NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

July 1, 2026July 1, 2026

Jennifer Widdig: Fair Winds and Following Seas, July 1, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Jennifer Widdig

Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

June 17 – June 30, 2026

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Weather Data from Oswego, New York

Latitude: 043^o27’N
Longitude: 076^o30’W
Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Visibility: 9 miles
Wind speed: 2 knots
Wind direction: NE
Temperature: 78^oF
Humidity: 82%

Jen, wearing a Teacher at Sea hat, takes a selfie at the railing of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. In the background, rather than water, we see the Port of Oswego: a dock lined with buildings, leading back to warehouses and storage tanks. — Port of Oswego before heading home

Science and Technology Log

Real-World Career Pathways at Sea

Before stepping aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, I assumed most of the crew would be scientists. While hydrography is certainly at the heart of the mission, I learned that it takes professionals from many different career fields to keep the ship operating safely and efficiently. In fact, many of the jobs on board connect directly to the career pathways offered where I teach, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center.

screenshot of a website listing 12 course names with accompanying photos. examples of courses include automotive, culinary arts, electrical. — PRCTC’s list of programs (Credit: PRCTC)

screenshot of a website listing 11 course names with accompanying photos. examples of courses include health science, law and public safety, precision welding.

The survey technicians are responsible for collecting and processing hydrographic data using multibeam sonar, side-scan sonar, GPS, and specialized computer software. Their work combines engineering technology, robotics, and cyber security & networking.

The deck department operates cranes and davits, launches and recovers the survey boats, performs maintenance, handles lines during docking, and ensures the safe operation of the vessel. These careers require technical skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and attention to safety which are qualities developed through career and technical education programs. Especially since we train our students in Lean Six Sigma.

a launch vessel, still attached by cables to davit arms, is lowered down the side of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. Crewmembers in hard hats and life vests stand nearby or board the small vessel. — Bosun Alex Bischoff helping 2904 crew aboard

Behind the scenes, the engineering department keeps the ship running 24 hours a day. Engineers maintain the propulsion systems, generators, pumps, electrical systems, and countless pieces of equipment that allow the Thomas Jefferson to complete its mission. Students pursuing careers in diesel technology, industrial maintenance, electrical trades, or advanced manufacturing would recognize many of the same hands-on skills used every day aboard ship.

The bridge is staffed by NOAA Corps officers, who are responsible for safely navigating the ship, supervising survey operations, managing personnel, and making operational decisions. Their careers combine leadership with navigation, meteorology, technology, project management and safety. These officers work very similarly to the students in the Public Safety course at PRCTC.

at least 8 NOAA Corps officers, wearing navy blue uniforms and hats, stand in a line on the bridge of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. They all face out the windows, away from the camera; some look down at screens and instruments on the bridge. — Officers working the bridge on NOAA Ship *Thomas Jefferson*

Even the steward department plays a vital role. Preparing three meals a day for a crew working long hours requires planning, organization, food safety knowledge, inventory management, and culinary skills. The galley keeps morale high and ensures everyone has the energy needed to perform demanding work much like our commercial foods program.

The Thomas Jefferson also relies on electronics, communications, information technology, logistics, administration, and medical support. Every member of the crew contributes specialized skills that allow the ship to operate as a single, coordinated team.

One of the biggest takeaways from this experience is that there isn’t just one pathway to working aboard a ship like the Thomas Jefferson. Whether your interests are welding, diesel technology, engineering, information technology, culinary arts, electronics, leadership, or science, there is a place where those skills can make a difference.

As a teacher at Pickaway-Ross CTC, this experience has given me real-world examples to bring back to my classroom. Now I can point to an entire ship where technical skills, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication are used every single day. Career and technical education doesn’t just prepare students for jobs, it also prepares them for opportunities they may have never imagined, including serving aboard a NOAA hydrographic survey vessel.

Clearing the Way

While the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson is best known for charting U.S. waters, the ship can also play a critical role in responding to natural disasters.

In 2017, after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Thomas Jefferson was deployed to help restore safe navigation to the region. Using its multibeam sonar and side-scan sonar systems, the crew surveyed ports and waterways to identify underwater hazards and ensure safe passage for the U.S. Coast Guard, relief vessels, and other emergency responders. Because so many essential supplies reach the islands through these ports, reopening them quickly was vital to the recovery effort.

