I’ve covered all the science that is being done on this expedition, so I suppose I ought to work backwards through the other departments that get us to that point.

Chad, the curator, is in charge of all the core and samples.  He makes sure everything is labeled, documented, handled properly, and gets to the various post-expedition locations intact (as I mentioned before, the working halves get sent to the sampling party location within a few months of the expedition; and depending on which ocean is being cored, there are three different repositories for the archive halves – Japan, Germany or Texas).

Keith, the publication specialist, receives all the site reports from each scientific department and collates it all together in one large site report.  He also makes the summary plots for each core of each hole at each site.  In this way, the most important information can be visualized quickly.

The lab technicians are vital to the efficient and successful functioning of the science done on board.  They are the ones with long time expertise on the specific machinery used in the lab, sailing every other expedition.  Between them and the computer technicians, they keep all the machines and software running smoothly.  Generally speaking, the lab techs all have specific expertise, working in certain areas of the lab (even the same section area on the catwalk), though they are all capable of helping out in different areas.  All the lab techs also have at least a Bachelors degree, and many have higher, and are scientists in their own right.  They know exactly what to do for each core on deck, and work as an efficient and effective team.