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.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Brenton Burnett
Onboard NOAA Ship David Starr Jordan June 26 – July 6, 2006
Mission: Shark Abundance Survey Geographical Area: California Coast Date: June 26, 2006
Weather Data from Bridge
Visibility: 10 nautical miles (nm)
Wind direction: 350 degrees
Wind speed: 9 kts
Sea wave height: 1’
Swell wave height: 2-3’
Seawater temperature: 20.0 degrees C
Sea level pressure: 1010.2 mb
Cloud cover: 7/8 Altocumulus, Altostratus
The DAVID STARR JORDAN awaits final fueling and preparation for our cruise.
Science and Technology Log
The DAVID STARR JORDAN was first commissioned by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, which later became part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since its commission, it has logged over a million miles studying the biological and physical oceanography of the southwestern U.S. coast and eastern tropical Pacific. While it has a range of 7500 nautical miles (nm) and can be out to sea for 30 days, our cruise will last for 10 days and cover only a few hundred nm. It can berth up to 33 people, but on board this cruise are 12 officers, engineers and crew, and 12 scientists including myself. In ideal conditions, the top cruising speed of the DAVID STARR JORDAN is 10 knots (about 12 mi/hr).
This mission’s goals are to assess shark abundance in the Pacific off the coast of California. This is done through long line fishing. At 1800 hours and approximately 20 nm out from San Diego, we made our first “set”. Making a set is truly a team effort involving no fewer than five of the ship’s crew and eight scientists. The crew run the winches and navigate the ship, while the science team baits and sets the line. Two people ready the “gangions”—a gangion consists of a 4” J-hook, an 8’ wire lead and a “tuna clip”. These two pass the gangions on to two others who bait each hook with a whole mackerel, which is about a 10” fish. The baited gangions are then given to the “hooker” who clips them to the line that is running along the side of the ship and then back beyond the stern. Two others are readying balloon buoys that are attached between every five hooks. The length of the lead on the buoys, which is about 7 meters, plus the length of the gangions, about 3 meters, determines the depth of the baited hooks.
We baited 113 hooks along about 1.5 nm of line and let it soak for one hour. At dusk we began to “haul” the line in. This, too, requires a team effort. Tasks include removing the gangion from the line, “de-baiting” the hook, and stowing the gangion. Of course, if there’s a catch, then it’s really exciting. The shark, still in the water on a hook, is walked to the stern to the shark platform. There, senior scientists, Russ Vetter and Rand Rasmussen, and chief scientist Suzanne Kohin slide the shark into the shark trough, which is then quickly raised just above the water. While two of them hold the shark, they remove the hook, measure and determine the sex of the shark. All mako shark and thresher sharks will get a tag of one variety or another. Though, most of our catches will be blue sharks, other researchers, specifically those at the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), are tagging blue sharks.
Oxytetracycline is injected to some specimens, too. OTC dyes the vertebra of the sharks. The vertebra, like the rings of a tree grow layers over time. It is not certain how often these layers form, one study suggests two in a year. Injected sharks that are recaught later will help to answer this question, and ultimately help scientists understand how quickly sharks age and reach maturity. Incidentally, recatches of this sort are typically done by fisherman who are given $100 for recording the shark’s length, the date it was caught, and for returning four to five vertebrae.
Our first set of the trip was a practice run of about 1.5 nm and 113 hooks. The haul brought in four blue sharks and one mako. From here on out, we’ll be making 2 two mile long sets a day with 200 or so hooks.
Personal Log
Though we had a delayed start to our cruise—the two diesel trucks to fuel up the ship were late—there has been very little down time! Now that I’ve been able to check email, I’ll get to questions next time! Until then… Brenton
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jessica Schwarz
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier June 19 – July 1, 2006
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: Alaska Date: June 26, 2006
Rock hunters: SS Corey Muzzey and ENS Sam Greenaway after a productive morning of investigations. Corey, Sam and Jamie have been very giving of their time and are excellent at explaining data acquisition and processing!
