NOAA Teacher at Sea Kathleen Harrison Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson July 4 — 22, 2011
Location: Gulf of Alaska Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey Date: July 22, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge True Wind Speed: 15.33 knots, True Wind Direction: 214.98°
Sea Temperature: 8.3° C, Air Temperature: 8.8° C
Air Pressure: 1014.59 mb
Overcast, 5 foot seas
Latitude: 55.54° N, Longitude: 155.57° W
Ship heading: 119°, Ship speed: 10.5 knots
Personal Log: The time has come for me to pack my bright orange suitcase (thanks, Mom) and leave the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson.
Ok, so it is orange, at least I can find it in the luggage carousel at the airport.
The past 3 weeks have been an incredible adventure, and I am now making the journey home to Virginia Beach. Almost everything I have seen and experienced has been new for me — especially identifying the animal species here in the Gulf of Alaska. I am extremely grateful to the Teacher at Sea Program for allowing me to participate — I now have a better understanding of how real science is conducted, and am very excited to share this experience with my students, colleagues, family, and friends.
The title of this log entry might be Ending the Adventure, but I hope it is not the end of my relationship with NOAA. I would like to be active in the Teacher at Sea Alumni group, and participate in other teacher activities that NOAA sponsors, such as Teacher in the Field, and Teacher in the Lab. And, every time that I tell someone about this adventure, I will be reliving it all over again.
Sunrise in Shelikof Strait, 5:30 am.
In reflecting over the time that I have spent on board the ship, I have come to some conclusions about science, and life at sea: 1) Science is not easy, glamorous, or neat most of the time. 2) Science is messy, time-consuming, and frustrating most of the time. 3) Scientists must talk to each other, discussing ideas and problem solving. 4) Scientists on a team must at least get along with each other, and it is helpful if they actually like each other. 5) Scientists set very high goals, and then spend their time trying to make equipment work, manage millions of data points, and praying for good weather. 6) The work that marine scientists do is vital to our understanding of the seas. 7) Every science teacher should participate in real world research. 8) Alaska is a beautiful place. 9) One can get used to the smell of fish. 10) I wonder what it will be like to walk on a non-moving surface again?
Rain gear pants, used to keep the fish slime off.Snow covered peaks of the Alaskan Peninsula.
Thank you for reading this log, I hope that you have been informed and found it interesting. The next time that you eat seafood, or see fish in an aquarium, think of the countless scientists, ship’s crew, and whales who have contributed their knowledge and skills to the conservation and use of the world’s oceans.
And thank you to my husband and daughters for letting me be away for 3 weeks.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Kathleen Harrison Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson July 4 — 22, 2011
Location: Gulf of Alaska Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey Date: July 12, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge True Wind Speed: light (< 5 knots), True Wind direction: variable
Sea Temperature: 9.75° C, Air Temperature: 10.38° C
Air Pressure: 1012.3 mb
Ship Heading: 297°, Ship Speed: 11.3 knots
Latitude: 56.45° N, Longitude: 155.04° W
Patchy fog, very calm seas
Science and Technology Log
The Oscar Dyson is like a self-contained city for 35 people that floats on the sea. All of the engine fuel and oil, food and provisions for the NOAA staff, ship’s crew, and scientists have to be brought on board while the ship is in port. On this leg of the Walleye Pollock Survey, the ship will be out to sea for 19 days. This presents several issues that must be solved in order for the people to be comfortable, and for the research to be performed.
This piece of machinery converts sea water into fresh water for the people on the Oscar Dyson. (courtesy of Anne Mortimer)
First, fresh water is needed, about 100 gallons per person, per day. For 35 people, that is 3500 gallons per day. The ship has a storage capacity of 9000 gallons. Do the math, and you can see that a daily supply of fresh water is needed. Well, the ship has 2 water makers that convert sea water into fresh water. Basically, the water is heated, vacuum pumped, and evaporated, then collected in the fresh water storage. Salt does not evaporate, so it is left behind. The evaporator uses the sea water to power an ejector pump (that creates the vacuum) and keep the unit cool. The brine (super salty water) created from the evaporation is sent overboard by the ejector pump.