Over the course of just three weeks, the Thomas Jefferson surveyed 13 areas, including more than 18 ports, helping authorities safely resume maritime traffic.

a nautical chart of the water surrounding Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 13 boxed map insets show enlarged views of survey areas and the color-coded shading of depth measurements. these surveyed areas represent all the major ports. there are three photos also superimposed on the map: one of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson and two of survey launch vessels. — Areas surveyed by NOAA Ship *Thomas Jefferson* after Huricane Maria in 2017 (Credit: NOAA)

One of the ship’s greatest strengths is its ability to operate independently. With a crew of 38, the Thomas Jefferson can remain at sea for several weeks without relying on outside support, making it an ideal platform for extended emergency response missions. Its two survey launches, 2903 and 2904, further enhance its capabilities by allowing crews to survey shallow waters and areas where storm debris may have accumulated.

Learning about the Thomas Jefferson‘s role after Hurricane Maria gave me a broader perspective on hydrography. Before this experience, I mainly associated nautical charting with supporting everyday navigation. Seeing how these same surveying skills and technologies can be used to assess storm damage, clear ports, and help restore critical shipping routes showed me just how important this work is. It is another example of how the crew’s expertise extends far beyond routine charting operations.

Personal Log

Unfortunately, I am on my way home. However, I want to share a few last memories from this experience.

The Crew’s Greatest Challenge

I had started to think the crew aboard the Thomas Jefferson was almost flawless, then game night happened.

Communication on the bridge during unfavorable conditions is exceptional. Navigating video games? Not so much.

four men and two women sit around a table covered in a blue table cloth and lines of condiment bottles. the wall behind them is wallpapered in nautical charts. there is a large tv screen mounted on this wall above their heads. — Crew working on their communication skills during game night

The Commanding Officer remained calm, cool, and collected through two weeks of transiting the Welland Canal, changing weather, and demanding survey operations. Yet during game night, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a silent question in the CO’s eyes: “Is this really my crew?” as everyone demonstrated their less-than-stellar teamwork in a video game. I also learned that it is, in fact, possible to earn negative points.

The evening was filled with unforgettable comments like, “I have steak on the starboard quarter!” followed by, “Fish pasta, aye!” and “Who keeps putting the fire extinguisher on the stove?” Somehow, those made perfect sense in the middle of the chaos. And no game night would be complete without a few “passionate” debates over the official rules of Scrabble.

Crew demonstrating teamwork skills during game night

As entertaining as the games were, my favorite part was seeing this side of the crew. After watching them work with such precision and professionalism every day, it was refreshing to see the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer relax alongside everyone else. For a few hours, ranks took a back seat to friendly competition, laughter, and good-natured teasing. It was a wonderful reminder that the strong teamwork I had witnessed throughout the mission is built not only through hard work, but also through shared moments like these.

at least 8 people in a room at two different tables; the back table is focused on the video game displayed on a large monitor mounted on the wall, and the table in the foreground has a scrabble game. — Crew of NOAA Ship *Thomas Jefferson* at game night

Sharing the Mission

An exciting part of my journey home was getting the chance to share my experience aboard the Thomas Jefferson with people I met along the way. My Uber driver and the hotel front desk attendant were both curious about why I had been on a NOAA ship, which gave me the opportunity to explain the mission of the Thomas Jefferson and the important work the crew does to create accurate nautical charts and ensure safe navigation. They both had said they had lived here all their lives and never saw a boat like that in the port or knew that the lake was not surveyed. After spending time with the crew, I found myself proudly talking about their work and the dedication it takes to accomplish such an important mission.

Mission Complete

I want to extend my sincere thanks to Commanding Officer Kidd and Executive Officer Duffy for welcoming me aboard and giving me the opportunity to be part of this incredible experience.

I also want to thank the entire crew for making me feel at home from day one. Everyone was so welcoming, patient, and willing to answer my endless questions. A special thank you goes to the survey technicians, who took the time to explain everything to me slowly and more than once when needed. Their patience and enthusiasm for their work made it easy to appreciate the science and technology behind every survey.

two women wearing life vests stand near the railing of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson facing out toward the water, opposite the camera. a metal frame containing the conductivity, temperature, and depth probe is partially visible on the deck in front of the woman on the right. a pully on a beam extends into the photo from the right, over the women's heads, and rope hangs on either side of the pully. the sky and water are bright blue. — Chief Scientist Sarah Thompson explaining the Sea-Bird CTD proceedures

I also want to thank my roommate, Junior Officer Bridget Ruiz, for making life aboard so enjoyable. Thank you for your friendship, the great conversations, and for making me feel at home while we were at sea. Sharing this adventure with you made the experience even more memorable.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been assigned to NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. I have a much deeper appreciation for the important work this crew does. More importantly, I am returning home excited to share what I have learned with my students. I hope that through these stories, they will discover careers they may have never considered and see that science can lead to adventures far beyond the classroom.