Science and Technology Log
So I hope everyone remembers what RAINIER’s Captain, Guy Noll, told me last week before I went out on a launch: “We hit rocks so that you don’t have to.” When I first heard him say this, I kind of laughed, figuring it was somewhat of an exaggeration, he was only kidding with me. I found out this morning he actually wasn’t.
An added component to running lines and collecting sonar data is doing nearshore feature investigation. If you are involved in feature investigation, your job is to either prove or disprove whether or not a feature (rock, ledge, islet, wreck, etc.) actually exists in the position it’s been historically claimed to be. When I say “historically” I mean some of these features were last charted based on data collected in the 1940s or earlier. Therefore, NOAA needs to update the data used in developing their charts and resurvey various areas with updated technology.
For the last several years, NOAA has been augmenting its ship-based sonar surveys with airborne bathymetric LIDAR (LIght Detection and Ranging) data. LIDAR uses high powered laser pulses (invented in 1962!) transmitted from aircraft. The laser sweeps back and forth across the earth’s surface, and the reflections are detected by a receiver. Much like sonar, the distance to the ground can be inferred from the amount of time required for the light to travel from the airplane, to the earth, and back. If the position and altitude of the airplane are measured very accurately, the height and shape of features on the earth’s surface can be determined.
ENS Jamie Wasser, monitoring the Echosounder onboard RA1 during investigative surveys.
NASA and the U.S. Navy were among the first to use airborne LIDAR. Later, with the involvement of NOAA, Airborne Oceanographic LIDAR was developed for use in the marine environment. After continued progress in development and technology, Airborne Hydrographic LIDAR (AHL) was invented. AHL uses a wavelength of light which penetrates the water rather than reflecting off the surface, allowing for measurement of water depths in addition to land topography. Keep in mind that although ALH was first developed in the mid 80s it was not practical for utilization on the Alaska Peninsula until the 90s. Although an exciting new addition to NOAA’s hydrographic survey “toolbox”, LIDAR is not able to run nearly as deep as sonar. In shallow water close to shore, however, it can reduce the need for inefficient and potentially unsafe small boat operations. Both LIDAR and sonar are used to assist in determining what features are navigationally significant to those at sea and essentially what features will end up being charted.
RAINIER receives a list of questionable sea features based on information collected from LIDAR, past hydrographic data, and in some cases reports made by mariners. Based on this collection of data, they are asked by the Pacific Hydrography Branch (the folks in Seattle who compile RAINIER’s data for addition to the charts) to investigate certain features (i.e. rock, ledge, islet etc.) that cannot be resolved with certainty based on the LIDAR or other.
After finishing investigations, TAS Jessica Schwarz is getting a feel for steering a jet-propelled boat!
So, today, ENS Sam Greenaway, ENS Jamie Wasser, Seamen Surveyor (SS) Corey Muzzey, and I went out looking for rocks☺. That doesn’t sound nearly scientific enough does it? There’s a lot involved in looking for rocks actually, and it’s not nearly as easy as it might sound. For me, as someone new to hydrographic surveying, my big question was, “Okay, and then what happens when we find one?” What’s this whole, “hitting rocks so you don’t have to” idea? Do we really hit the rocks? I rode today in launch RA1 to do investigations. RA1 is unique because it is a jet propelled boat. This means it does not use a rudder and propeller, like you would expect to find on most power boats. Instead, RA1 is propelled (and steered) using water that is sucked in through a grill in the hull of the boat, accelerated by an impeller driven by a diesel engine, and expelled out a nozzle in the boat’s transom. Changing the direction of the discharge nozzle is what steers the boat. This allows RA1 to go into much shallower water. In fact it only needs 1 foot of water to stay afloat and move around. Also, don’t be fooled by me saying “jet propelled”. That might give someone the impression these boats are extremely fast. RA1 is actually quite slow, with a cruising speed of 12 kts, which I figure was good for the crew while I was at the helm.
There are different ways of investigating features and doing a disproval (determining if a feature is there or not). One is to use RA1’s single-beam sonar. This is different from multi-beam sonar (like what I’ve discussed before) because instead of sending out between 140-250 pings of sound over an area of between 120°-150° from the boat, single-beam sonar sends only one ping directly beneath the hull to the ocean floor. While single-beam sonar is running, the echosounder printer draws an outline of the sea floor features. Check out the picture of ENS Jamie Wasser with the echosounder to get an idea of what it might look like.
