So, what is the big deal about salt? The phrases “worth your weight in salt” and “salt of the Earth” derive from the fact that salt that has been a highly valued commodity for millennia (since about 4700 B.C.). The use of salt to preserve food enabled the establishment of civilization. The earliest known European settlement was located around a salt production facility. And, the Romans, among others, valued salt as if it were gold. Salt was used as currency and widely transported and traded. So, humans have long been interested in and vested in salt.

One of the reasons I became an oceanographer is the thrill of discovery. Seeing something that no one else has ever seen generates an amazing rush of excitement. It's indescribable. I suspect that the word "WOW" comes out of my mouth about 30 times each dive. Since we know more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the seafloor on our own planet, there are numerous creatures and features on the seafloor, awaiting our discovery. This is why I believe I have the best job in the world.

The BP/Macondo oil well blowout in April 2010 ranks as one of the largest marine oil spills in history (only the Gulf War Oil Spill discharged more oil into an environment). The Macondo Blowout was a large scale environmental perturbation that allowed scientists to evaluate the capacity of the Gulf's natural microbes to consume hydrocarbons, to evaluate the controls on hydrocarbon degradation, to track the fate of hydrocarbons, and to elucidate the impacts of this immense hydrocarbon injection on the Gulf ecosystem.

Mandy and I arrive in flash-flooded Gulfport, and board the RV/Atlantis amidst a torrential rain, weaving through a steady flow of students and crew offloading equipment for the cruise.  Their determined shoulders are set against gusting winds..and against the ticking clock; the launch is set for 0800 Sunday!  

Note: This is a guest post by Dr. Beth Orcutt, Senior Research Scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine. Orcutt is a participant in the ECOGIG project and will be blogging here about her experiences on the March 2013 RV Pelican ECOGIG cruise to deploy deep-sea landers in the Gulf of Mexico