Thursday 17th February
Today's contributor: Jon Copley
As journey back to Chile continues, the geochemists have begun dismantling their laboratory equipment, and the corridor on the upper deck by the labs is filling with boxes, just as it was when we were mobilising in Punta Arenas.
At lunchtime, Will Reid from Newcastle University presented a fascinating overview of what his research has found out so far about the food webs at deep-sea vents in the Southern Ocean.
As an interlude in theafternoon, Chief Engineer George took volunteers on tours of the engine spaces of the James Cook, which involved climbing deep into furthest corners of the hull, and took in the inspection ports for observing the ship's propellors.