If you’re wondering why they aren’t using multi-beam instead, it’s because they’re in shallow water, extremely close to rocks, and it would be much too easy to knock off the multi-beam transducer attached to the hull. Multi-beam sonars cost around $300,000 so it wouldn’t be very cost effective for NOAA to lose or damage one. The single-beam sonar is imbedded in the hull and won’t be knocked off if the boat does happen to hit a rock.
Not all survey boats were running item investigations today. In fact today three survey boats were launched, two launches were running main scheme lines with multi-beam sonar (what I’ve participated in on past days) and one, the launch I was involved with today, was running investigations.
In order to do this, the launches need to get extremely close to shore and extremely close to these “hypothesized” features, often times physically nosing the boat up to them to check the positions (remember, “we hit rocks so you don’t have to”). Depending on the sea conditions, this can be a very difficult process.
Personal Log
Today was an excellent day. It was beautiful and sunny all day. We stopped the launch and had lunch in one of the little bays. On our way home, SS Corey Muzzey let me drive. The jet drive boats drive much differently than the boats with rudders and propellers. The helm didn’t feel nearly as touchy and seemed more forgiving of my exaggerated turns of the wheel ☺. We saw several humpbacks out there today…around the time whales started showing up near the boat was when I lost interest in driving.
The landscape here is so incredible. I keep trying to take digital pictures of it and am always disappointed by what little justice the pictures serve. Tonight is a crew beach party. Everyone on the ship who wants to go can get a ride to a nearby beach to spend some time on land for a change. I’m looking forward to it!
Soon we’ll be crossing the Gulf. I’ve been hearing some horror stories about this crossing, not just from the crew, but also from some of the people I met while I was in Sitka before I came onboard RAINIER. I’m actually looking forward to being on the open ocean. We’ve spent a lot of time anchored and well protected in the bay. Crossing the Gulf will be a new experience. I’m excited!
Calling All Middle Schoolers-We Need Help Answering a Few Questions!
Sonar technology wasn’t utilized for hydrographic purposes until the 1940s. Before this, how did surveyors chart the sea floor? Remember, hydrographic surveying and the development of nautical charts, dates all the way back to 1807 with Thomas Jefferson. So, how did they do it back then? Let me know what think!
At this point in the survey, the stations are not far apart but they are up, down, in and out. We are actually steaming back to one of the day stations in order to do the same area as a night station. All of this activity is taking place in the general vicinity of Corpus Christi. This area receives a great deal of fishing pressure year around, both commercially and recreationally.
Our last night catch pulled in a beautiful collection of shrimp. The total for the catch was about 25 Kilos and we ended up with more than 18 Kilos of shrimp. When you account for the trash that was included, that left a very small volume of fish other than the shrimp. When the net came up and spilled out into the baskets it was a lovely golden color.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Chris Harvey
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette June 5 – July 4, 2006
Mission: Lobster Survey Geographical Area: Central Pacific Ocean, Hawaii Date: June 25, 2006
Crew Interview: Huntley Brownell, Deckhand
“Rather than defining my life by working a job, what will define me is the relationships I form along the way.”
The most remarkable thing about Huntley is that he was born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus heading down Highway 41. Since then it seems he has been on the move, discovering this world one place at a time. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Huntley left home after a year in college and set out to explore the world. Although his mother was not in full approval of his decision to leave, his father–a biologist working for NOAA–knew that he needed a bit of time out in the world before attending college.
After working several small jobs, Huntley put in his application with NOAA and then forgot about it for several months until one day he received a call asking if he was still interested. “Can you start work in 2 days,” the voice on the other end asked. Huntley accepted the offer and was at sea on the COBB between Seattle and Alaska almost immediately. After 3 months of working, he found out about an opening on the SETTE, based out of the tropics instead of the arctic, and has been working onboard the SETTE for the last two years.