The engineer controls the power that the generators make with this panel. See the horizontal bar running the length of the panel - even the engineers need something to hold on to during rough seas. (courtesy of Anne Mortimer)
Next, electricity is needed to power the galley appliances, run the washers and dryers, lights, computers, ship’s bridge instruments, and a host of other things. The ship has 4 generators that are capable of producing enough energy to not only power the propeller, but also the whole electrical need of the ship. The control panels for each generator are used to divert some of the power to each part of the ship, so that I can charge my camera battery, use my computer, or turn on the light in my room.
This is generator number 2 on the Oscar Dyson. There are 4 generators, but only 2 are online at any one time. (courtesy of Anne Mortimer)
Another issue is the power needed to run the propeller. For the 19 days the ship is out to sea, there are usually 2 generators running. The ship’s computer decides which generators are needed for the speed that is required at any one time. In heavy seas, or when more power is needed, a 3rd, or even the 4th generator will be brought on. As generators are used, they wear and tear, so the computer determines what the most efficient use of them will be for each situation. Everything can be manually controlled as well. Every month or so, each generator needs an oil change.
The current price of diesel fuel in Kodiak, Alaska.
They hold about 65 gallons of oil! The used oil is kept on board until the ship docks back in Kodiak. Also, about every 20,000 hours, each generator needs to be overhauled. This is done by a team of mechanics when the ship is in port, during the off season. About 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel is stored at the beginning of the trip, and 2000 gallons are used each day.
Now, since the Oscar Dyson is a biological research ship, the usually noisy generators have been quieted, so that the fish are not scared away. One way to quiet a very large, 1600 hp engine, is to put it on a rubber mat. Another way is to send the energy from the generator through a large box, which then converts it to electrical energy, and that is transmitted to the propeller by thin wires. This reduces the vibrations in the hull.
To be an engineer on a ship, a person usually would go to a marine academy and obtain a degree in marine engineering. During school and shortly after, time spent as an intern is valuable to gain experience. Once the new engineer is employed on a ship, he or she would start at the bottom of the team, maybe as 3rd engineer, depending on how large the ship is. With experience, and management skills, the engineer could move up to 2nd, then 1st, then Chief engineer. Of course, a ship’s engineer must love being at sea, and living on a ship.
Personal Log
We had a fabulous day for wildlife and scenery watching – bright sunshine (until 11:00 pm), calm seas, and close proximity to Kodiak Island. I saw stunning rocky cliffs, Dall’s porpoises, and whales – probably Fin whales. I was overwhelmed with the beauty and scale of Kodiak Island.
I love the way that the sun glitters on the water. I took this photo about 7:00 in the evening.Rocky cliffs of Kodiak Island on a sunny day.
The sun light is breaking through the clouds about 2 miles away.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Kathleen Harrison Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson July 4 — 22, 2011
Location: Gulf of Alaska Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey Date: July 18, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge True Wind Speed: 19.35 knots, True Wind Direction: 231.44°
Sea Temperature: 10.5° C, Air Temperature: 10.11° C
Air Pressure: 1010.53 mb
Latitude: 57.54° N, Longitude: 154.37° W
Ship speed: 12.4 knots, Ship heading: 134.5°
Fog on the horizon, overcast
Science and Technology Log
One thing that I have learned on this trip (don’t worry, I have learned more than one thing) is that the government, and scientists, like to use abbreviations for equipment, procedures, and groups of people. For example, did you know that MACE stands for Midwater Assessment Conservation Engineering? Well, now you do. The NOAA scientists that are aboard the Oscar Dyson work for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, which is part of MACE. Three of the abbreviations that I have become familiar with are: CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth), XBT (expendable bathythermograph), and Drop (Drop camera). These are devices or procedures that the NOAA scientists use on board the Oscar Dyson to gather information that will help in determining the biomass of Pollock.
The CTD measures conductivity, temperature and depth of sea water.
When I say “the CTD”, I am referring to a device, but the letters actually come from the procedures that the device performs. It is lowered into the water on a cable, and its instruments measure the conductivity (how much electricity will pass through – an indirect way of measuring salinity) and temperature of the sea water, and depth. Niskin bottles may be attached to the CTD frame to collect sea water at selected depths. This information gives scientists knowledge about sea water properties, and over time, will indicate changes in the environment.
Watch this video to see the data as it is being collected.