Fair winds and following seas, Thomas Jefferson. Thank you for an unforgettable journey.

view of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson underway on the lake, sailing away from the camera toward the horizon. it appears to be dusk - there is a little color toward the horizon, and a lot of cloud cover. the water is dark blue and still enough to reflect the image of the ship. — NOAA Ship *Thomas Jefferson* on Lake Ontario

July 1, 2026July 1, 2026

Guy Sturdevant: The Cave pt. 1, June 29, 2026

Unexpected sea ice south of St Lawrence island on 6/25

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Guy Sturdevant

Aboard Oscar Dyson

June 21 – July 15, 2026

Mission: Summer Pollock Acoustic Survey, Leg 2

Geographic Area of Cruise: Bering Sea, Alaska

Date: June 29, 2026

Weather Data from the Bridge

N 58.6° W 170.4 °, 0 AMSL

Conditions: Fog, Seas at 4’

Visibility: < 3 NM

Wind: 70°/ 9 kt

Barometric Pressure 29.9 inHg

Dry Bulb Temp: 43 ° F

Science Log

So, we’ve taken a chilly dive into the why behind the focus on the pollock. Today, I will take you into “The Cave,” where we can learn how scientists use sound to locate and count pollock. On the port side of the main deck sits a dark, windowless room lit only by the dozen or so monitors adorning its aft wall. A gentle, constant humming fills the room from racks and racks of electronics, servers, and support equipment that dominate the center of this space. While the OOD on the bridge steers this vessel, “The Cave” calls the scientific shots by determining the ship’s course as well as the timing and location of all science operations.

a man and a woman sit in computer chairs at a desk beneath an array of 8 computer monitors; the large computer stack is visible to the right. the two scientists lean far back in their chairs to look up at the screens above. — Abigail McCarthy and Mike Levine discuss plans for the day shift. Time at sea is precious; this vessel operates 24/7 in all conditions. For the past two days, a very quiet, fishless northern extension has limited opportunities. But remember, even a null result is a result!

Acoustics 101

Since the early 20th century, scientists have used the unique ability of sound waves to transmit very efficiently through water for remote sensing. “Pings” of acoustic energy are generated by a transmitter, and then the backscatter (or reflected sound) is detected by a receiver. Early pioneers used sonar to better understand the physical geography of ocean basins in a process called bathymetry.

a graphic showing a cut-out photo of a ship (USS Stewart, DD-13) at the surface of the ocean (depicted as a blue rectangle) above the seafloor (a brown rectangle.) in the animation, upside-down orange parabolas extend from the bottom of the ship toward the seafloor; then right-side up dotted parabolas, like rainbows, extend back from the seafloor up to the ship's bottom. there is a cutout image of the antique echosounder off to the right. There is a speech bubble containing the equation for seafloor depth. The graphic is titled The North Atlantic, 1922: Acoustic Bathymetry — *USS Stewart first tested an early form of echosounder in 1922 as part of preparations for the installation of the Transatlantic cable.*

Not long after the first echosounders made their way aboard ships, scientists realized that as the quality of the instrument increased, they could measure the backscatter (or reflected sound) off of other objects besides the seafloor. Large backscattering layers far above the seafloor were targeted by fishing vessels using the new technology, demonstrating the effectiveness of echosounders at locating marine organisms throughout the water column.

a static graphic showing a cut-out photo of a ship at the surface of the ocean (depicted as a blue rectangle) above the seafloor (a brown rectangle.) 3 upside-down orange parabolas, representing the wave front, extend from the bottom of the ship toward the seafloor; 3 right-side up dotted parabolas, like rainbows, extend back from the seafloor up toward the ship's bottom, representing seafloor backscatter. cutout images of individual pollock fish are pasted in a "school" in the middle of the blue ocean water, and 3 blue rainbow-oriented parabolas extended up from the fish school, representing fish backscatter. this slide is titled: Acoustic Trawling. — *Early innovators in Norway and England reported success in using echosounders to detect large schools of fish and began actively monitoring their behavior (Balls, 1948)*.

The following decades of acoustic research relied on analog, single-beam systems, which were often towed behind or below a vessel and recorded a narrow swath directly below the ship onto a paper echogram.

composite photo of a porcelain wall showing an echogram. arrows and text have been superimposed on the photo to point out the seafloor backscatter and the school of pollock backscatter. in the lower right are the words NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION. — A 3d porcelain rendering of this now-famous echogram (the recorded chart of an echosounder) from the Shelikof Straight adorns the entry to the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. The strong red and yellow reflections that sweep gently across the bottom represent the strong backscatter from the seafloor, and the large red cloud represents a large school of pollock.

