While the aquanauts have been working hard keeping to a demanding dive schedule down below, those of us living topside have been equally active meeting our own research and support challenges. The operational needs of the Aquarius team are met by NURC personnel, who keep a watch on them 24 hours a day, ferry supplies back and forth between the headquarters on Key Largo and the habitat on Conch Reef, and deal with the daily function of Aquarius and any emergencies that may arise (hopefully none!). The responsibilities of the surface scientific team are different; we carry out independent research from "day boats" that can take us to sites the aquanauts cannot reach from Aquarius, we execute a multitude of laboratory analyses, and we maintain specimens that we collect or that are sent to us by the saturation team. We also communicate with the aquanauts frequently, advise them on dealing with problems, send them supplies as needed, and see that their equipment is functioning properly - repairing it back on land if necessary and keeping batteries fresh and charged.

We also conduct some experiments as a team with the aquanauts. I have working with Alex to measure polarized-light fields in the waters near Aquarius. Light, which has the properties of waves, vibrates on a particular axis - its axis of polarization. While humans and other mammals do not detect polarization of light, most animals do see this and use the polarization information for navigation, imaging, and signaling. We measure how light is polarized underwater by placing special instruments on top of the Aquarius habitat, so that they have access to the entire overhead hemisphere of light. Then, polarization is measured at each angle. Alex, in the habitat, mans a computer that operates the polarization sensor, while I stay on the roof and aim the instrument properly. My dive buddy, Nerina or Karla, acts as an intermediary, translating Alex's occasionally odd gestures (which can be seen through one of the habitat's viewports) into instructions for me. Ironically, I must do the work outside because Alex, who is loaded with nitrogen, cannot ascend to this shallow location above the habitat, but it is perfectly safe for my buddy and me as long as we are back to the surface within about 2 hours. While we are down there, we occasionally pop up into the habitat's "wetporch" to check that all is well with the measurements and to exchange pleasantries.

When I am back on shore, I work with our specimen stomatopods to examine their color vision and polarization vision. Perhaps, if time permits, I'll describe these activities in a future edition of this journal! For now, it's time to get back to the laboratory.