NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kimberly Pratt
Onboard NOAA Ship McArthur II
July 2 – 24, 2005
Mission: Ecosystem Wildlife Survey
Geographical Area: Pacific Northwest
Date: July 22, 2005
Weather Data from Bridge
Latitude: 3614.084N
Longitude: 12213.868W
Visibility: <1 mile
Wind Direction: 340 Wind Speed: 22 knots
Sea Wave Height: 5-6 feet
Sea Level Pressure: 1014.6
Cloud Cover: Foggy, Drizzle
Temperature: 14.8
Scientific Log
Again we are seeing up to 80 marine mammals per day, and are doing well on our track lines. The wind picked up, making it more difficult to do observations, but we are moving right along to get finished by Sunday. Some of the regulars are humpbacks, blue whales, Dall’s porpoise, fin whales, pacific-white sided dolphins, Risso’s dolphins and pinnipeds. I’ve attached photos of breaching humpbacks that we’ve seen. Hopefully through my logs and interviews you’ve learned about marine mammals, sea birds and ship operations. To learn more about this mission go to the NOAA Fisheries Southwest Science Center website. Look under “What’s new in the sanctuary.”
Personal Log
Upon reflecting on my adventure, I’ve found that the trip fully exceeded my expectations. I expected to feel intimidated by the scientists and science, and to my relief was accepted and welcomed by all the scientists on board and they were most eager to teach me what I needed to know. I’ve learned that to be a good scientist you must have good observational skills, computer skills, and be knowledgeable about data and statistics. I’ve also learned that science takes time, is very exact, and requires you to be detail orientated. Additionally, I’ve learned that to get along with others on a ship, you need to have a good sense of humor and be flexible. As the cruise comes to an end I’m really looking forward to getting home, doing further reflection on my experience and translating it into rich and meaningful curriculum for my students. Again, thanks to Karin, all the scientists, and the crew on board the McARTHUR II, this has been a wonderful experience.
As of this post, we have now finished all of our tracklines. Tomorrow – Saturday we’ll be spending the day in Monterey Bay doing grab samples and additional small boat operations. We will then head into port in San Francisco on Sunday as scheduled.