The 1990’s welcomed a new era in echosounder technology with the release of the SIMRAD EK-500. This landmark digital echosounder combined multi-frequency operation with improved data processing and integration tools, enabling much better estimates of fish population density and biomass.

a graph of target strength (low, medium, high) v. frequency (kHz, log scale). three lines graph this relationship for fish (swim bladders) at 50-600 mm length; krill at 10-60 mm length; and copepods 0.2-20 mm length. — Larger acoustic targets, such as the swim bladder of a large fish, produce strong backscatter at relatively low frequencies, whereas smaller organisms, such as krill and copepods, reflect sound only at much higher frequencies. Multi-frequency echo sounder measurements allow scientists to discriminate between acoustic targets of different sizes and target strengths and more accurately estimate the biomass of individual organisms as they scroll across the screen.

Next time, we will look at the echograms produced aboard Oscar Dyson and receive a crash course in interpretation from the Cave!

Personal Log

Work hard, play hard is an unofficial motto aboard Oscar Dyson. The officers, crew, and science team are keeping a fierce eye on the World Cup when off duty (Colombia’s goal call-back was a travesty!!).

a 16-competitor bracket drawn on an old hydrographic chart. beneath the chart is the title: The Inaugural Collin McMillan Memorial Biannual Oscar Dyson Amateur Cribbage Tournament. — *The “Inaugural Collin McMillan Memorial Biannual Oscar Dyson Amateur Cribbage Tournament” is underway; stay tuned for updates and potential video coverage of the championship match!*

Guy, wearing overalls and long yellow gloves, holds up a flatfish pointing toward his face, and makes a kissy face at a safe distance. — The future gyotaku model, Northern rock sole (*Lepidopsetta polyxystra*)*, posing for a picture before her big debut.*

fish print, in black ink, of a flatfish — Gyotaku is the traditional Japanese art of collecting fish prints. Engineer Victoria Southwick, ENS Josh Bennett, and Lt. Jesse Pierce captured the print of a Northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra) brought up on haul 71, 06/28/26.

Wildlife sightings

highly detailed photo of an albatross floating at the ocean's surface — A Short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) follows us during trawling operations, hoping for a fishy treat. This threatened marine bird is a tale of cautious conservation success. Their population in the 1950s dwindled to as low as 25 individuals. Today, roughly 4,200 individuals are known to exist.

Fun Fact

In the Cave, it is not uncommon for the shallow layer to be filled with a mix of non-fish backscatter. Everyone has their pet theories as to what may be the source of these shallow acoustic targets (we know they aren’t fish), but they have all agreed to call it by one name… munge. Below is my artist’s interpretation of Munge as a heavy metal album.

MUNGE album cover

Sources

Balls, R. 1948. Herring fishing with the echometer. Journal du Conseil International pour l’Exploration de la Mer, 15: 193–206.
Korneliussen, R. J. (2018). Acoustic target classification.
Benoit-Bird, K. J., & Lawson, G. L. (2016). Ecological insights from pelagic habitats acquired using active acoustic techniques. Annual review of marine science, 8, 463-490.
Mordy, C. W., Bond, N. A., Cokelet, E. D., Deary, A., Lemagie, E., Proctor, P., … & Wisegarver, E. (2023). Progress of fisheries-oceanography coordinated investigations in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Passes. Oceanography, 36(2/3), 94-100.
De Robertis, A., McKelvey, D. R., & Ressler, P. H. (2010). Development and application of an empirical multifrequency method for backscatter classification. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 67(9), 1459-1474.
Simmonds, J., & MacLennan, D. N. (2008). Fisheries acoustics: theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Holliday, D. V., & Pieper, R. E. (1995). Bioacoustical oceanography at high frequencies. ICES Journal of marine Science, 52(3-4), 279-296.
Echoview. (2019). Acoustics Unpacked. https://acousticsunpacked.echoview.com/acoustics/AcousticsUnpacked.asp

June 30, 2026June 30, 2026

Amelia Black: From the Kansas Prairie to Gulf Seas, June 28, 2026

Amelia takes a selfie with a historic tall ship in the background.

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Amelia Black

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

July 6-17, 2026

Current School: Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet Elementary, Topeka Public Schools (USD 501)

Upcoming School: Jardine Middle School, Topeka Public Schools (USD 501)

Mission: SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico

Date: June 28, 2026

Personal Log

At the USS Constitution in Boston with a group of History educators form Kansas.
From June 2026, headed from Kansas to Boston.
Taking a group of teachers to learn about Windfarms at Fort Hays, Kansas.

Hello, all, my name is Amelia Black and I am a proud Kansas public school teacher. I have been a teacher for over fifteen years with Topeka Public Schools (USD 501). Transitions, geography, incredible adventures, and connectivity is the theme for this summer.

