Saturday June 21^st. No shower for 8 days.

 Today is the solstice and the OSD (Ocean Sampling Day). We have been about 180 participants spread all over the oceans to collect sea water between 10am and 2pm. The goal of this event is to create a public database of the genetic informations related to the microrganisms that thrive at the surface of the oceans on this day of June 21^st 2014.

Like a global polaroïd.

Under the Polar Haven, Aurélie and I collected water just from underneath the ice, at the interface, and from two meters beneath as well. The two samples display completely different salinities. At the interface, it’s fresh water. It’s actually the melted snow that percolated (a new word to my vocabulary) under the ice sheet a couple of days ago. While deeper, the water displays a higher salinity, typical of sea water. It’s this second sample that will be sent in Germany for the metagenomics.

Follow this link to see a short movie of the sampling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ST-ymO6MQ

Once we have collected the samples, we rushed on our way back because of the protocol that required a maximum period of two hours between the collecting and the processing of the samples. Five miles on the ice, with the four-wheeler riding in a foot deep of water. It’s a little bit stressing even as a passenger. We lost some time close to the shore with the widening of the cracks that we had to get around. Then, ten miles of ruts to the lab: that’s the cool part of the trip as long as the truck doesn’t break down.

Tonight, I sleep to the lab to filter the samples. I’m going to be alone, wash my hair and watch a movie.

Metagenomics: Method used in molécular biology to study the genetic content of the organisms that are presents in a sample collected from the environment (sludge, water, sediments, ice, excrements etc.). The purpose of this experiment is descriptive (what is in there and in which proportion ?) but also functional (what are they doing ?). It allows us to get access to the ongoing processes implemented by living organisms within the matter.