Month: May 2010

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David Altizio, May 21, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
David Altizio
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
May 17 – May 27, 2010

NOAA teacher at Sea: David Altizio
NOAA ship Fairweather
Mission: Hydrographic survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: SE Alaska,
from Petersburg, AK to Seattle, WA
Date: Friday May, 21

Weather Data from the Bridge

Position: Behm Canal to Customhouse Cove,
Shoalwater Pass and Princess Bay
Time: 0800 on 5/21
Latitude: 550 23.26’ N
Longitude: 1300 57.13’ W
Clouds: Overcast
Visibility: 10 miles
Winds: light with variable directions
Waves: Less than one foot
Dry Bulb Temperature: 10.00C
Wet Bulb Temperature: 8.50C
Barometric Pressure: 1016.5 mb
Tides (in feet):
Low @ 0111 of 3.7
High @ 0713 of 13.1
Low @ 2011 of 1.0
High @ 2011 of 14.4
Sunrise: 0421
Sunset: 2058

Dall’ porpoises racing along side the Ambar launch boat

Science and Technology Log

I spent the morning on the smallest and most maneuverable of the launch boats on the Fairweather called an Ambar. Unlike the other launch boats that I was previously on, this one does not have a sheltered area so full cold weather/rain gear was needed. Our task was to collect sediment samples from the bottom of Shoalwater Pass and Princess Bay. We were the first of four launches to go out on this day. As we were being lowered down from the ship everybody started to notice porpoises all around us.

Me getting ready to lower the bottom sampler to determines edimentsizes of the channel floor.

Once the Ambar was deployed the porpoises began racing alongside the boat. They stayed with us for a few minutes.It was an awesome sight and an experience that I will never forget. Later, at lunch I was talking with the CO (commanding officer) and he told me that he had never quite seen so many porpoises ride alongside a launch boat for such a long time.

What I saw were Dall’s porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli)a species that is only found in the North Pacific; from the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska (spring to summer) and in coastal waters as far south as Baja California (fall to winter). Their unique body shape makes them easy to distinguish from other porpoise species. They have a very thick body and a small head. Their coloration is much like an Orca (killer whale), with their bodies being black with white patches on their underside. Dall’s Porpoises are hugely active and playful creatures. They will often zigzag around at great speed on or just below the surface of the water creating a spray called a “rooster tail”. They often appear and disappear quite suddenly. They will approach boats and ride alongside, but may lose interest, unless the boat is travelling quickly.

Here is one of the Dall’s Porpoises surfacing for air.

Dall’s are usually larger than other species of porpoises, growing up to 2 or 3 meters in length and weighing between 280 to 450 lbs. This species of porpoise can live as long as 15 to 20 years. They feed mostly on squid and a variety of fish. They are the fastest of all porpoises; they can swim at or up to 35 miles per hour. They often appear in small groups. Today, I would say there were at least 15 to 20 of them, but they were so fast and difficult to count.
After the excitement, we drove over to Shoalwater Pass and began collecting our first of eight bottom samples. The information gathered from these samples is very helpful to ships that might be anchoring in a particular area. For example, if you anchor in deep mud, the anchor could become trapped or stuck in the mud, or if the bottom is very rocky the anchor would not be able to set into the bottom at all.
In order to collect the bottom sediments we had to lower down a heavy sampler and allow it to hit the bottom. In deeper water this was definitely more difficult. As you can see, we had to pull the sampler up by hand and hope that it had closed and collected sediments. It did not close every time we lowered it, so some of the site required more than one drop which made the task even harder.

Here I am pulling up the bottom sampler.Not as easy as it looks.

Of the eight bottom samples we collected, they ranged from sticky mud to angular stones, to pebbles. The classification system used for bottom samples includes the following names: mud, clay, silt, sand, stones, gravel,boulders, lava, coral, and shells. After they are named, if they are sediments they are then classified by size range and then adjectives are added to specifically describe the sample, such as: fine, medium, coarse, broken, sticky,
soft, stiff, volcanic, calcareous, hard, soft, light, dark, small, medium, and large.

Here is one of the bottom samples that we collected.

After each sample was taken we used a laptop (that can get wet) with a GPS receiver attached to it to log our exact positions. This information will be part of the charts that will be made when the area is completely surveyed.

Chart of sediment size ranges.
Tough notebook laptop,yes it can get wet.