One big transition for me will be happening this this coming school year as I move from teaching elementary ESOL ( English as a Second Language) to middle school. I will be transitioning to a new school and starting the next journey in my teaching career, teaching newcomers ELs (English Learners) at Jardine Middle School. Newcomers are students who are new to America, who often arrive speaking little or no English. I love working with my students, as well as other educators and helping them both to find their strengths, their voice, and empowering them through learning and inquisitiveness. My favorite part of being an educator are the moments when new understand or a new skill clicks and they have a ‘light bulb moment’. Seeing the understanding dawn is an amazing part of teaching.

Before I set up my new classroom, I am embarking on an incredible new adventure with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) as part of the Teacher at Sea (TAS) Program. I will leave Kansas on America’s 250th birthday (Independence Day) and I will be trading landlocked Kansas for open waters aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II!

During this adventure, I will be learning from some amazing scientists and crew members as part of NOAA’s Summer Groundfish Survey. When I step onto the ship, I will be a “newcomer” myself. In addition to learning new vocabulary, scientific language, and marine culture, I will be getting my ‘sea legs’ as I learn how to navigate on a 170-foot fishing vessel. This will be a whole new adventure for me and as a life-long learner something I am truly excited to experience. I want my students to see that it is okay to try new things and step out of your comfort zone, that it is okay to be nervous when you learning something new and in a brand-new place. By stepping out of my comfort zone and working alongside NOAA scientists, I want to model resilience, curiosity, and bravery. Skills that I know my language learners experience as immigrants to America.

You might be wondering, what is an ESOL teacher doing going on scientific exploration? The answer is in connectivity. Connectivity between language, reading, science, and social studies. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) AND Social Studies are essential for building background knowledge, academic vocabulary, and conceptual understanding. All components that are integral to comprehending complex texts and bring the joy of learning to the classroom.

As a passionate advocate for social studies, I serve on the board of the Kansas Geographic Alliance (KGA) and as a coordinator of their annual P4 Summer Institute (Plants, People, Places, Patterns). In this role I am given the opportunity to work alongside inspiring educators from across Kansas to explore and advocate for geography and social studies. Connectivity extends geographically: our rivers in Kansas lead to our oceans. The Midwestern watersheds affect our marine ecosystem in the Gulf. In participating in this experience, I will be able to bring back my learning and experiences not just to my students but to educators and others throughout Kansas.

To all my amazing students, families, and friends: I hope you are able to follow along this journey with me and I cannot wait to take you all on this learning experience. So get your maps out and follow along as we set off from Kansas to the Gulf of America/Mexico starting at Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Kansas Learning Log

Part of being a good educator is being prepared, so as I start this journey I want my log to reflect my learning but also the interconnectivity of science, social studies, and many other disciplines. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) TAS (Teacher at Sea) Program has a blog format that I will be following in future blogs. The blog outline will start with Weather Data from the Bridge and a Scientific Log before my personal log. Each log will end with a fun learning opportunity or a sneak peak, you will have to read to find out! For this intro blog, I wanted to give you all a look at the Weather Data from Topeka, Kansas as well as a little information about this fantastic landlocked state.

Weather Data from Topeka, Kansas
Latitude: 39.0483^o N
Longitude: -95.6780^oW
Elevation: 945 feet (288 meters) above sea level
Wind Speed: 15mph (13 knots)
Wind Direction: South (180^o)
Visibility: 10 miles (8.69nm)
Air Temperature: 93^o F, heat index of 108^o F
Barometric Pressure: 29.64 Hg (1003.73)
Sky: Mostly clear

A Little Bit about Kansas (Science and Technology Log)

You might already know a few things about Kansas. In addition to being a fly over state (thank you, Jason Aldean), Kansas is located in the middle of the United States. Kansas is the geographic center of the 48 contiguous United States (https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/GeoCenter_USA1.pdf). In fact, prior to modern mapping technology advancements a ranch in Osborne County, Kansas was the official geodetic center of North America. This meant that all the maps created for the United States, Canada, and Mexico used this Kansas ranch as their reference point. https://www.penryfamily.com/geographicalcenters/meadesranch.html

Most people assume that Kansas is flat. However, the eastern part of Kansas is part of the Flint Hills and has some breathtakingly beautiful rolling hills and prairies. Additionally, the elevation of Kansas rises steadily from east to west. The lowest point of Kansas is 679 feet above sea level and the highest point is over 4,000 feet above sea level!

an elevation map of Kansas set against a white background. The counties are marked in gray lines. The lowest elevation, 679 ft, is colored dark blue. Relatively low-lying river valleys extend in feathery fingers away from the eastern border of the state, fading toward green, and finally toward a dark maroon patch (4039 feet) along the western border. — Color Elevation Map of Kansas from KU GeoKansas
image from: https://geokansas.ku.edu/color-elevation-map-kansas

Did You Know?

