Water samples were taken with an instrument called a CTD (for Conductivity/Temperature/Depth) with an array of sample bottles (called a rosette) that is lowered into the ocean to measure seawater properties and collect water samples. The information gathered from these samples will be added to a database of previous information to compile a comprehensive climate data record for evaluation, comparison, modeling and analysis by researchers and scientists.

"The CLIVAR study proposes to identify the major aspects of climatic variability and support scientific investigation into these areas. The scientific goals of CLIVAR are to: understand global climate variability, improve predictability of climate systems through an understanding of the mechanisms involved and their spatial and temporal variations, develop observational, theoretical and computational means to predict the variability, and make enhanced predictions."
(information is from http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/mpe/clivar/index.htm)
(CTD photographs are from http://whpo.ucsd.edu)

CLIVAR research will help to answer questions such as: "Will there be an El Niño next year? Will the next monsoon cause drought or flooding? Could climate make a sudden switch? Should we expect more extreme weather events? and How much will the sea level rise?"
(information is from http://www.clivar.org/start.htm)

Mrs. Brice participated in this cruise and explained the research being conducted to her classes. She stayed in contact with her students via email to answer questions as well as through occasional live at-sea broadcasts.
To view Mrs. Brice's logs for this cruise, click here.