Joseph Ferris III
Second Mate
RV Roger Revelle
On this Expedition:
As a Mate on the RV Roger Revelle and the other ship I pilot, my job is to drive the ship, stand watch and navigate from port to port. On the bridge, we have full responsibility for the Revelle. While at sea, some days are extremely busy, but some are quite peaceful. The bridge is the command and control center for the ship. Even with the electronics, we are all skilled in traditional coastal and celestial navigation. Since the Mates are responsible for the ship and crew, our job is key to the science mission at sea.
The Second Mate position has several key tasks in addition. The work includes the lead role for navigating and chart work. I lay out course lines based on the best alternatives available. This includes working with several references in addition to the updated charts. There are detailed volumes of shipping rules, and pilot guide books. It is my job to keep this material prepared for each passage and for communicating to the other mates and the captain.
About myself:
For me, work on the Revelle is a resting vacation from my vacations. I spend 5 months a year traveling and the other 7 on the ship. In recent years some of my more memorable adventures include traveling the Amazon river, studying Spanish in Buenos Aires and in Guatemala, working as a model in Mexico and Colombia, chasing away an attacker in Bogota, Colombia, sneaking across the UN/NATO lines into Kosovo, studying Vietnamese in Hanoi, being featured in a Korean game show, traveling to Tibet, standing on the border of Afghanistan on the Silk Road side of China, and being "killed" three times (twice by elephants) while playing the role of a British solider during one month of work in a Chinese Kong Fu film. In October 07 I will get off the ship in India and will be taking a vacation in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. What other job lets me do these things, plus leaves me with some money saved up in the end?
For Students:
The big oceanographic ships always travel to far off and exciting places. Every year I look forward to the new schedule and I get to plan out what trips I want to go on and where I will be dropped off for my vacations. The expeditions are always different, every month or 6 weeks we get to meet new scientists and do our parts to help in a new science mission. Admittedly some trips are boring but some trips are very exciting, I like that I never know what to expect (just last Feb. I was in Antarctica driving around Icebergs!). I enjoy driving the ship and I enjoy time away from everything that is hectic in the normal world. I love the time to read and workout.
(alphabetical order by last name)
Sarah Baumgardner - Geosciences, MIT
Darryl Churchill - Engine Room Propulsion, RV Roger Revelle
Tom Desjardins - Captain, RV Roger Revelle
Meghan Donohue - Resident Marine Technician (aka restech)
Amy Eisin - Marine Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M
Jay Erickson - Senior Cook, RV Roger Revelle
Joseph Ferris III - Second Mate, RV Roger Revelle
Dr. Fred Frey - Geochemistry Professor, MIT
Heather Galiher - 3rd Mate, RV Roger Revelle
Jackie Gauntlett - Geology and Oceanography, UCT
Howie Goldstein - Marine Mammal Biologist, Observer
James Edward Hayden, Sr. - Second Asisstant Engineer, RV Roger Revelle
Philip Hogan - Engine Room, Propulsion, RV Roger Revelle
Shari Hilding-Kronforst - Marine Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M
Lara Kalnins - Geophysics, University of Oxford
George Kennedy - A/B Deck, RV Roger Revelle
Clemens Kessler - Seaman, RV Roger Revelle
Dr. Kolluru Sree Krishna - Marine Geophysics, Goa, India
Dr. Oleg Levchenko - Shirshov Inst. of Oceanology Professor, Moscow
Joe Martino - Seaman, RV Roger Revelle
Evelyn Mervine - Geochemistry Woods Hole / MIT
Laura Morse - Marine Biologist, Marine Mammal Observer
Brandi Murphy - Marine Geophysical Technician
Leslie Nemazi - Marine Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M
Soumen Mallick - Isotope Geochemistry, Florida State University
Matthew Peer - Third Asisstant Engineer, RV Roger Revelle
Ines G. Nobre Silva - Isotope Geochemistry, University of British Columbia, Canada
Holly Owens - Geochronology, MIT
Scott Rasmussen - Geosciences, Brown University
Christopher Paul - Marine Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M
Dr. Malcolm Pringle - Research Scientist / Geochronologist Professor, MIT
Dr. Dasari Gopala Rao - Marine Geophysics & Geology, India
Dr. Will Sager - Marine Geology & Geophysics Professor, Texas A&M
Dax Soule - Geophysicist, Geology, Texas A&M
Masako Tominaga - Marine Geophysics, Texas A&M
Richard Vullo - Chief Mate, RV Roer Revelle
Rory Wilson - Teacher at Sea, JOI Learning
James Wiltshire - Marine Geology, UCT
BACKGROUND
7/7 - Exploring the Heart of the RV Roger Revelle
6/29 - Looking into the Geophysical World (Undersea)
6/24 - Another Look at OUR WORLD
6/21 - First Look... Onboard the RV Roger Revelle