Personal Log

As already stated one of the highlights of my trip so far has been the Dall’s porpoises that raced alongside us. That is something that I will never forget. This was not the only wildlife sighting of the day. When we were transiting from one sample area to another, I spotted a bald eagle and pointed it out to two of the other guys on my boat. What happened next was awesome.
Once we saw the eagle, which as I have told you are all over the place, we noticed another smaller bird in front of it. The eagle was chasing him and was hot on his tail. Suddenly the smaller bird had nowhere to go and did a nosedive into the water. This was so cool. Then the eagle proceeded to circle the smaller bird from above so as to say stay down there. I also saw numerous whale spouts from a distance, too far to tell what type. While back on the Fairweather for lunch a stellar sea lion was swimming right along the starboard side of the ship. When I went outside to see him, he surfaced, came out of the water about chest high looked right at me and swam away, never to be seen again.
SE Alaska is truly a special and magical place. Not just for wildlife, the scenery is absolutely spectacular. I can’t wait to see what another day brings with it.

Animals Seen Today

Dall’s porpoises Bald eagle chasing smaller birds A few stellar sea lions along the starboard side of the Fairweather Whale spouts from a distance

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David Altizio, May 19 – 20, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
David Altizio
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
May 17 – May 27, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea: David Altizio

NOAA ship Fairweather
Mission: Hydrographic survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: SE Alaska,
from Petersburg, AK to Seattle, WA
Dates: Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20

Weather Data from the Bridge

Position: Customhouse Cove                       Position: Behm Canal
Time: 0800 on 5/19                                        Time: 0800 on 5/20
Latitude: 550 05.97’ N                                   Latitude: 55017.77’N
Longitude: 1310 13.8’ W                                Longitude: 130058.03’W
Clouds: Overcast                                               Clouds: Mostly Cloudy
Visibility: 10 miles                                           Visibility: 10 miles
Winds: 6 knots from the SE                            Winds: 14 knots from the SW
Waves: Less than one foot                              Waves: Less than one foot
Dry Bulb Temperature: 13.00C                   Dry Bulb Temperature: 12.50C
Wet Bulb Temperature: 12.50C                   Wet Bulb Temperature: 10.50C
Barometric Pressure: 1010.5 mb                Barometric Pressure: 999.9 mb
Tides (in feet):                                                      Tides (in feet):
High @ 0447 of 14.6                                        High @ 0558 of 14.0
Low @ 1128 of ‐0.7                                           Low @ 1233 of 0.2
High @ 1802 of 13.2                                         High @ 1909 of 13.9
Low @ 2349 of 4.0
Sunrise: 0429                                                      Sunrise: 0418
Sunset: 2055                                                        Sunset: 2102

Science and Technology Log

On Wednesday, May 19, I was able to go out on a small boat launch. Four such boats were deployed from the Fairweather that morning. They all use 400 kilohertz multi‐beam sonar to map the bottom of the channels we are currently in, near Ketchikan, AK. This type of SONAR sends out 512 beams/ping of sound, and is most effective in shallow water. The area or swath that can be scanned at anytime is about 5 times the depth of the water. Therefore in shallow water the swath is much narrower and in deeper water the swath is much wider. Most of the work today on all of the launches was filling in small areas in the chart in which data was missing or not dense enough to complete the project. These areas are referred to as “holidays”, because they are areas where previous survey launches have been through the area and the data was not good enough. Some possible reasons for this could be that they are areas where acoustic noise was picked up by the multi‐beam SONAR, or where shadows were cast from the surface bedrock or boulders on the bottom of the channels. The area that we surveyed first is called Cascade Inlet.

Me on a small boat (launch) to survey the bottom of channels around
Me operating the multi‐beam sonar on the small boat launch

Not only did I get to use the computers on board to operate the SONAR and collect data, I was also able to deploy an instrument called a CTD that measures the conductivity, temperature and density of the water. This is very important because the speed of sound in water changes depending on the waters temperature density and conductivity. For example, the top layer of the water is typically a little warmer, less dense and less salty than deeper water due to influences from rain and inputs from rivers. When using SONAR you must know all of these factors in order to understand the speed at which sound waves will travel through the water. The sound waves will travel faster in cold deeper water, and the computer models take this into account before finalizing a chart. Ideally when using the CTD the sample must be taken at a depth that is greater than any spot you have surveyed so as to have a complete profile of these factors.

Me on a small boat (launch) pulling the CTD sampler back onto the boat.

