18.08.2012-20.08.2012 - Padlocks and black gravel

(Preparation of the cruise ANT-XXIX/3)

18.08.2012 (Saturday). I buy aquarium gravel for the small flattened plastic bottles to be used for sideway pictures of living amphipods. I found black gravel, which is more similar with the gravel of Antarctic seas than usual white or gray aquarium gravel. I try to get labels 'Fragile' from various shops but did not find any. So I look for pictures 'Fragile' on internet and print them myself as labels.

19.08.2012 (Sunday). I wrote a listing of all my expenses since end June (over 1200 euros of small gear).

20.08.2012 (Monday). I put a padlock on some of the boxes. Our welder/technician Luc Trevels tells me that the metal frame of the dredge will be finished at the end of the week. Claude De Broyer brings me back the nets for the dredge properly sewn by his sister in law. I suddenly realize that we need a "radio beacon" for the baited trap system. I was only told to buy a new flash. It also appears that the order of the DNA extraction kit should go through all the administrative process, so we'll probably get it at the very last moment. Grrr... Part of the boxes is definitely closed with their padlocks. I clean/sieve the black gravel bought on August 18th. I continue the construction of the epinet for the Agassiz trawl. I am filling the excell sheet of the packing list (to be sent to the Alfred Wegener Institute). I leave my office after 18:30, very tired.

Packing list of the first part of our material

(Cédric)