A hard hat and flotation device are required on the weather deck (any deck open to the weather), even to launch the XBT.
Launching the XBT has been one of my jobs on the Oscar Dyson, at least during my shift. This device measures temperature and depth of sea water. It is basically thrown overboard out of a handheld launcher, which looks like a giant pistol thing, and remains attached to a very thin wire. Data is sent through this thin wire until it reaches the ocean floor, then the wire is broken. The device is not retrieved – hence the name – expendable.
The data is graphed, and a beautiful thermocline is produced. An XBT is launched 3 – 4 times a day, in different locations.
The Drop Camera is attached to a frame to protect it. The light is at the bottom of the frame.
The Drop Camera is an underwater camera that is lowered to the ocean floor. The camera is pressure activated, so it starts recording at a certain depth. It has a bright light that comes on when the camera is operating. Extra line is fed out, because the ship is still moving, and the scientists do not want the camera to drag across the bottom. It records for a few minutes, then it is hauled back to the boat, the memory card is retrieved, and the video is examined. This information about the ocean floor is valuable to commercial fishermen, and future scientific missions.
The ocean floor close to Alaska's coast is home to a variety of sea stars, including brittle stars, as well as flat fish such as sole, flounder, and halibut. (NOAA Ocean Explorer)
New Species Seen
Minke whale
Great Northern Diver (Loon)
Harbor Seal
Fin Whale
Humpback whale
I was blessed to see this full moon about 4:30 am, with Mt. Douglas (elev. 7000 ft) in the background, in the Shelikof Strait.
Personal Log
Today was a fantastic day for wildlife and scenery viewing, as the sun was shining, the winds were calm, and it stays light until midnight here in the Shelikof Strait, west of Kodiak Island. I started the day by going to the bridge around 4:30 am, and was delighted to see a bright full moon, and volcanoes of the Alaskan Peninsula. The day only got better, as the sun rose around 5:30 am.
I have new respect for whale photographers, they are very hard to capture in a photo, here is my amateur attempt.
I spent a lot of time on the flying bridge, looking for whales, and finally took a photo of a spout and fin. I was so excited! You have to be looking at the right spot, at the right time. Our transects take us close to Kodiak Island and its rocky cliffs, as well as the Alaskan Peninsula with its impressive glacier covered volcanoes.
The cliffs of Kodiak rise straight up out of the sea, bold and stunning.
We had a successful trawl today, and I spent several hours in the fish lab. My head was kept warm by this pink knit hat that my sister made for me. Thanks, Jan!
Thanks, Jan, for making this hat for me, I was nice and warm while processing fish today!
NOAA Teacher at Sea Kathleen Harrison Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson July 4 — 22, 2011
Location: Gulf of Alaska Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey Date: July 12, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge Air Temperature: 10.15° C, Sea Water Temperature: 7.6° C
True Wind Speed: 12.26 knots, True Wind Direction: 191.38°
Very foggy, visibility < 1/4 mile
Door open on bridge to hear other fog horns
Latitude: 56.07° N, Longitude: 158.08° W
Ship Heading: 24°, Ship Speed: 11.7 knots
Science and Technology Log: Finding Fish
In a previous log, I talked about using nautical charts and trawling as 2 methods used in calculating the biomass of Walleye Pollock in the Gulf of Alaska. Finding the fish to catch is tricky business in the ocean, they don’t usually come up to the surface and say hi. The NOAA scientists working on the Walleye Pollock Survey spend a lot of time looking for fish, so that their trawling efforts won’t be wasted (that is the general idea, anyway). How do you look for fish in the ocean? With acoustics, of course, another method used in calculating biomass.
Acoustics is the use of sound, which will travel through the water, and bounce off of objects that it hits. There is Simrad ER60 echosounder that operates 5 transducers mounted on the center board under the ship, and it continuously sends out sound waves.
The Simrad ER60 echosounder sends sound directly under the ship, finding fish anywhere in the water column.
In the Acoustics Lab of the Oscar Dyson, the data from the multi-beam echosounder is being studied all of the time. The sound waves leave the device, travel down, hit the swim bladder in a fish (the fish doesn’t even know), and reflect back to the ship. The time it takes for the sound to return is used to calculate the distance down, and a computer generated picture called an echogram is produced.