Only planning on spending a summer or so working on the SETTE, Huntley found himself quickly addicted to the fix that traveling to remote parts of the world offered. “It is a good way to travel and see places you wouldn’t normally see as a tourist.” And sure enough, one cruise to Samoa turned into another to Marianas. Like most travelers, it was always the thought of the next trip that kept him going cruise after cruise.
While at sea, Huntley is an avid reader, crediting The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, as one of his favorite, life-changing books. (I also agree, as a fellow journeyman, that this is one book not to be missed.) He is also teaching himself guitar and studying for his private pilot’s license. Flying when back in Oahu is one of the things that have opened Huntley’s perspective of life.
Although he cannot recall his favorite memory onboard the SETTE, as he says there have been so many, he narrowed down the years of past experience to two: the time that the fishermen were catching big tuna right and left and it was fun to be a part of that, even though he hadn’t earned his fishing spot yet, and the first time he came to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands and saw a part of the islands that most people never get to see.
Huntley loves the sea, but senses the urge inside of him to travel again. He has no immediate plans of where he might move on to, but with a strong feeling that it is nearing time, his options are unlimited: “The older I get, the less I know what I want to do. The more you travel, the more open doors you see. And you know you can walk through any one of them.”
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jessica Schwarz
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier June 19 – July 1, 2006
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: Alaska Date: June 25, 2006
From the bridge, ENS Olivia Hauser radios to survey launches RA4 and RA5 to let them know RAINIER is underway.
Science and Technology Log
Today the RAINIER moved yet again. At around 2:00 this afternoon, while I was working away in the plotting room we lifted anchor and got underway.
I learned today the anchor lengths are measured in units called “shots”, with 90 feet in one shot. As the anchor was being lifted, you could hear Boatswain Group Leader (BGL) Steve Foye calling out shot lengths over the radio. This was to let the crew in the bridge know how much anchor chain was left before the ship was no longer be secured to ground. ENS Meghan McGovern mentioned that the anchor chain is generally let out 5-7 times the depth of the water, leaving plenty of slack for the ship to rotate on anchor.
Two survey boats were still in the field when RAINIER got underway today. I think it’s pretty amazing they can load the boats onto the ship while we’re moving! According to the crew it’s easier to load them while we’re moving then when we’re at anchor. ENS Olivia Hauser radioed the launches to let them know to get ready for pickup. We’re now anchored in Kanga Bay again and the weather has been beautiful!
RAINIER deck crew looking over the side of the ship to watch the anchor as it is being lifted out of the water. Communication from the deck to the bridge on the location of the anchor relative to the ship’s position is important to prevent damage of the ship’s hull.
Tonight I had the opportunity to chat with some of the NOAA Commissioned Officers on the bridge, ENS Megan McGovern, ENS Nate Eldridge, and ENS Sam Greenaway. I wondered how they got involved in NOAA Corps in the first place. All three of them received a Bachelors of Science prior to applying to NOAA Corps. One of the minimum requirements to apply for the Corps is a bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, or mathematics. Once admitted, the officers head to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point in New York for NOAA Basic Officer Training Class, a rigorous three-month training period. Upon completion of BOTC, the NOAA Corps officers are placed on NOAA vessels sailing throughout the world. They commit to a 2-2.5 year tour aboard the ship to which they are assigned.
The officers, always in uniform, are responsible for running the ship, and are also hydrographic surveyors onboard RAINIER. They work on a rotating schedule, including anchor watch, survey launch, and cleaning and processing data. It seems to me that they’re always working. Then again, that’s how it seems with all the crew working onboard the RAINIER. Check out the NOAA Corps web site if you’re interested.
NOAA Commissioned Officers: ENS Nate Eldridge, ENS Meghan McGovern, and ENS Sam Greenaway.
Personal Log
It’s Sunday today! Physical Scientist Shyla Allen asked me today what I would typically be doing on a Sunday. I told her, I’d be at the beach, going for a swim or snorkel! It’s funny how different my Sundays are in Alaska on RAINIER. It doesn’t really feel like a Sunday because everyone is still hard at work. Today I wrote my log, responded to e-mail, and visited with crew. Pretty fabulous Sunday, really. Not too much activity, at least not for me anyways, which is just how I prefer to spend Sunday.