In the afternoon we spent most of our time performing shoreline verification of small features around an area called Hog Rocks that have been previously identified. Here we used GPS (Global Positions Satellites), latitude and longitude, azimuth bearings, elevation and photos. As the name implies we were visiting small features to double check their exact location and exact heights.

On Thursday, May 20 I was scheduled to go out on a launch boat again but things did not go accordingly. There was a problem with the Davit, a mechanical crane that picks the 7 ton, 28 foot survey launch off the decks of the Fairweather and deploys them into the water. Since I was unable to go out and scan shallow water from the launch, I stayed on the Fairweather to scan and plot deeper water (approximately 400 meters) in and around Behm Canal. From the plot room of the ship I helped operate the computer, by starting and stopping the collection of data. In addition to filling in “holidays” we also mapped some cross lines. Cross lines are lines that run perpendicular to the main channel and are a means of verifying previous scans or quality control.

Example of shoreline features near Hog Rocks that we were verifying from the launch boats
Me, in the plot room on the Fairweather, collecting data.

Personal Log

I can’t say that the launch on May 19 was fun, but it was very cool and interesting. One thing no one told me was that after the morning rain was over that the sun would come out and it would reach almost 60 degrees, and that I should have brought sunscreen and a hat: warmer than it was in NY on this day. I now know for future launch days. I am usually going to be scheduled on a different launch team, doing slightly different tasks each day.

For now I just finished dinner, and yes it was very good again. In the meantime I am awaiting a debriefing of the day’s launches, and then hang out until bed. Before going to bed I went up to the highest deck on the Fairweather, called the flying bridge and watched one of the most beautiful sunsets unfold in front of my eyes.

What else, is on my mind…..Well SE Alaska is ridiculously beautiful, this coming from someone who has traveled a lot and used to work in the Grand Canyon. All over the place there is something new to see. I am still waiting for major whale sightings. Tuesday night before bed I caught a glimpse of some tails of a few porpoises (similar to dolphins), and Wednesday morning at the safety meeting on the stern of the boat (back) I sort of saw a whale surface for a moment. On Thursday, again at the safety meeting on the stern, a few of us saw a humpback whale at a distance breach the water a few times.

While at port, a picture showing the Davit, that picks up the launch boats to deploy them
Sun set on the Fairweather on May19
Bald eagle taking off on May19 from a shoreline feature we were verifying
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Laura Rodriguez, May 20, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Laura Rodriguez
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
May 24 – June 2, 2012

Mission: Fisheries Surveys
Geographical Area: Eastern Bering Sea
Date: May 20, 2010

Dutch Harbor/Unalaska

Bridge to Dutch Harbor
Fuel Pier View of Captain’s bay
Church of The Holy Ascension, Unalaska
Bald Eagles are like Pigeons here
The Oscar Dyson at dock in Dutch Harbor

Thursday morning I left Anchorage for Dutch Harbor. The flight was only 3 hours long, but we stopped to refuel in King Salmon. (Find the route on Google maps.) In Dutch Harbor, I was met by a junior officer of the NOAA corps, Ensign Amber Payne. Amber’s job is on the bridge piloting the ship. She is originally from Michigan, but went to college in Florida studying marine biology. Once on board, Amber gave me a tour of my home for the next 10 days.

After settling in, I took the “Liberty Van” to downtown Unalaska to sightsee a little.  A Liberty Van is simply a van that goes into town every hour to ferry people back and forth to the ship. In Unalaska, I saw the Church of the Holy Ascension, a Russian Orthodox Church built in 1826 by the Russian American Fur Company. I went down to the beach to touch the water; very cold!! The van driver, Kerri, estimated that the temperature is probably around 2°C or just a little above freezing; colder than I want to swim in. I also walked past the 3 schools in Unalaska, the community center and aquatic center. They are all beautiful new buildings. After the Liberty Van brought me back to the ship, I took a walk down the road the other way and saw many bald eagles, oystercatchers, harlequin ducks and black guillemots. I also spotted a bald eagle building a nest. The bald eagles around here are kind of like pigeons. They are everywhere.

When I got back to the ship, the scientists had arrived. We went into Dutch Harbor together to get dinner at a very nice Mexican restaurant called Amelia’s. One thing on the menu I found very interesting was a Louisiana sandwich which was made with reindeer sausage. ( I don’t remember any reindeer in New Orleans during my Earthwatch trip.) The scientists all live in the Seattle area and are oceanographers or fisheries biologists. They work at the NOAA headquarters in Seattle.

