Editor's Note: Journalist and crew member Kathryn Eident and scientist Jeremy Jacquot are traveling on board the RV Atlantis on a monthlong voyage to sample and study nitrogen fixation in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, among other research projects. This is the second blog post detailing this ongoing voyage of discovery for Scientific American.com.

RV ATLANTIS MAIN DECK—The winch makes a whirring sound as it slowly winds the quarter-inch galvanized wire out of the water, through the block and onto the drum. Rigged over the side of the ship, the sturdy wire extends deep below the water's surface where it is attached to a round metal frame holding plastic bottles and various sensors.

Two scientists, outfitted in hard hats and life preservers, stand ready to steer the rosette carefully onboard. As the rosette nears the surface, they each lash guidelines to huge eyehooks and cleats on the steel deck. Nearby, Shipboard Science Support Technician (SSSG) Dave Sims reaches for his walkie-talkie: "Bridge-deck. We're almost at the surface."

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Editor's Note: Journalist and crew member Kathryn Eident and scientist Jeremy Jacquot are traveling on board the RV Atlantis on a monthlong voyage to sample and study nitrogen fixation in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, among other research projects. This is the first blog post detailing this ongoing voyage of discovery for Scientific American.com.

20 00.0457S x 084'59.9745W

It's momentarily quiet in the computer lab as a cluster of scientists stare intently at a computer monitor, watching thin lines of red, blue, green and brown slowly appear on a grid.

"Is this the right measurement?" one scientist asks another, his finger pointing at one of the squiggly lines on the screen.

Suddenly the group erupts into chatter as someone runs to get a printout with yesterday's readings. The measurements are right on, and the group heaves a collective sigh of relief. The day is off to a good start, and everyone disperses to their collective spaces to analyze and log the myriad of data they're collecting.

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler  is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his eighth blog post for Scientific American.com.

6,714 miles traveled

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his seventh blog post for Scientific American.com.

Miles traveled: 4,735

As a SCUBA instructor for Surf and Sea in Haleiwa, Oahu, I'm able periodically to swim with Hawaii's favorite spinner dolphins and have even had the opportunity to see bottlenose dolphins.

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his sixth blog post for Scientific American.com

July 14th…no wait the 15th…(but if I walk to the other side of the boat, is it tomorrow?!)

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his fifth blog post for Scientific American.com

July 11, 2009 (Day 31)

Over 4,000 miles traveled.

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot (15.2-meter) Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile (25.9-million-square-kilometer) oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his fourth blog post for Scientific American.com

July 2, 2009

Over 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) traveled.

After a brief three-day pit stop in Honolulu for repairs to the manta trawl [see Wheeler's June 22 entry] and the spinnaker and a little R&R, we departed Oahu around 7 P.M. Monday night (June 30) on what has turned out to be the second leg of our Journey to the Center of the Trash.

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot (15.2-meter) Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile (25.9-million-square-kilometer) oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his third blog post for ScientificAmerican.com.

June 23, 2009

Day 14—We Found Plastic!!!

Currently, we are sailing wing and wing downwind on a direct heading to Oahu, Hawaii. Yesterday was a good day despite all that happened with the Manta Trawl because we achieved one of the objectives of our voyage—we found some plastic.

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot (15.2-meter) Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile (25.9-million-square-kilometer) oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his second blog post for ScientificAmerican.com.

June 22, 2009

Over 2,000 miles (3,218.7 kilometers) traveled.

Despite having plans changed by the poor wind of week one, week two has been a bit more eventful.

Once we decided to take on the task of sampling the area indicated by NOAA Coastal watch, (see previous installment of Wheeler's blog) we set a course almost due west. With brisk trade winds, we had some fun days of solid sailing with just the spinnaker flying. We had gusts up to 30 knots (34.5 miles per hour) and the Alguita scooted along at 14 knots (16.1 miles per hour). We made such good time that Capt. [Charles] Moore decided to stow the chute and run with the main and staysail up to slow us down so we wouldn't arrive on location in the middle of the night. It's never fun to set trawls at 2 a.m.

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Editor's Note: Scuba instructor and underwater videographer Drew Wheeler is traveling on board the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's 50-foot (15.2-meter) Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, on a two-month voyage to sample and study portions of a 10-million-square-mile (25.9-million-square-kilometer) oval known as the North Subtropical Gyre (aka "Pacific garbage patch"). Wheeler and the rest of the Alguita crew left Long Beach, Calif., on June 10 with a plan to cross the International Date Line and investigate regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. This is his first blog post for ScientificAmerican.com.

June 17, 2009

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