NOAA Teacher at Sea
Linda Depro
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
July 31 – August 11, 2006
Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographical Area: Georges Bank, New England
Date: August 7, 2006
Science and Technology Log
It’s a small world here on the ALBATROSS IV. Chad Meckley is a 1996 Wilson High School graduate. Wilson is in Berks County and I live in Lancaster County, less than forty minutes away. If you want to talk to Chad, look on the bridge.
Chad earned a geography/environmental science degree from Shippensburg University and moved to Colorado to be near the mountains. After working several years in sales, Chad happened to be talking to a friend who knew about the NOAA Corps. He applied, was accepted, and began training in February 2006.
We are on Leg 2 of the Sea Scallop Cruise and it is Chad’s third cruise with NOAA. He enjoys being on the ocean and plans to continue his NOAA career. Chad has two goals: to become Officer of the Deck (so he can command the ship) and to experience his first winter at sea.
It is evident that Chad enjoys what he’s doing; you can see it in his smile. Best Wishes, Chad!
Last watch was not quite as busy as the night before. We had two stations that were mostly Brittle Stars, very interesting little starfish. They are a tannish color about the diameter of a coffee mug, with long thin arms that visibly move. When they were shoveled into laundry size baskets each time we had two baskets full, and that’s a lot of Brittle Stars!
Personal Log
Yesterday, Sunday, was an absolutely, drop dead gorgeous day on the ocean. The sun was out and the water was calm. Whales were sighted, but in the distance. I did see them surfacing and took pictures. Imagine a 4×6 all bluish-green and a fourth-inch dot of black. Sunset was working on spectacular, but just as the sun reached the water it went behind a layer of clouds. We are almost at full moon and the night time was just as beautiful in its own way.
