Internship at Sea

My name is Liv Foley and I’m the deckhand/cadet on the R/V Point Sur. I go to Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) and am doubling majoring in Marine Biology and Small Vessel Operations.

Working on the Point Sur is my summer internship and working on a research vessel this summer has perfectly blended both of my majors; I get to work on a boat and get my sea time requirements, and I get to see real science in action, as well getting to connect with science crews and learn about what they do. One of the science crews I’ve had the honor to work with has been the DEEPEND crew. 

Figure 1. Operating the A-frame as the DEEPEND MOC10 gets deployed

The DEEPEND crew was my first cruise here on the Point Sur and is my last. They welcomed me with open arms onto the boat and are helping send me back home. The scientists that are a part of the crew are some of the most kind, friendly, and fun people I’ve met in my life. Once learning about my interest in Marine Biology, they included me in whatever ways they could in their research and what they were doing. Every single person was happy to answer my questions and make sure I was included in some way shape or form. The research that they are doing is super cool, incredibly fun to see and be some small part of. They are one of the major reasons I’ve had such a good time this summer on the boat and why I’ll credit this as one of my coolest summers for the rest of my life.

Figure 2.  Observing how the DEEPEND team sorts their samples.

Figure 3.  Jon helping me with a tripletail that washed on deck :)

All the scientists were also excited to hear about what I do at MMA and were interested in my senior research project. Some scientists even read what I had done so far on my paper and gave me feedback and advice on how to improve. They even offered me tips and tricks, as well as other ideas to include in my project. I cannot stress enough how wonderful these guys are and how thankful I am that I was able to meet such amazing people. I am sad to see them go, but I know we’ll always keep in touch and I can’t wait to see where their research continues to take them.