Ready ... Set .... .. .

Greetings from Suva Harbor, Fiji, about 500 m from shore. This is a very busy port and available docking space is scarce. We had to move off to a mooring last night, but we're due to ease back to a fueling dock and top off later today. Then we're out to the briney deep, east to Pago Pago (American Samoa) for additional scientific equipment, and then over to the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea to pick up the rest of the science party. We should be collecting our first cores just a few hours after they climb onboard Sept 8. Steep learning curves, dead ahead! ---- Greg Mountain, Co-Chief Sci.