We had a great day today. We were out in the water at 7am until 12 (at max depth 85 feet) then in for a four-hour storage interval, during which apparently a lot of people saw us on the webcam. My email lit up like a Christmas tree! We went back out at 4pm and stayed until 7 or so (max depth 60 ft). All in all this added up to 8 hours of dive time. It got cold today. Our wetsuits are constantly compressed because of the pressure down here, so it doesn't even feel like we've got much insulation against the cold. After 4 hours we get kind of chilly. I assisted Kevin with photosynthetic measurements most of the morning and learned how to use the PAM Fluorometer, which was exciting. "She's" an amazing piece of equipment and is vital to this mission - worthy of the term "5th Aquanaut." Again in the afternoon we recorded more photosynthesis data, and I monitored fish activity in areas with high and low amounts of Dictyota. Some of the fish I saw included several types of wrasses, blue and brown chromis, and even a spotted moray eel on the move. We also saw a large female Southern Stingray cruising through the sand plain around the habitat. I was happy to get out of the water and get warm and dry. Most of our dinners have been freeze-dried camping foods. Tonight, mine was beef stroganoff, and it was really good.

Tomorrow we have another full day - 8 hours of diving is planned. I hope to be able to have a short amount of "fun" time during the evenings that remain. I was able to go out on hookah last night around the habitat (which is lit up by high watt lamps pointing down towards the bottom). After being in 90 lbs of gear all day, it felt awesome to go out with just a skin, weight belt, air line, and bail-out bottle. I swam the length of the habitat and found a place to sit near the bow (under where our bunks are) and stayed for about 15 minutes. There are lots of snook around the habitat, as well as a school of anchovies and other baitfish, and a large school of big barracuda. I watched the barracuda dive in and out of the lights that attracted the baitfish school. Byron was out as well and he showed me a green moray that was hanging out on the side of the habitat. The moray wasn't too friendly, but it was still cool.

The habitat techs are constantly scrubbing the outside of Aquarius, but there is SO much life on it they could never get it all off. There are algae growing in between the holes in the grating, green and pink sponges on the leg supports, and black coral growing underneath. There is about 15 feet between the bottom of the habitat and the actual seafloor, so there is plenty of room to move around and check things out. In the very center, just under Aquarius, there is a rectangular area where the snook hang out. I stuck my head up there today and was greeted with a swirling cloud of surprised anchovies. It was like something out of one of those David Doubliet pictures - absolutely beautiful. I didn't want to leave, but we had work to do.

So with that I will end Day 5 and get myself to bed. I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but it sounds like it is constantly raining down here. There are snapping shrimp on the outside of the habitat - always making noise. It bothered me the first night, but now I think I will miss it back ashore. I would also like to mention that Thor and Byron are doing a great job of putting up with us and we love them for it! We get giddy and slap-happy sometimes and they manage not to shove us out into the gazebo. We wouldn't be able to get our work done without their help. I am having the time of my life down here and mere words do not do this experience justice. Keep checking in on us and feel free to send email. We love it. Aquanaut Julie signing off... goodnight!