest of the summer. the NOAA Data Buoy Center of Bay SI. Louis, Mississippi.

2 WHOI NEWSLETTER WHOI gets $500,000 grant from Kresge Foundation

WHor has been awarded a forthe ship's six scientific laborato­ Proposals submitted jointly by $500,000 challenge grant from the ries, and a new rescue/workboat. scientists and engineers will be Kresge Foundation to complete the Various other upgrades on reviewed by a panel of their peers instrumentation of the AN KNORR. KNORR will also be made with the and awarded on the basis of creativ­ The challenge grant will be Kresge Foundation grant. Major ity and innovation in meeting a awarded when the Institution raises upgrades will be made to a hydro­ special instrumentation need. about $2 million in endowment for its graphic boom, which allows placing KNORR, the Institution'S largest new Technology Innovation Award instruments away from the ship's research vessel, is completing a Program, which supports competitive side and recovering equipment at major overhaul at a Louisiana awards to staff scientists and engi­ different locations on the ship, and to shipyard and is expected to return to neers to develop new or irrproved the ship's hydrographic winch and Woods Hole in late July. The 20- scientific equipment. The National winch readout system, which mea­ year-old vessel has been lengthened Science Foundation is providing an sures the amount of cable going over 34 feet to 279 feet, making it the additional $500,000 toward scientific the ship's side. KNORR's dynamic largest in the U.S. academic re­ equipment to complete the KNORR's positioning system, a computer­ search fleet of some 25 ships. outfitting. controlled navigation system that The Kresge Foundation of Troy, "The changing nature of ocean­ permits the ship to hold a position, Michigan, is an independent private ography, and the increasingly will be modified for use with the foundation created by the personal complex answers sought from its ship's new propulsion system. A gifts of Sebastian S. Kresge. Grants practitioners, have meant a change traction winch system capable of are made toward projects involving in the nature of research vessels," handling remotely operated vehicles construction or renovation of facilities Craig Dorman said. "In the past (ROVs) will be installed, and a fiber and the purchase of major capital scientists brought rruch of their optic cable to transmit high quality equipment or real estate. In 1990 the equipment with them onto ships that color images from the ocean bottom Kresge Foundation reviewed 819 provided vacant space and flttle to the surtace and by satellite to proposals and awarded grants standardized equipment. Today laboratories around the world will be totaling $57,753,000 to 169 organiza­ oceanographers depend on ships acquired for use with the Institution's tions in 33 states and the District of that can accommodate larger and JASON family of ROVs. Columbia. Organizations receiving more complex over-the-side instru­ WHOI established the Technol­ grants included institutions involved mentation and are equipped with ogy Innovation Award Program to in higher education, health and long­ sophisticated electronic hardware stirrulate development of new term care, arts and humanities, social capable of making precise measure­ instrumentation by bringing teams of service, science and the environ­ ments for sCientists in different scientists and engineers together. ment, and public affairs. disciplines," he added. "The Kresge Foundation grant will provide the instrumentation necessary lor KNORR to remain among the most capable shipS in the United States A reminder on WHOI's drug policy academic research fleet. .. The Kresge Foundation award The Director's Office reminds every effort to provide a drugfree will provide funds for an integrated employees that, as a federal contrac­ workplace. This notice is a reminder data system to process and display tor, WHor regularly certifies that it is to all employees and students that selected navigational, environmental in compliance with the terms and the unlawful manufacture, distribu­ and other scientific data aboard ship, conditions of the Drug-Free Work­ tion, dispensing, possession or use provide an uninterruptible power place Act of 1988. of a controlled substance in the supply to protect equipment from Failure to comply may result in workplace is strictly prohibited. power failures, surges and electrical the suspension or termination of a Questions concerning the Act noise, anefupgrade the ship's echo grant or contract, or may prevent the may be addressed to Personnel sounding system, which plots the Institution from receiving federal Manager Barbara Wickenden, ext. ocean floor beneath the ship. The funds. 2700, or Special Assistant to the grant will also provide funds for new One of the conditions of the Act Director Karen Rauss, ext. 2645. laboratory fume hoods, new cabinets is that the Institution must make

WHOI NEWSLETTER 3 CARYN remains a mystery 17 years In keeping with the tradition of 0 naming its smaller buildings after ! , ships, WHOI is renaming the newly .I renovated Student Center on Maury <:5 Lane after the CARYN, a 98-(001 ~ ketch owned by the Institution (rom 1948 to 1958. Sixteen years after WHOI sold it, the vessel, then known as the BLACK SWAN, burned and sank at its own mooring at the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