Calling All Middle Schoolers-We Need Help Answering a Few Questions!
This question comes from the Navigation Officer onboard RAINIER, ENS Sam Greenaway.
If there are 6ft in 1 fathom, in 15 fathoms of water, how many shots of anchor chain would be let out when the anchor just touches the ocean floor?
Also, in 15 fathoms of water, how much additional chain would typically be let out to provide slack for the RAINIER to swing on anchor?
This morning when we came on watch we were informed of a new procedure. We will now be keeping one specimen or each type caught along with one species of skate. These will be placed together in a plastic bag and returned to the lab for further study. There is a relationship study being conducted between the species.
A Hemingway fish was waiting for us this morning too. It is red all over and has big poofy cheeks. It is interesting to look at and this one was about thirteen (13) inches long. The catches today were much smaller than the previous night. By morning we were not catching many shrimp at all.
Personal Log
I had a much better time today. It was possible to get all the work done without rushing and we were also able to keep the baskets and the lab relatively clean. When the mud gets thick, the place takes on a bad smell that becomes oppressive. It is important to maintain a constant vigilance on the fish odor to keep the bacterial buildup under control.
Question of the Day
During what part of any twenty-four hour period can you expect to catch the most shrimp?
Answer: The dark time. The shrimp hide in the mud during the day and come out to feed in the dark when the predators are not able to see them as easily.
Weather Data from Bridge
Visibility: 10 miles to less than 25 miles
Wind direction: 065°
Wind speed: 06 knots
Sea wave height: small
Swell wave height: 4-6 feet
Sea level pressure: 1014.5 millibars
Cloud cover: 3, type: stratocumulus and cumulus
Buoy Technician, Sean Whelan, contacting the Acoustic Releases on WHOTS-2.
Science and Technology Log
Today was very busy because it was the day that WHOTS-2 mooring, which has been sitting out in the ocean for almost a year, was recovered. At around 6:30 a.m., Sean Whelan, the buoy technician, tried to contact the Acoustic Release. (The Acoustic Release is the device that attaches the mooring to the anchor. When it receives the appropriate signal, it disengages from the anchor, freeing the mooring for recovery. There are actually two releases on WHOTS2.) He does this by sending a sound wave at 12 KHz down through the ocean via a transmitter, and when the release “hears” the signal, it returns a frequency at 11 KHz. The attempt failed, so the ship moved closer to the anchor site and the test was repeated. This time it was successful. Based on the amount of time it takes the acoustic signal to return, the transmitter calculates a “slant range” which is the distance from the ship to the anchor. Because the ship is not directly over the anchor, this slant range creates the hypotenuse of a right triangle. Another side of the triangle is the depth of the ocean directly below the ship. Once these two distances are known, the horizontal position of the ship from the anchor can easily be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem.
Recovery of WHOTS-2 buoy aboard the R/V REVELLE.
After breakfast, the buoy recovery began. A small boat was lowered from the ship and driven over to the buoy, as the ship was steamed right near the buoy. A signal was sent down to activate the Acoustic Releases. Ropes were attached from the buoy through a pulley across the A-frame, located on the stern of the ship, to a large winch. With Jeff Lord leading the maneuvering of the 3750-pound buoy, it was disengaged from the mooring and placed safely on deck. This was a bit of a tense moment, but Jeff did a wonderful job of remaining calm and directing each person involved to maneuver their equipment to effectively place the buoy. Once the buoy was recovered and moved to the side of the deck, each instrument on the mooring was recovered. The first to appear was a VMCM, (Vector Measuring Current Meter) located just 10 meters below the buoy.
Jeff Lord, engineering technician, directing the recovery of a Vector Measuring Current Meter (VMCM).
