August 12, 2004
by Lori Johnston
Lori Johnston is a microbial ecologist who was trained at the University of Regina and Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia, and has now specialized in environmental management of various corrosion and biofouling problems in the water, gas and oil sectors.  

Ms. Johnston has been on expeditions to the RMS Titanic (1996, 1998, 2001, 2003), the DKM Bismarck (2002) and the mid-Atlantic ocean ridge (2002). She dove to all three sites conducting scientific experiments some of which are still at the sites for long term studies. She has also actively participated in the 2003 HMHS Britannic Expedition in Greece and the U-166 Expedition in the Gulf of Mexico the same year.

Currently, we are over the site of the Gulfpenn.  Due to Tropical Storms Bonnie and Charley, the final wreck that we were to visit, the Anona, will not occur on this trip.  However, all is not lost.  The Gulfpenn offers a variety of corals, invertebrates and vertebrates as well as rusticles, so all the scientists, including myself, are pleased.  It has been an interesting voyage to date.  The days are long and hot, while the nights seem to fly by.  The trip has been quite successful with respect to the rusticles.  The rusticles, being similar to biological concrete, are always a challenge to collect.  One small knock and they disintegrate into a large cloud of red dust.  The Sonsub ROV crew has been so creative in their collection devices that it has made my job that much easier.  They continue to be of great assistance in all areas of biological collection, as well as having the patience of saints.  There are often times three different scientists in the ROV shack “back seat driving” for the pilot to chase fish, get coral or grab rusticles! 

Wes Fenner	Lucas Cribley

The last two sites, the Robert E. Lee and the Alcoa Puritan have had massive rusticle growth, some being over 15 inches wide.  The rusticles wouldn’t fit into the “rusticle stein,” originally designed and built by Lucas Cribley, resident tooling guru.  A larger stein was therefore needed.  ROV pilot/technician Wes Fenner fashioned a new, enhanced stein to do the job!  The night crew was able to successfully collect the large rusticles with very little damage to the internal structures, probably one of the best samples ever collected.  Good Job, guys!  With such excellent samples, structure and form can clearly be seen and studied.  Due to the depth on the last two sites, the rusticles have very little competition for space and nutrients so have taken over the sunken vessels.  With the shell and torpedo damage on both vessels, the steel structures have been embarrassed, allowing for the rusticles to get an immediate foothold on the ship, and beginning the degradation of the steel hull. 

Rusticle collection.

As an end note, life on board the HOS Dominator has been really great.  The ROV day and night crews have kept us on schedule and moving forward.  A huge thank you to all those who have made us laugh at 3 a.m. and raised our spirits when exhaustion was close at hand.