The echogram shows plankton at the surface in blue/green, fish near the bottom as red/brown spots, and the ocean floor as a red/brown line.
The echogram tells the scientists several things. The surface of the water is shown, with surface dwelling organisms such as krill, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and juvenile fish. The fish that are mid-water are shown as well, showing up as red or blue dashes or blobs. This is where the Pollock usually are. Some fish are bottom feeders, and the red and blue dashes on the bottom represent those. The ocean floor is also shown, which is very important when choosing which type of trawl to use. If the bottom is flat, the Poly Nor’Easter could be used to capture to fish on the bottom. The Aleutian Wing Trawl might be used in mid water if the bottom is rocky and irregular.
Now, looking at the fish from the surface is nice, but wouldn’t it be better to see them close up? Of course! The scientists have another tool at their disposal, and no, it isn’t me diving down to the fish (brrr). This tool is called a Drop Target Strength, or DTS.
The Drop Target Strength (DTS) can be lowered into the water, and get closer to the fish. The information is fed into the computer by a water proof cable.
About once a day, or every other day, the DTS is lowered over the side, and it starts sending out sound waves (3 pings/second), just like the echosounder mounted on the ship. The advantage with the DTS, though, is that it is closer to the fish, giving a more detailed and accurate picture. Individual fish can be sighted. Taking a picture of a fish is kind of like taking a picture of a toddler, they don’t hold still very well. So, a count of the fish on the echogram might not be exact. Also, they might change the angle of their body, making the sound wave reflect off their swim bladder at a different angle. The colors on the echogram are significant: brown and red mean a strong signal, yellow is medium, and green and blue indicate a weak signal.
Studying the echogram from the DTS gives scientists a better picture of where the fish are. Each individual wavy line is probably a separate fish.
The scientists will study the echograms to determine where the fish are, and make a decision to fish or not. Once fishing begins, they will move from the acoustics lab to the bridge, and study the echograms there. An estimate of how many fish are in the net is made, and then the scientists will ask the crew to “haul back” the net. (I am learning a whole new language!) Then, things get very busy as we head to the fish lab to process the fish.
Here are the NOAA scientists that I am privileged to work with on the Oscar Dyson: (left to right) Darin Jones, Fish Biologist, Denise McKelvey, Fish Biologist, Neal Williamson, Chief Scientist.
New species seen:
Giant Pacific Octopus (juvenile, 1 cm)
Opalescent Squid
Chinook (King) Salmon
Egg yolk jelly fish
Sculpin (juvenile)
North Pacific sea nettle
Spud sponge
These are juvenile squid, about 2 cm long. They are nearly transparent.This is a juvenile Giant Pacific Octopus, only 1 cm wide, complete with 2 huge eyes, and 8 perfect legs.
Personal Log
My days have developed a routine now: wake at 3:30 am (ugh), start my shift in the acoustics lab about 4:00, breakfast at 7:30, lunch at 11:30, end my shift at 4:00 pm, dinner at 5:30, shower, in bed by 8:00.
See the orange life saving ring? My window is just to the right of the ring. The 3 white canisters on the back wall hold life rafts that inflate upon release of the canister.
In between these times, I work on my Teacher at Sea log, post pictures on Facebook, read and answer e-mail, visit the bridge and ask lots of questions, and of course, process fish whenever there is a trawl (very fun). Today marks the halfway point of our cruise! The ship is quieter than I thought, even though there are 35 people on board, the most that I ever see might be 10 during mealtimes. There is constant background noise of the ship’s engines, waves hitting the bow of the ship, creaks and groans of the furniture as the ship rolls, but I am used to it now, and hardly notice it. I am thankful for the calm weather that we have had so far.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Kathleen Harrison Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson July 4 — 22, 2011
Location: Gulf of Alaska Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey Date: July 15, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge True Wind Speed: 34 knots, True Wind Direction: 284.43
Sea Temperature: 10.02° C, Air Temperature: 11.34° C
Air Pressure: 1014.97 mb
Latitude: 56.12° N, Longitude: 152.51° W
Sunny, Clear, Windy, 10 foot swells
Ship speed: 10 knots, Ship heading: 60°
Science and Technology Log
The Walleye Pollock is an important economic species for the state of Alaska. It is the fish used in fish sticks, fish patties, and other processed fish products. Every year, 1 million tons of Pollock are processed in Alaska, making it the largest fishery in the United States by volume. The gear used to catch Pollock is a mid-water trawl, which does not harm the ocean floor, and hauls are mostly Pollock, so there is very little bycatch.