NOAA Ship Oregon II samples ocean habitats spanning all the way from Florida to Texas!

Sources
https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/GeoCenter_USA1.pdf
https://www.travelks.com/listing/geographic-center-of-48-contiguous-states/2307/
https://www.penryfamily.com/geographicalcenters/meadesranch.html
https://geokansas.ku.edu/color-elevation-map-kansas

June 29, 2026June 29, 2026

Jennifer Widdig: On the Front Lines of Charting, June 29, 2026

view from an upper deck of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson as a small launch vessel approaches for docking

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Jennifer Widdig

Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

June 17 – June 30, 2026

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario
Date: Monday, June 29, 2026

Weather Data from the Bridge

Latitude: 043^o15’N
Longitude: 077^o22’W
Sky Conditions: Sunny
Visibility: >10miles
Wind Speed: 1 knots
Dry Bulb: 19^oC
Wet Bulb: 18.5^oC

Science and Technology Log

Jen takes a selfie from the railing of a small launch vessel, angled so that we can see NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson in the background at some distance. She wears a green hard hat and orange life vest. The sky is blue with only a few low white clouds, and the water is bright teal with some low waves. — Out on boat 2904 with NOAA Ship *Thomas Jefferson* in the background

One of the highlights of this leg was getting the opportunity to spend a day aboard survey launch 2904. Junior Officer Julian Santos served as our coxswain, while Senior Survey Technician Ali DiTommaso managed the survey equipment. It was a great opportunity to experience how NOAA conducts nearshore hydrographic surveys and to see firsthand the challenges of collecting data in shallow water.

Our mission for the day was to locate the 15-meter depth contour on our assigned survey sheet. Using the multibeam sonar, the display was configured so that anything shallower than 15 meters appeared black. As we “painted” the seafloor with the multibeam, we watched for that black boundary. Once we reached the 15-meter contour, we stopped collecting multibeam data in that area and moved on to find the next section of the contour. Eventually, we connected these sections to create a continuous 15-meter line across the sheet.

photo of a computer screen displaying multibeam data from the small launch vessel. the large portion of the screen shows the depth of the area, color coded; anything shallower than 15 m is shown in dark gray. — Multibeam data from boat 2904

After establishing the contour, we switched to side-scan sonar to survey the area shallower than 15 meters. Because side-scan sonar can cover a much wider swath of the seafloor than the multibeam, our survey lines were spaced farther apart, allowing us to efficiently search for underwater features and potential hazards. During our survey we operated the 75-meter side-scan system in water depths ranging from approximately 7 to 15 meters. We did not have the opportunity to switch to the 50-meter side-scan configuration, which is typically used in even shallower water, from about 4 to 8 meters.

phot of a computer screen displaying sidescan data. the center of the bathymetric map is a vertical black band, representing the track of the small vessel, which cannot collect data directly beneath it with the side-scan sonar. to the left and right of this band is detailed data showing the bumpy surface of the lake bottom. — Getting side-scan data from boat 2904

Working from a small survey launch requires constant multitasking. Since it was the weekend, recreational boat traffic was heavy, requiring extra vigilance while navigating and collecting data. Unlike aboard the ship, the launch crew must solve many equipment issues on their own or troubleshoot with assistance over the phone. At one point, our air conditioning stopped working. Although it certainly made for a warm day, it did not affect the safety of the operation, so we continued surveying.

view of the survey station on board a small vessel. inside the boat's cabin, facing ahead, a desk surface surrounds a single captain's chair. We can see three computer monitors. A survey tech in a purple t-shirt sits facing the computers (away from the camera.) — Ali DiTommaso manning the survey station on boat 2904

Although the surveying stops when the launch returns to the ship, the work is far from over. Every evening, the survey data is processed so it can be evaluated before the next day’s operations. During this process, the survey technicians apply the sound velocity information collected from the Sea-Bird CTD casts. Because sound travels at different speeds depending on the water’s temperature, salinity, and pressure, these measurements are essential for accurately calculating the depth of the seafloor.

