NOAA Teacher at Sea
Susan Just
Onboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
June 15 – 30, 2006
Mission: Summer Groundfish Survey
Geographical Area: Gulf of Mexico
Date: June 26, 2006
Weather Data from Bridge
Visibility: 10 nautical miles (nm)
Wind direction: 144 ◦
Wind speed: 2.5
Sea wave height: 0-1
Swell wave height: 1
Seawater temperature: 28.0
Sea level pressure: 1013.2
Cloud cover: 3/8 Altostratus
Science and Technology Log
Today we had stormy weather around us during the night. This caused the moon, if any, and the stars to be obscured and increased the intensity of darkness both above and below the surface. This may have been a factor which contributed to the amazing catch we made shortly after sunrise.
When the net was pulled in, it was obvious that it was very full. As it was lifted out of the water, it became clear that it contained many small fish, mostly Croker, approximately 4-5 inches in length. The unloaded catch was too much to be held in the fish box on deck. When they came along the conveyor belt, there were no snapper to be seen and very few shrimp. It appeared as if we had captured an entire school of fish. The final catch weight was 985 Kilos. Out of this, there were approximately four gallons of shrimp, all varieties included.
Interview
Alonzo Hamilton: Watch Leader for the Midnight to Noon scientific watch on the OREGON II summer fisheries survey of the Gulf of Mexico.
What is the title of your position?
Research Fishery Biologist
Were you a good student in school?
Average
In what school year did you make up your mind to become serious?
Community College
Did you go to College?
Yes.
What kind?
Two years at Community College then a BS in Biology at Jackson State University, Jackson Mississippi
Do you have any scientific degrees?
Masters Degree in Marine Environmental Science
Why do you enjoy about this work?
I like everything about it. I like the freedom of being out in the field and then I like the finished product that comes from what we do, in terms of data analysis.
What percentage of your work year is spent at sea?
125 days per year
When you are ashore, what kind of work do you do?
I’m analyzing data, editing data and being the Safety Officer at the laboratory. It’s a desk job
Is your family comfortable with this lifestyle?
They’re more comfortable with it than I thought they would be. Do they like when I’m away, no. But they also don’t like the disruption that I cause when I’m at home. So it’s a trade-off. I think they’ve adjusted to the lifestyle itself. They know that when I’m home I’m there and they know that when I’m away, I’m at work and they accept that.
If you could be anything you want, what would you be?
A fishery biologist.
What advice would you give to young people who are interested in this career path?
Do it because you enjoy it. Don’t do it for any other reason. Regardless of what you are doing, do it because you enjoy it.
Personal Log
Today I worked at the beginning of the line instead of the end. All this time I have been primarily looking for shrimp and the select species which, on this cruise, is mainly red snapper. However, when I dug into the sample rather than the full catch, I had a great time. There were lots of terrific looking crabs that I’ve never seen. There were some interesting fish. I was surprised that I am actually able to decipher the differences between the species.
Question of the Day
Why are the conductivity, temperature and depth measurements important?
Answer: These pieces of data are used to compute salinity.