A sample of pollock that the Oscar Dyson caught for scientific study. A "drop" in a very large "ocean" of pollock industry.
Although Pollock fishermen would like to make as much money as they can, they have to follow fishing regulations, called quotas, that are set each year by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC). The quotas tell the fishermen how many tons of pollock they can catch and sell, as well as the fish size, location, and season. The NOAA scientists on board NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson have an important role to play in helping the NPFMC determine what the quotas are, based on the biomass they calculate.
The quotas are set in order to prevent overfishing. Pollock reproduce and grow quickly, which makes them a little easier to manage. When fishing is uncontrolled, the number of fish becomes too low, and the population can’t sustain itself. Imagine being the lone human in the United States, and you are trying to find another human, located in Europe, only you don’t know if he is there, and all you have is your voice for communication, and your feet for traveling. This is what happens when fish numbers are very low– it is hard for them to find each other.
There are many situations where uncontrolled fishing has cost the fishermen their livelihood. For example, in the early 1900s, the Peruvian Anchovy was big business in the Southeast Pacific Ocean. Over 100 canneries were built, and hundreds of people were employed.
This graph shows how the Peruvian Anchovy catch rose to record heights in 1970, then collapsed in 1972. This could have been prevented by effective fishery management.
Scientists warned the fishermen in the 1960s that if they didn’t slow down, the anchovies would soon be gone. The industry was slow to catch on, and the anchovy industry crashed in 1972. The canneries closed, and many people lost their jobs. This was an important lesson to commercial fishermen everywhere.
The Walleye Pollock (Theragra chalchogramm) is a handsome fish, about 2 feet long, and greyish – brown. Most fishermen consider him the “dog” food of fish, since he pales in comparison to the mighty (and tasty) salmon. Nonetheless, Pollock are plentiful, easy to catch, and thousands of children the world over love their fish sticks.
Besides calculating biomass, there are 2 other studies going on with the Pollock and other fish in the catch. Scientists back at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) in Seattle are interested in how old the fish are, and this can be determined by examining the otoliths.
Here are 2 otoliths from a pollock. The one on the left shows the convex surface, the other shows the concave surface.
These are 2 bones in the head of a fish that help with hearing, as well as balance. Fish otoliths are enlarged each year with a new layer of calcium carbonate and gelatinous matrix, called annuli, and counting the annuli tells the scientists the age of the fish. Not only that, with sophisticated chemical techniques, migration pathways can be determined. Amazing, right? The otoliths are removed from the fish, and placed in a vial with preservative. The scientists in Seattle eagerly await the return of the Oscar Dyson, so that they can examine the new set of otoliths. By keeping track of the age of the fish, the scientists can see if the population has a healthy distribution of different ages, and are reproducing at a sustainable rate.
Another ongoing study concerning the Pollock, and any other species of fish that are caught during the Pollock Survey, deals with what the fish eat.
A pollock stomach is put into a fabric bag, which will be placed in preservative. Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center will study the contents to determine what the fish had for lunch.
Stomachs are removed from a random group of fish, and placed into fabric bags with an ID tag. These are placed into preservative, and taken to Seattle. There, scientists will examine the stomach contents, and determine what the fish had for lunch.
Personal Log
I learned about fishing boundaries, or territorial seas, today. In the United States, there is a 12-mile boundary from the shore marked on nautical charts. Inside this boundary, the state determines what the rules about fishing are. How many of each species can be kept, what months of the year fishing can occur, and what size fish has to be thrown back. Foreign ships are allowed innocent passage through the territorial seas, but they are not allowed to fish or look for resources. Outside of that is the Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) which is 200 miles off shore. The EEZ exists world-wide, with the understanding among all international ships, that permits are required for traveling or fishing through an EEZ that does not belong to the ship’s native country.
Everyone was tired at the end of the day, just walking across the deck requires a lot more energy when there are 10-foot swells. Check out this video for the rolling and pitching of the ship today.