The data is also corrected using the vessel’s position, motion, and orientation throughout the survey. Every pitch, roll, heave, and heading change of the launch is accounted for so the seafloor is mapped in its true position rather than being distorted by the boat’s movement. Water level corrections are also applied to account for changes in lake level during the survey.

a zoomed-in view of a nautical chart showing a portion of the southern coastline of Lake Ontario in beige and the water of the lake in blue. There are contour lines at 3 m, 5 m, 7 m drawn extending away from shore. Elsewhere, floating numbers represent depths as deep as 69 m. In a boxed off section of the chart, color coded shading indicates the depths of an entire swath surveyed by NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, with lime green indicating about 15 m deep and darker blue indicating about 23 m deep. — Processed data for the sheet that Boat 2904 has been working on

Once these corrections have been made, the software combines the overlapping survey lines and “smooths” the edges between them to create a continuous, high-quality map of the seafloor. Processing also helps identify any holidays, small gaps where little or no data was collected. If holidays or other data quality issues are found, the area will need to be resurveyed before the sheet can be considered complete.

survey data (shading, color coded by depth) overlaid on a section of a nautical chart of a portion of Lake Ontario. some areas are shaded in rectangles; some are wide diagonal lines showing the survey data collected as the ship transited from one place to another — Total amount of processed data for this leg of NOAA *Thomas Jefferson*

Personal Log

Jen poses for a photo with a man in a navy sweatshirt and a woman wearing a large headset over years. They are inside the cabin of the small launch vessel. — Coxswain Junior Officer Julian Santos, Senior Survey Technician Ali DiTommaso, and myself aboard boat 2904

Going out on a survey launch was one of the highlights of my time aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. I already love being out on the water, so I knew my biggest challenge wouldn’t be seasickness but trying not to be rocked to sleep! The water was calm, with waves less than a foot high, something the crew was very thankful for, even if I secretly wouldn’t have minded a little more excitement.

After boarding 2904, we were lowered over the side of the ship. I followed Senior Survey Technician Ali DiTommaso onto the bow, where she released the locking clamps that connected us to the davit. It was fascinating to watch how smoothly the process worked and to finally experience a launch from the small boat perspective.

Jen sits at the helm of the small launch vessel, her left hand on the wheel, and turns her head to smile for a photo — Taking a turn at the wheel on boat 2904

We spent the day on the water from about 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The launch may be much smaller than the ship, but it is surprisingly well equipped. We brought water, hot water for tea, breakfast, and snacks, and there was even a small refrigerator stocked with sandwich supplies and a microwave for lunch. It felt like a tiny floating office.

With Junior Officer Julian Santos serving as coxswain and Ali running the survey operations, I jokingly felt like the “passenger princess” for the day. While they handled the work, I had the opportunity to observe every aspect of the survey. Seeing hydrography on a smaller scale helped me better understand the process.

view from a distance of a small launch vessel approaching NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson — Boat 2903 getting ready for recovery by NOAA Ship *Thomas Jefferson*

One of the most impressive moments came at the end of the day during recovery. Watching the coxswain carefully maneuver alongside the TJ looked effortless, but I quickly realized how much coordination is required. The engineers stand by in case there are any issues with the davit or the launch, the Bosun operates the davit, crew handle the lines, and the entire evolution is supervised by the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer. Meanwhile, the bridge monitors everything from the bridge wing to ensure the recovery is completed safely and efficiently.

view from an upper deck of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson of the recovery of a small launch vessel. The small vessel has pulled up alongside the large ship, and two davit arms with cables are lowering toward the boat. seven crewmembers with hard hats stand distributed around the two davits, read to help bring the small boat aboard. we can see other crewmembers watching the operation from higher decks. — Boat 2904 being recovered by the crew of NOAA Ship *Thomas Jefferson*

Before I had the chance to ride on one of the launches, I had watched them return to the ship from the deck. Seeing the boats racing across the water toward the TJ with spray flying behind them reminded me of something straight out of an old James Bond movie. They looked fast, powerful, and just a little dramatic. It felt like they were in slow motion!

Santos and Ali really made the day great, and I was lucky enough to get to tag along with them!

Did You Know?

The Great Lakes span 4,530 miles of coast and account for 21% of the world’s freshwater, with more that 30 million people relying on them for drinking water.
The nautical term “holiday” comes from the 17th century when missing a spot while painting a ship. “Were you on a holiday?” or “Do you need a holiday?”

June 26, 2026June 29, 2026

Guy Sturdevant: Why Pollock? June 25, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Guy Sturdevant

NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

June 21 – July 15, 2026

Mission: Summer Pollock Acoustic Survey, Leg 2

Geographic Area of Cruise: Bering Sea, Alaska

Date: June 25, 2026

Weather Data from the Bridge

N 58.00° W 169.68 °, 0 AMSL

Conditions: Heavy Fog, Seas at 8’

Visibility: < 1 NM

Wind: 130°/23 kt

Barometric Pressure 29.66 inHg

Dry Bulb Temp: 43 ° F

A tufted puffin sails above the Bering Sea. — *A Tufted Puffin sails above the Bering Sea*

Science Log

If you’re anything like me, you’ve never given the pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) a second thought. However, the humble pollock, which occurs throughout the North Pacific Ocean and is especially common in Alaska, plays a linchpin role in the US seafood industry.