Then two microCATs were pulled up, located 15 and 25 meters below the buoy, followed by a second VMCM. This was followed by a series of eleven microCATs located five or ten meters apart, an RDI ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler), and two more microCATs. As each instrument was recovered, the time it was removed from the water was recorded and its serial number was checked against the mooring deployment log. Each instrument was photographed, cleaned off and sent to Jeff Snyder, an electronic technician, for data upload. Each of these instruments has been collecting and storing data at the rate of approximately a reading per minute for a year (this value varies depending on the instrument) and this data now needs to be collected. Jeff placed the instruments in a saltwater bath to simulate the ocean environment and connected each instrument to a computer by way of a USB serial adaptor port. The data from each instrument took approximately three hours to upload. Tomorrow, these instruments will be returned to the ocean alongside a CTD in order to compare their current data collection with that of a calibrated instrument.
Once all of the instruments were recovered, over 4000 feet of wire, nylon rope, and polypropylene rope were drawn up using a winch and a capstan. Polypropylene rope is used near the end of the mooring because it floats to the surface. The last portion of the mooring recovered was the floatation. This consisted of eighty glass balls chained together and individually encased in plastic. The glass balls, filled with air, float the end of the mooring to the surface when the Acoustic Releases disengage from the anchor. It takes them about 40 minutes to reach the surface. Recovering the glass balls was tricky because they are heavy and entangled in one another. Once on deck they were separated and placed in large metal bins. After dinner, a power washer was used to clean the buoy (it is a favorite resting place for seagulls and barnacles) and the cages encasing some of the instruments. The deck was cleaned and organized to prepare for tomorrow.
Recovery of mooring floatation on WHOTS-2, consisting of 80 glass balls encased in plastic.
Personal Log
The theme that keeps going through my mind during this trip and today especially, is how much of a cooperative effort this research requires. It begins with the coordination between Dr. Weller and Dr. Lukas to simultaneously collect atmospheric data using the buoy and subsurface data with the mooring instruments. In addition, Dr. Frank Bradley, an Honorary Fellow at the CSIRO Land and Water in Australia, is on the cruise working to create a manual set of data points for relative humidity using an Assman psychrometer to further check the relative humidity data produced on the buoy. Within the science teams, coordination has to occur at all stages, from the collection of data to its analysis. This was very evident in physical form today with numerous people on deck throughout the day working to retrieve the mooring, fix machinery as it broke down (the winch stopped twice), and clean the instruments. In the labs, others were working to upload data and configure computer programs to coordinate all of the data. In addition to all of this is the quiet presence of the ship’s crew who are going about their duties to be sure that the ship is running smoothly. Several of the crew did take a break today just after the instruments were collected in order to put out fishing lines! They caught numerous tuna and beautiful Mahi Mahi that the cook deliciously prepared for dinner.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Lisa Kercher Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather June 11 – 24, 2006
Mission: Hydrographic and Fish Habitat Survey Geographic Area: Alaska Date: June 24, 2006
Ron Walker, our experienced driver, maneuvers our boat through the turns.
Science and Technology Log
The crew is working hard to finish sheet B, which is full of completed polygons, with a few remaining to be worked on. Launch 1018 went to work on three of those areas today. Captain Ron drove us to our destination and ENS Wendy Lewis started the computer system. Two of the areas we were assigned were low water areas that can only be navigated by an experienced cox’n. Good thing Ron was heading up our boat. He is as experienced as they come. To start our work we had to lower our transducer, which enables us to send out sonar beams that bounce off the ocean floor. Those beams bounce back to show the shape of the ocean floor. We deployed our CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) device three different times to get accurate readings on the conditions of the ocean that might affect our data collection. Surprisingly, we completed our assignment early and got to head in for lunch.
Humpback whales breach near the ship
Personal Log
Today was whale day! Captain Ron promised me whales and he delivered even before we heading out this morning. As we stood on the fantail of the ship for the morning meeting, Ron pointed out a humpback breeching off in the distance! Then as we cruised at 8 knots surveying our area, a large humpback put on a great show for us! He surfaced again and again, showing off his immense tail fins. What a large splash he made! I was able to watch him for nearly thirty minutes and captured some great video of the spectacular scene. I had yet to see the grand prize of Alaskan marine life: the Orca, but whale day wasn’t over yet. As we idled off the northwest corner of Andronica Island completing our data for the day, a small pod of orcas came to play between our boat and the coast. I could see the white patch on their side and their characteristic dorsal fin. I was so thrilled! Again, I had an amazing day out in the Alaskan seas. Am I really going to have to leave here?!?