Friday I woke early and went to the mess for a delicious cheese omelette breakfast. After breakfast, we spent the morning organizing the labs by moving crates and boxes from previous research cruises. We then went into town to do a little last minute shopping. I also got to visit the Museum of the Aleutians. The museum details the prehistory and history of the Aleutian Islands. Very Cool Fact – The Unangun or Aleuts made parkas from the guts and esophagi of any large sea mammal. Second Very Cool fact – The Japanese invaded Dutch Harbor during World War II. To learn more about the Unangans and the history of the Aleutians visit the museums website:http://www.aleutians.org/.

We shoved off from Fuel Pier in Captain’s Bay around 4PM and headed out to sea.

Now, I’ll answer some of your questions. If I don’t answer your question at this time, be patient I’ll try to answer all of them by the end of the cruise.

Kevin M and Kate – There are 27 people on board the ship for this cruise. There are the 4 scientists, me and 22 crew members.

Trisha – The crew all work together on the ship for each cruise. The group of scientists are different each cruise. The three oceanography/fisheries scientists work as a team and do this particular cruise each year. Tiffany, the IT specialist was hired by the team to help with this cruise. They work together in Seattle and seem to know each other well.

Devin and Becca – The sleeping quarters are very nice. I share a room with Amber Payne. We have bunkbeds. I have the lower bed which is usually Sara Duncan’s, but she’s not on board for this trip. We have a small head (bathroom) with a very small shower. (Lots of hot water, though and that’s important!!) Overall the ship is very comfortable. There is a large mess (dining hall) and a lounge area with a large screen TV. They have a collection of movies that you can watch in the lounge or on computer monitors in your room. Last night, Amber was watching Shrek in our room while I was reading through your blog entries. (I have to admit I watched some of it, too)

Bryant  and Lucas McC– The food so far has been delicious. I had an omelette for breakfast yesterday, today I had yogurt and fresh fruit (cantaloupe, papaya and strawberries.) For dinner last night, we had our choice of Cornish hens or spare ribs. I’ll keep you updated on the future cuisine. Yesterday, the last thing brought on board was the food, so we have some very fresh food. The food is kept in the galley, in large refrigerators and pantry areas.

Hannah D. – I asked Amber why she came up here after having lived in Florida where it is much warmer. She said that Florida was actually too warm and they have different, cooler (pun), marine animals up here. She wanted to see whales and sea lions, etc. You don’t get that in warmer waters. She also said that on her last cruise they saw killer whales or Orcas – very cool!

Ben – The water where we are sampling is on the continental shelf and doesn’t go much below 100 meters deep. We will always sample from at least 10 m off the bottom. Further off the islands (south) the bottom drops sharply to a trench. The deepest part of the trench is 7,679 meters (25,194 ft).

Chris – The Oscar Dyson is not an icebreaker, but it can go through ice to a point. On the last cruise they had to go through the ice pack to get a scientist to the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. The XO, Jeff Shoup told me they could only go so far and then they had to back up. The bow is reinforced for ice, but not the keel which could be damaged if they went too far.

Now it’s your turn – Find out about the types of marine animals that live in the waters of the Aleutian Islands. Then, describe one kind of animal in detail – Include information such as where they are found, what they eat and/or what eats them, their importance to humans and anything else you find interesting.

 

Please remember to include the website URL of where you got your information. And write in complete sentences including as much detail as you can.

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Laura Rodriguez, May 19, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Laura Rodriguez
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
May 24 – June 2, 2012

Mission: Fisheries Surveys
Geographical Area: Eastern Bering Sea
Date: May 19, 2010

Anchorage

View from the Marriott Hotel Downtown Anchorage

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I left Connecticut this morning at 8:15 AM and arrived in Anchorage at 2:00 PM local time which would be 6:00 PM back home. I’m staying in a beautiful hotel that has amazing views of the mountains that surround Anchorage. Since it’s still early here, I’ve had a chance to walk around town and even do a little window shopping. I had a Sockeye Salmon Salad sandwich (try saying that ten times fast) and salmon chowder. Both were delicious. When I come back after my research cruise, I’m going to try reindeer sausage.

Alaska State Monument, Anchorage

So here’s your challenge today. Alaska just celebrated its 50thanniversary of statehood last year. It became the 49th state in 1959. Research Alaska’s history and post at least one interesting fact. Try to find something a little different.