Seventeen years alter it was burned at the dock in SI. Maarten, the ketch CARYN is still veiled in mystery. Stories that the CARYN once smuggled opium from the Far East, and questions over who was responsible for its late in St. Maarten, have followed the CARYN throughout its 50 -year history. MWe have heard many stories of how this vessel was supposedly built for tne purpose of smuggling and was in lact lilled with many secret co mpartment s,~ Port Captain John Pike once wrote to historian C.B. Fyfe, who was working on a book about the vessel in the 19605. MDuring the course of the years I was on board her, I never found any evidence of such compartments. "1 have met a harbormaster at Bermuda who swears that the vessel was built for two brothers by the The 98-foot ketch CARYN name of Black, hence the original name BLACK SWAN," Pike conlin­ architect, 10 try to clear the matter up. under British and Dutch flags in the ued. "He stated that these brothers uThere seems 10 be a certain amount Far East before being piloted to did in tact gel into some difficulties of 'sculI1ebuU' that the CARYN had a England in 1940. There it was with the law in the South Pacific." turbulent past. and I wonder if you . purchased by Henry B. Clark, an Fyfe wrote back that he had could enlighten me somewhat," he American industrialist who found gotten a "chuckle- from Pike's wrote, asking for plans and the name himseH stranded in Britain when suggestions, and said the stories of the ship's original owners. There is World War U broke out and commer­ were "without foundation." The no response on record. cial transportation was cut off. brothers, Fyfe said, went by the Even today, rumors circulate that Despite his lack of knowledge of name of Wearne, not Black, and had a later caplain, Robert Munns, did, in ooating, Clark decided to buy the "a reputation lor honesty seldom fact, find the secrel compartments CARYN and sail to America in time encountered today." Pike had heard aoout. lor Christmas. He made a harrowing The stories of smuggling per­ CARYN was built as a lUXUry trip from Dartmouth Harbor, England, sisted, however. The late Jan Hahn, yacht in Singapore in 1927. Made to Nassau, and recounted his adven­ editor of Oceanus Magazine, wrote to entirely of teak, with copper sheath­ ture in Yachting Magazine in 1942. Charles E. Nicholson, the CARYN's ing around the hull, the vessel sailed Once in Nassau, the CARYN

4 WHOI NEWSLETTER NEW FACES Promotions

Cynthia Chandler (AOP&E) to Information Systems Associate I 2/24 Ru th Gorski Curry (PO) to Information Systems Associate II 3/4 Kenneth Fairhurst (AOP&E) to Senior Engineering Assistant II 3110 Nancy Galbraith (AOP&E) to Information Systems Associate II 2124 Elizabeth Garland (Biology) Frank Bahr H. Joseph Bragdon to Research Assistant III 2/24 Research Associate Plant Mechanic David Kammer (Chemistry) PO Facilities to Research Associate 2/11 Clark 246 Smith 112 Kathryn Ke lty (PO) Ext. 291 0 Ext. 2701 J. Luyten M. Field to Associate Scientist 2125 , Stephen Liberatore (AOP&E) to Research Engineer 3/10 Ann Mar1in (AOP&E) . ' to Information Systems Associate II 2124 . - Olimpia MCCall (CRC) , ... ' ; '" , . . . to Staff Assistant I 2124 Harold Swanson (Facililies) .. to Cleaning Services Supervisor 2124 , Erik ZeWer (Biology) " to Research Associate 2/27 •

Mark F. Buccheri Suzanne Demisch As sis tant Mechanic Research Assistant 11 FaciliTies MPC Iselin NM54 Crowell Coffees offer families a chance to meet Ext. 2255 Ex!. 3256 A. Weeks J. Broad us Family Coffees, informal get­ to 11 :30 a.m. Families are also togethers that provide families of invited to stay for Peanut Butter WHOI employees and students Club, which is held at noon on with an oPJX)r1unity to socialize, Fridays at Redfield Auditorium. are held the third Friday of each Parents with small children month from September to May at are asked to bring something Carriage House. The next one for the children to play with. For will be May 17. further information, contact The coffees are held from 10 Karen Oacey at 540-7419.

SCUBA classes begin in May Kazuhiko Ohta Edward Snow A WHOI reseasrch diving SCUBA course is now forming. The JP Student JP Student Education/AOP&E Education/AOP&E course is available only to those who need to learn to dive in order MIT Room 5007 Blake 203 to participate in an Institution sponsored research project. It is not MIT Ext. 32105 Ext. 2608 a recreational class. G. Frisk O. Yoe/ger Classes will be held in May and June. For more information contact Terry Rioux al ext. 2239.