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jessica Schwarz
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier June 19 – July 1, 2006
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: Alaska Date: June 24, 2006
The Plot Room onboard NOAA ship RAINIER. After data is collected from the survey boats, it is cleaned and processed by night processors in this room.
Personal Log
I spent another day of hydrographic surveying today! We started at 8:00am by launching boats RA4 and RA5. I was on RA5 today.
I took a motion sickness pill the night before because the seas have been pretty rough lately and some of the technicians have gotten sea sick. I had no idea how I would feel so I took one just to be safe and let me just say…I am never taking one again. I felt like a zombie woman the entire day. I haven’t gotten sea sick yet and I think I’m going to take my chances next time the opportunity arises. I’m sure the medicine has different effects on different people, but for me, I felt like my head was floating a foot above my body the entire day. We’re going to be crossing the Gulf next week and rumor has it that can be a rough leg so I might eat my words and cave by taking the medicine. In that case, it will make for an uneventful log. After a day of surveying we came back to the ship, had dinner, and then I was off in a skiff to shore to spend some time in the hot springs. WOW! This was amazing. When I was packing for my trip I remember thinking it was pointless to pack my swimsuit, but I did anyways…because ya never know! Turns out, I needed it for my visit to the springs.
Survey launch RA5 working in Kanga Bay in Southeast Alaska. The cruising speed of RA5 is up to 25 knots, but while on the survey line logging data, the boat can go no more than 8 kts.
Tucked away in the forest on one of the surrounding islands encircling the bay are beautiful hot springs that people can come to enjoy. The US Fish and Wildlife Service built several small cabins that enclose a big round brown tub, similar to what you’d see in old country western movies. White pipes buried underground are hooked up to the natural spring water and pumped into the tubs. The cabin has a huge window so you can view Hot Springs Bay from the tub. It was like a rustic Alaskan spa experience! After spending some time in the tub, Survey Tech Erin Campbell and I went up into the forest a little ways where we found a natural hot spring surrounded by hemlock trees. The bottom of the hot spring was pretty muddy and crunchy from what I am assuming (and hoping) to be twigs and leaf litter. I couldn’t help but wonder what other little organisms were having an Alaskan spa experience along with me. I came out a little muddy, but very relaxed!
These are the kinds of amazing experiences the crew of the RAINIER gets to enjoy while traveling onboard the ship. They are visiting places that most people will never get a chance to visit in their entire life. There are fishing poles, kayaks, surf boards, and all kinds of other equipment onboard that the crew can use! I think that’s awesome. Everyone is working so hard during the day; it’s nice to see they have some options for things to do on their down time.
I have to say, I have been so impressed with everyone onboard the RAINIER. This is a group of adults who live together, work together, and then play together…all in very close quarters. Everyone is very well rounded and kind. They are truly professionals at sea. I really am appreciating the competency and maturity of everyone onboard the RAINIER. There is a common understanding that although you have high expectations placed on you to get the job done, there is also an understanding that everyone is always learning and it’s okay to make mistakes here and there.
I think that is extremely important to support the crew’s confidence and comfort level in performing their duties while onboard. I’m just so impressed with the level of support and encouragement of one another. This is not something always observed onboard a boat or ship. I think it says a lot about the high quality of the crew onboard the RAINIER. I feel lucky to be a part of it for my time at sea in Alaska.
Next log, I’ll explain more about how the hydrographic data is processed after it’s been collected on the launches. For now, I am off to see how things are going in the bridge, which I have decided is my favorite place on the RAINIER…well, the bridge and the galley, where the coffee is always flowing.
Calling All Middle Schoolers-We Need Help Answering a Few Questions!
What is a hot spring? How are they formed and where does the hot water come from? Isn’t water in Alaska supposed to be cold? Also, just out of curiosity, what kinds of things might live in a hot spring?
Check out this United States Geological Survey website to learn more about the ecosystem and climate history in Alaska.
8th graders, think about plate tectonic movement. How would plates shifting apply to what you read on this website?
