Jon T. Howard - North Atlantic Gyre Blog #5

It's been a few days since I last wrote due to the fact that I have been under the weather since early Tuesday morning. There has been a stomach flu bug going around for a while and it finally caught up with me. Being sick really does set you back that is one thing that is for sure. Now I feel like I have to catch up on everything I needed to due over the last 3 days. I started off Monday great and it went downhill from there. I had gone down and rode my bike 8 miles along Balboa Creek where it runs into the Pacific Ocean to shoot some video of the plastic accumulation after the first major storms. The most shocking thing wasn't how much plastic I saw but how much Styrofoam debris there was. After that I headed to EcoUsable and did some work and ended my day with a 3 mile run. Then the bug hit with full force. Sometimes you just have to give into it and rest so I did. Luckily I was feeling well enough to book my ticket to St. Thomas US Virgin Islands last night and I started making a list of equipment and clothes I will need. I am set to leave LA January 4th and arrive in Miami then catch a flight to the Virgin Islands. Everyone has been asked to arrive 2 days before departure so we can get acclimated and do emergency training. I can't believe it is now less than 3 weeks away! I have to go try on some Keen shoes today so I know my size and I am hopeful they will get me a pair as one of the sponsors. I also reached out to GoPro HD cameras to see if we can get a few cameras for the voyage to capture anything we happen to see in the best quality possible. Until next time...

Jon T. Howard - North Atlantic Gyre Blog #4

It's Monday and I know I have a bunch to do to get myself ready for the trip. I have been getting correspondence over the last few days from some of the others who are going on the adventure. So far I have heard from Leslie Moyer and Stiv Wilson. The funny thing is I only know Dr. Marcus Eriksen his wife Anna Cummins from my work with EcoUsable and now I am embarking on a voyage with 12 strangers on this voyage. One thing is certain we will all know each other much better after this trip. Marcus said they met with Pangaea the other night to get some of the details on the trip and conditions to anticipate. This is what I know so far... it's the North Atlantic Ocean in winter which sounds like it could be cold. Everyone is really excited about this adventure and we are all trying to work together sharing knowledge and gathering supplies. Stiv mentioned in an email that he is hoping to get the opportunity to swim with dolphins... wow I didn't even think about that but how cool will that be. I am certain I will experience things I never have and the biggest thing for me right now is preparation. I am reaching out to everyone I know for gear and sponsorship to insure I have everything I need to maximize the experience. Since I will be the resident musician on the trip, everyone is asking if I am bringing a guitar. Not sure on that one yet because of everything I may need to take but I will definitely take a ukelele to write with and keep me company out on the open ocean. As a matter of fact the crew are already requesting a song for me to learn so we can record an "eco" version. I always like challenges so I will give it my best shot. Well that's the word today....

Jon T. Howard - North Atlantic Gyre Exploration Expedition Blog #2

Today is a cold crisp day in LA after a badly needed rain last night. I am working on my list of things I am hoping to get from some sponsors and will start reaching out to them later today to assist me on my exploration expedition to the North Atlantic Gyre. I just spoke with Anna Cummins from Algalita Marine Reasearch Foundation about some logistics and she said Keen may be willing to give us some footwear as part of their sponsorship deal. That would be great because they have amazing stuff and I really need some proper shoes for the voyage. There is so much to do over the coarse of the next 3 and a half weeks especially with the Christmas holiday season thrown in. Besides all of todays planning, I am hoping to get down to the LA River sewer wash where it drains into the ocean today to shoot some video of the plastic build up after the first major rains of the season here in LA.

Planning and making arrangements

This is the first in a series of blogs that I will be doing leading up to and during my trip with Dr. Marcus Eriken and Anna Cummins of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation to explore the North Atlantic Gyre. I feel honored to be asked and I am very grateful that EcoUsable Inc. has given me this great opportunity to go on a once in a lifetime journey. Algalita is one of the worlds foremost researchers of the North Pacific Gyre and now are on a quest to research the 4 other gyres known in the world. So into the great unknown we go.... I will be joining a crew of 14 that includes researchers from AMRF and Pangaea aboard the Sea Dragon, Pangaea's 72 foot research vessel as we set sail from St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands to Bermuda on an 11 day voyage of exploration. We will be examining the role plastic pollution plays in transporting Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the marine environment. I have so much to do and thankfully I recently updated my passport. I have a list of essential things I need and I am looking for clothing & equipment sponsors to join me on the trip. I will post a list of necessities in the next few days....