In 2024, pollock accounted for 43% of all seafood caught in the US by weight. That’s bigger than salmon, lobster, and tuna put together!

Clearly, pollock must be providing something of value; why is pollock such a large part of the harvest? Several factors contribute to pollock’s popularity with the fishing fleet.

1. Pollock are relatively easy to catch as they school densely in mid-water. Mid-water trawling can sometimes be much quicker and easier than other types of commercial fishing.

2. Pollock is a lean, lightly-flavored whitefish that can be used as whole cuts or processed into products such as surimi (artificial crab meat) and has been shown to be a good source of lean protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.

A chart comparing the nutritional facts of Alaskan Pollock to beef, chicken, pork, almonds, and plant-based meat alternative. — *A comparison of the nutritional value of pollock to other dietary protein sources.* – *USDA*

3. Pollock has a much smaller lifecycle carbon footprint than other protein sources. Due to the efficiency of mid-water trawling and industry innovations, you can hit your macros while leaving the carbon where it belongs, cycling through the ecosystem.

A comparison of the carbon impact of pollock vs other common animal protein sources.

Pollock sure sounds like a great, sustainable protein source, but let’s take a step back and meet the fish behind the stick!

illustration of a single Alaskan adult pollock against a white background; notably, the pollock has three dorsal fins and two anal fins — An Adult Alaskan pollock (*Gadus chalcogrammus*)

Pollock are a member of the same genus as Atlantic and Pacific cod, and grow to around 20 inches on average over their 15-year lifespan. Their Latin name, chalcogrammus, is derived from the beautiful copper patterns that adorn their dorsal sides.

In winter, pollock move closer to shore, gathering in large schools to spawn. In summer, they migrate farther onto the continental shelf, forming more dispersed schools.

The Midwater Assessment and Conservation Engineering (MACE) Summer Pollock Acoustic Survey helps NOAA track and manage this vital economic and cultural resource by monitoring the location, size, and well-being of the eastern Bering Sea pollock population. This summer, the scientists have extended some of the acoustic transect lines northward to ensure the survey captures a more holistic picture of the population distribution in the eastern Bering Sea.

an animation comparing maps over time of the distribution of pollock abundances in the Eastern Bering Sea — In this animation, lighter colors indicate a higher abundance of pollock at a given location. In 2010, AFSC bottom trawl data showed that the pollock population was concentrated at the far western edge of the study area. Conversely, in 2017, the population was much more evenly dispersed across the region. Observations like these help MACE scientists plan future work to better understand the extent and variability of pollock population distributions across the eastern Bering Sea. data source: FFSC eastern Bering sea bottom trawl survey from https://apps-st.fisheries.noaa.gov/dismap/index.html

Personal Log

As a guest of this crew, it has been great to get to know the science team, the NOAA Corps, and the crew that make Oscar Dyson run like a well-oiled machine. From Frankie in the mess (sooooo good), to the officers on the Bridge, it is evident that everyone WANTS to be here.

Wildlife sightings

🚨Charismatic Megafauna Alert🚨

A humpback whale, just visible at the surface, spouts water off the coast of Dutch Harbor, AK. — *A humpback whale stopped by on our way north from Dutch Harbor, AK.*

Did You Know?

“For the 26th consecutive year, Dutch Harbor, Alaska, led the nation in seafood landed volume (780.1 million pounds, valued at $224.5 million).” (Fisheries of the United States 2023).

From the library

“The war between water and land is never-ending. Waves shatter themselves in spent fury against the rocky bulwarks of the coast; giant tides eat away the sand beaches and alter the entire contour of an island overnight…”

– Corey Ford, Where the Sea Breaks Its Back: The Epic Story of the Early Naturalist Georg Steller and the Russian Exploration of Alaska

Sources

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2026, March 10). Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; 2026 and 2027 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish. Federal Register, 91(46), 11750-11799. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/10/2026-04684/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-2026-and-2027

“Frequent Questions: Annual Catch Limit Monitoring | NOAA Fisheries.” Frequent Questions: Annual Catch Limit Monitoring, NOAA, 22 Sept. 2025, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/sustainable-fisheries/frequent-questions-annual-catch-limit-monitoring.

National Marine Fisheries Service. Fisheries of the United States, 2023. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Current Fishery Statistics No. 2023, Feb. 2026, https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.fisheries.noaa.gov/2026-02/FUS-2023-web.pdf.

Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers. “Sustainability.” Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, https://www.alaskapollock.org/about-the-fish/sustainability