6 WHOt NEWSLETTER

, Brief notes from the Benefits Office

Child Care Subsidy Prog ram changes in payroll reduction amounts the insurance carrier rejecting a Effective March 1, 199 1 the being limited to once per calendar claim. All medical bills incurred as a Institution's Child Care Subsidy year. Contribution amounts may be result of the injury should be for­ Program has been expanded to stopped, redirected to other funds, or warded to the Benefits Office for include child care services on switched to another vendor at any payment. Employees should not use Saturdays and Sundays to enable a time. Blue CrossJBlue Shield or Pilgrim single employee or employee and Health Care coverages to pay for spouse to work. Employees who Blue Cross/Blue ShleldJ these expenses. spend time at sea, travel on Institu­ Pilgrim Health Care Additional information on these tion oosiness, or do other Institution II you have family coverage in programs may be obtained by work on weekends may be eligible either of these plans, this is a re­ contacting the Benefits Office, for weekend child care subsidies. minder to notify the Benefits Office Nobska House, ext. 2706 or 2295. The maximum benefit payable will prior to your dependent child turning continue at its present level of eight age 19 or, if a fuU-time student, prior hours a day, 40 hours a week, and to graduation or age 23, whichever 2,000 hours a year. comes lirst. Upon reaching age 65 , Bill Schmitz enrolled employees and their Tax deferred annuity prog ram spouses should also contact the honored by Navy The Institution offers a tax Benefits Office. Enrollment in the Senior Scientist Bill Schmitz of deferred income program via payroll appropriate group medical ptan will PhYSical OCeanography has reduction that allows employees to expedite claims processing and received the Navy Meritorious invest up to 20 percent ($9,500 max) payment. Public Service Award for helping of annual earnings with TlAAICREF, the Navy with its modeling and Fidelity or Vanguard. Currently, TIAA Workers Compensation prediction work and for helping to offers a fixed interest rate of return of All work-related injuries must be transfer the results of basic 8.25 percent through February 28, reported to a supervisor within 48 research to the Navy fleet. 1992. hours of occurrence whether or not "Dr. Schmitz's vast knowledge Enrollment in this program may there is any lost work time. late begin any time during the year with reporting of an incident may result in 01 ocean circulation, and his visionary appreciation of the Development Office seeks non-traditional funding emerging role of ocean ITK)deling in both research and operational Robin Kaiser joined the Develop­ prediction, were crucial to that ment Office staff last month in the a hard time endeavor, ~ the award reads. ''His newly created position 01 Senior getting continuing interaction with Navy Development Officer for Major Gifts funding for model developers and senior and Planned Giving. new projects. Navy policy makers will have In her new role, Robin will help to Robin lasting impact on the use 01 lessen WHOl's dependence on comes to oceanography in naval operations government funding sources by WHOI from throughout the next century. His seeking donations from individuals. Harvard selfless devotion to the Navy and Competition for government funding University, the oceanographic research is expected to increase over the next where she community reflect great credit several years, Robin says, while the worked in the upon himself, his country and his amount of money available from University profession .~ those sources is expected to decline. Development Office as a Principal The award was presented by To combat this trend, WHO I is Gifts Officer. She graduated from the Department of the Navy March strengthening its efforts to secure DartlTK)uth College in 1983, received 28 at the second scientific meet­ funding from non-traditional sources. a Master of Theological Studies from ing of the OCeanography Society Private donations to WHOI will Harvard in 1987, and received a in St. Petersburg, Florida. be used, in part, to provide seed Diploma in Theology from Oxford money to young scientists who have University in 1988.

WHOI NEWSLETTER 7 Ross News WHOI prepares for new accounting system

Writing computer programs, 8 devising 20·digit accounting codes, ~ and training employees to use them are all part of the process of installing i a new accounting system. Fortu- (I) nalely, so are RAG, SWATT, and ~ WHOOPS - the three groups of J WHOt professionals who have been ... appointed to ease the Institution's transition to the new system, ex - pected to go on line in July.

Why a new system? WHOt's present accounting system, ·GL AS ~ (General Ledger Accounting System), was written about 15 years ago by WHOt person­ nel, but it is no longer the state of the art in financial management software. The new financial management software will give budget managers The Ross Advisory Group (RAG). Rrst row, left to right: Ernie Charette, Patty better access to their accounts. For Duffy. Bob Joyce, Barbara Martineau. Standing left to right: George Smith. example, managers will be able to Ray Ainsworth, Pam Hart, Ginny LeFavor, Claire Reid. ca ll Challenger and gel quick, detailed information about how much money they are spending on a particular service, and how many different vendors they have used to provide that service. tnput sought eliminated when the new system The new system will allow Controller George Smith, who is comes on line in July. accounts payable, shipping and in charge of the Ross system, has receiving, and the accounting office established three committees to 20 Digit Accounts to add data directly to the system. focus on different aspects of imple­ The new Ross accounting The Systems and Procedures Group menting the system. system uses 20-digit account num­ has written a program to give the RAG (Ross Advisory Group), led bers, and will incorporate numbers Stockroom direct input. by Claire Reid, is the user advisory from the old system whenever body ; SWATT (Systems Wizards and possible. Account nulTbers will A little history Training Team), ted by Patty Duffy, consist of a ~Fund " (01 for every The decision to purchase the will develop software and type account), the "department number" accounting system from Ross accounting information into the (something employees already put Systems, Inc. was made by a three­ system on a daily basis ; WHOOPS on time Sheets) , a Mcost center" member committee consisting of (Woods Hole Oceanographic Opera­ number, a "project number" which in Assistant Director Gary Walker, tions and Procedures Systems), ted most cases will be similar to current Controller George Smith and Sys­ by Gary Walker, is the upper man­ project numbers, and the "account,M tems and Procedures Manager Alan agement oversight group. which is the current expense code. Lokensgard. The committee consid­ Employees are encouraged to The account numbers will have five ered six systems before deciding on speak with members of any of these prefixes and a 0 suffix. Look lor the Ross System, which runs in over committees about features they more information on the new num­ 600 installations nationwide. would like to see continued or bering system the next Newsletter.

8 WHO I NEWSLETTER