Meridian Passages Central Pacific Edition

March 1, 2017 Volume XIII, Number 12 WANTED: Wet or Dry The Floating Dock that Eluded Capture in the Pacific for 6 Years In this issue: n March 11, 2011, an earthquake in Central Pacific region in an area near the Flotsam Japan registering 9.0 on the Richter Republic of Marshall Islands. You’re right if OScale shook the world. A tsunami event that’s where you think we’re going next. If it is was generated sending walls of water over found, researchers want to tag it to that it can Plan of the Day jetties and levees into seaside towns and be tracked and eventually captured for villages along the Japanese coast. The toll of scientific study. Alan Eustace Heavenly who will be joining us in a few days will be bringing satellite Bodies tracking devices for this Spotlight Dalio Foundation

Classifieds

Meridian Passages Central Pacific Edition M/V Mermaid Vigilance Contact: Ops Center

Editor in Chief: Dave Jourdan

Contributors: death and destruction was devastating. Spence King Officially over 15,893 persons killed, 6,152 Marika Lorraine injured and 2,567 missing. Property losses were Sue Morris enormous. The Japanese Ministry of Environment estimated that 4.8 million tons of Director of tsunami debris washed into the North Pacific; purpose. So if we encounter this runaway, we Photography: 68 percent sank and 32 percent remained are equipped to tag it and bag it. Bill Mills adrift. Researchers have already found about 70 Complaints: The city of Misawa Japan lost four sections of species of seaweeds and 240 species of Cap’n Joe its steel floating dock each 60 feet in length. invertebrates and microorganisms living on Three of these sections were later found in debris, primarily along and Layout: 2012 on the shores of , Washington and where most of the work is Bethany Jourdan Oregon. There is one that remains concentrated. Some of the species are undetected. It is suspected to be in the known only from Asia, especially Japan; some naturally occur on both sides of the Pacific; some were previously introduced to North Plan of the Day March 1, 2017 America; some are non-native to Japan; others require more study. Scientists NAUTICOS, LLC appreciate that even one invader has the For unofficial use only 0900 SEA School: Ops Ctr., Tom D. 1000 Daily Progress Meeting: Ops Ctr. potential to cause serious environmental and Mantup Publishing 1200 Sunlines for Sunlovers: Bridge Deck. ... continued The Dalio Foundation 6000's in the world. Our vehicle is multifaceted collaboration owned by the Dalio Foundation involving ships, underwater The first REMUS autonomous and operated by WHOI under a vehicles, basic oceanographic underwater vehicle (AUV) was long term lease agreement. The research and advanced media developed in the Ocean connection between WHOI, that has resulted in new Systems Lab at the Ray Dalio and the Dalio discoveries, new technologies and Woods Hole Foundation began with the great stories that have enthralled O c e a n o g r a p h i c search for the doomed Air the public. The partnership Institution (WHOI) France flight 447. In 2011, provides a wonderful example of back in the early WHOI chartered the M/V the value of private investment in 1990's. The REMUS 6000 Alucia for that mission, which ocean science and engineering. was developed in the early culminated in the discovery of the 2000’s with grants from the Naval plane by WHOI using the REMUS Oceanographic Office and the 6000 in nearly 4000 m water depth Office of Naval Research and has on the eastern flank of the Mid- the deepest operational depth Atlantic Ridge. Ray Dalio bought (6000 m) in a line of AUVs with the Alucia shortly thereafter and depth ranges from 100 m to the REMUS 6000 in 2013. The WHOI- 6000m. There are very few REMUS Dalio partnership is now a

... continued from page 1. amateur astronomer operating a overhead was Orion in an economic harm. Yet history also company whose specialties unfamiliar location, and Leo was shows that most exotics coexist with included the science of navigation. standing on its tail. Ursa Major was native species without becoming So, the first edition of Volume XIII of partly submerged in the sea. The pests, at least in the term. Meridian Passages was issued on Milky Way was stunning, but the Identifying potential insurgents is the day after we got under way. It highlight was seeing the Large the daunting challenge, given the features news of the day, the Magellenic Cloud, one of only continent’s vast, corrugated official Plan of the Day, a Spotlight three extra-galactic objects visible coastline and the certainty of more on a crew member, a story or to the naked eye. Early risers can debris yet to come. article, and a mock “Classifieds” see the Southern Cross (Crux) and section for fun. Alpha Centauri, our nearest stellar What is Meridian Passages? neighbor. For our search expeditions, Spence Anyone can contribute, but we rely suggested that we have a daily heavily on Reporter Marika for MERMAID CLASSIFIEDS interviews, Teacher Sallie for SEA ship’s “newspaper,” seeing it as a PERSONALS 100 good way to promulgate details of School, Photographer Sue for the ship’s schedule (the Plan of the images, Spence for Plan of the Day, SHORN BY SUE: Variety of (short) Day). We saw it as a fun way to get Joe for sea stories, and Bethany for hairstyles available. Be the first to people on the ship involved with layout. They and others have sport that “Recon” look that’s all each other, to help document the contributed articles and ideas for the rage. Exclusive ocean view experience, and provide some Classifieds. Of course, whatever salon. First come, first shorn. Must working material for the Education happens out here is raw material. have health insurance card. Team. Thus was born Meridian Our first issue was received with WANTED 200 Passages, Central Pacific Edition. raised eyebrows and puzzled looks. STORIES for Meridian Passages. But after a few days, folks would Passages was a newsletter we had News, fake news, old news, come looking if we didn’t roll the been publishing at Nauticos since welcome. Also bulletins, messages, presses by our self-imposed 1997, starting back when our accounts, disclosures, releases, deadline. — editor. company operated under the announcements, communiqués, name Meridian Sciences, Inc. I STARGAZERS dispatches, or reports. Revelations, coined the title Meridian Passages tidings, and even gossip will be Last night was a great night to as sort of a triple pun. Our company considered. Dave 4031. name was Meridian; a passage is a enjoy the Equatorial sky. A group of story, and a meridian passage is the us gathered on the fo’c’sle deck FOR SALE 400 and tried our hand at identifying passing of a heavenly body (like LOST & FOUND 500 the sun, moon, or a star) across constellations. Bryan contributed a FOUND: Old spool of cable, on one’s meridian of longitude. Hence, violently brilliant green laser to the seafloor, only 3.4 miles deep. the meridian passage of the sun is proceedings, handy for pointing. A Available for salvage. See Tom D. another name for “noon,” and it is gorgeous thin crescent moon was at 3041 for recovery planning. the moment when a body is highest setting, which we followed all the way down to the horizon, with in the sky. The astronomical Place New Ads by Friday – ed. reference appealed to me, as an Venus close behind. Directly