Precious Strings: How our Shipmates Weave Together
This blog was written by NA174 Science Communication Fellow Giselle De Leon.
As the ROVs descend for our first dive of this expedition, I feel both nervous and excited. I’ll never forget the summer after I graduated from high school, when I saw the googly-eyed stubby squid video on Nautilus Live. It wasn’t just seeing a funny, charismatic animal on the seafloor – I was delighted by the laughter and lively conversation of the scientists viewing it. I thought it would be so cool to work with people like that!
But actually being here now is a bit surreal. The imposter syndrome kicks in and I worry that I’m not on the same level as my brilliant teammates.
When I walk into the lounge, the excitement of the first dive is electric. The boisterous voices of our team members fill the room. I sit quietly, feeling a knot of anxiety brewing in the pit of my stomach. I’m scared to live this dream without my biggest cheerleaders, mom and dad. As I wait for my shift to start, I look up at the screens that show the live footage from the ROV and try to ignore my jittery nerves.
Staring at the monitor that displays the camera view from ROV Hercules, we can see the seafloor is littered with manganese-encrusted rocks. My eyes widen when I see a heart-shaped rock.
A memory of my mom flashes into my mind. I see her smiling so brightly, proudly showing my dad and me a heart shaped rock she had found while on her daily walk. Instantly, I feel the weight of insecurity lift. The knot of tension in my stomach dissipates.
The voice of Co-Lead Scientist Val Finlayson brings me back into the present moment.
“Are you ready?” she asks.
I smile back at her and say, “Yeah, I’m ready.”
During this dive we talk about family, home, mentors, journeys, and the many mysteries of the deep sea.
After my shift is done, I think back to our Science Communication Fellow Training in Guam. While there, I had a heartfelt chat with Amanda Dedicatoria about grief and love.
“Our ancestors will always be with us,” Amanda told me. “Never forget that.” Amanda’s eyes shined so brightly with love, eyes that people say look just like Dean’s, their beloved late brother.
Since that conversation in Guam, I have carried Amanda’s words in my heart – and feel them resonate even more during this time aboard E/V Nautilus.
As we sail through the waters of the Marshall Islands, the power of voice and words rings through this ship. Storytelling is so incredible, so human. It can transport you to a different time and place, and allow you to meet people who have passed on, yet still remain in the memory and work of those who loved them.
One week into the expedition, I sit in the lounge with Val, discussing people who had a major impact on our lives. Val tells me about one of her most influential mentors, Jasper Konter, who helped guide her passion for geology and insatiable curiosity for learning the story of our Earth. While Jasper has passed away, Val is proud to carry the torch, not only for Jasper and herself, but for her fellow researchers and future generations to come. In the true nature of this crew, she gently smiles and says, “It’s always been a team effort.” She hopes one day that someone will pick up that same torch from her.
I’m sitting on the social deck, in awe of the big blue, when a voice calling my name snaps me out of reverie. Kelsey Kroon, our Video Systems Engineering Intern, asks if I’m still interested in learning how to macramé.
I instantly smile – Kelsey’s question has ignited another beautiful memory. The sweet smell of spring. A breeze dancing through my grandpa’s pecan tree. My mother, smiling, as we craft together.
Now, I sit down next to Kelsey, and she begins to teach me how to weave the strings together in a repetitive pattern. She shows me a few examples, then she encourages me to try it for myself.
Under Kelsey’s guidance, I start to find a rhythm with the knots. Kelsey tells me about the origin of the twine we’re using: the white twine in my right hand is at least 30 years old and belonged to her grandad. She purchased the brown twine in my left hand. She shares that her grandfather was a construction worker who spent most of his life either on or near the ocean. Later in life, he got his own boat for fishing with the family.
“When I was a little kid, I’d watch him tie Japanese glass floats and other netting,” Kelsey says. “I remembered him doing it, but it wasn’t until 2020 when we found his notes on how to tie it all.”
I ask her, “What was your grandad’s name?”
She smiles, “Wayne Eugene Kroon.”
My eyes light up. “Wow! What a name! That’s the most sailor name I’ve ever heard in my life!”
She agree,s and we laugh with these precious strings in our hands.
Dan Kirillov joins us in our crafting. He is excited to exchange skills with Kelsey and to learn how to macramé, or “fancy knotwork,” as the sailors say. As we chat, we discover yet another connection. Although Kesley comes from Alaska and Dan comes from Washington, they apparently both know the owner of a vinyl shop called Spin Cycle Records Movies and Games in Seattle.
On one of the final mornings of our expedition, my gaze is once again at the rolling blue waves of the open sea. I think of the rolling green hills of the Texas Hill Country, and how I have never experienced the complete absence of land until this expedition. I can feel the strings of my heart being pulled in every direction. The beautiful mystery of the sea. My parents in heaven, Priscilla and Rico. The incredible shipmates who have shared their stories and talents with me. My family and love back home.
The strong ties formed during this experience, the connective fibers of my past, present, and future, the strings of memory – they are all interwoven. I will forever be grateful to be a part of this captivating tapestry.
Maritime Archaeology of Guadalcanal: Iron Bottom Sound
Located in the Solomon Islands between the islands of Guadalcanal, Savo, and Nggela, Iron Bottom Sound was the stage of five major naval battles between August and December 1942 which resulted in the loss of over 20,000 lives, 111 naval vessels, and 1,450 planes. These underwater cultural heritage sites now rest on the seafloor offshore Honiara in a confined area less than 25 nautical miles wide, 40 nautical miles long, and 1,400 meters deep.