View of the Mountains from Anchorage
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David Altizio, May 17-18, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
David Altizio
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
May 17 – May 27, 2010

NOAA ship Fairweather
Mission: Hydrographic survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: SE Alaska, from Petersburg, AK to Seattle, WA
Dates: Monday, May 17 and Tuesday, May 18

Weather Data from the Bridge

Position: Petersburg to Ketchikan
Time: 0800 on 5/18
Latitude: 550 18.4’ N
Longitude: 1310 29.1’ W
Clouds: Overcast
Visibility: 10 miles
Winds: 10 knots from the NE Waves: Less than one foot
Dry Bulb Temperature: 13.50C
Wet Bulb Temperature: 13.00C
Barometric Pressure: 1004.0 mb
Tides (in feet):
High @ 0358 of 15.8
Low @ 1038 of ‐1.5
High @ 1711 of 13.6
Low @ 2246 of 3.9

View out the window of the plane to Petersburg of a meandering river
View out the window of the plane to Petersburg of a meandering river
View out the window of the plane to Petersburg
View out the window of the plane to Petersburg of a
meandering river

Science and Technology Log

The main purpose of the Fairweather is to conduct hydrographic surveys which measure the depth and bottom configuration along SE Alaska. This work assists in the production of nautical charts and ensures safe navigation in the U.S. The surveys also identify sea‐floor materials, dredging areas, cables, pipelines, wrecks and obstructions. The Fairweather supports a variety of activities such as port and harbor maintenance (dredging), coastal engineering (beach erosion and replenishment studies), coastal zone management, and offshore resource development. Hydrographic surveys are conducted primarily by using side scan and multibeam sonar. SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging) uses sound waves to find and identify objects in the water and determine water depth.
Side scan sonar is most useful to locate sea‐floor features and possible obstructions, but does not provide depth information. While multi‐beam sonar systems emit sound waves directly beneath the ship’s hull to produce fan‐shaped coverage of the sea floor. These systems measure and record the time elapsed between the emission of the signal to the sea floor or object and back again. Multi‐beam sonar produces a “swath” of soundings (i.e., depths) to ensure full coverage of an area.
Safety is hugely important while out at sea. Today we performed two safety drills, a fire/emergency situation, and an abandon ship drill. During the first drill I reported to the mess hall (dining area), and a fire was supposedly going in the paint room. When more help was needed I and one of the engineers scurried to the bow (front) of the ship and climbed down a hatch to help determine if the “fire” was spreading. Moments after that we tested two of the ship’s fire hoses, which definitely work. A little while later another alarm sounded signaling an abandon ship drill. For this I needed to go to my room and get my survival suit, and life vest, and then reported to my life raft. Practicing these drills is vital to life at sea. The officers of the Fairweather also become firefighters and we all need to communicate and work together to ensure everyone’s safety.

Here I am operating one of the ship’s fire hoses

Personal Log

Let me start off by saying that I feel like I have won a science teacher lottery. I feel so lucky and privileged to be able to represent New Rochelle High School, and be part of a science research cruise. My first two days in SE Alaska have been absolutely amazing. I flew from New York to Seattle, and then on to Anchorage, AK. I spent one night there and then in the morning flew to Petersburg, with a brief stop at the Juneau airport. Once on the ground in Petersburg I was met and picked up by the Executive Officer (XO) and a Junior Officer (JO). Within two minutes of being on the ground I was asked if I would like to play softball. I told him I could be considered “a ringer”.

Me in my survival (Gumby) suit

The setting was truly surreal. There were snow capped mountains in all directions, and I spotted my first bald eagle of my trip. We played 7 innings on a gravel ballfield; with members of both the Fairweather and its sister ship The Rainier, which is being serviced currently. I smacked the ball around pretty good and almost made a sliding catch in the outfield. Once the game was over (we lost), I went to dinner with some of the ships officers. After a long night in town, I finally made it to the Fairweather. We spent most of Monday at the dock, waiting for the tide to come up. The first stretch of the journey is a place called Wrangell Narrows. As the name implies it is a very narrow stretch of water and it is best for a ship the size of the Fairweather to pass at high tide. The first few hours of the trip were absolutely beautiful. From the time on the ship until now I must have seen over a dozen bald eagles, almost too many to count. From there we entered Sumner Strait, and then went through Snow Pass and into Clarence Strait. Next, after dark (the sun does not set until 9 p.m., and it is not dark until an hour or so after that), we cruised through Nicholls Passage and in the morning through Tongass Narrows and into the port of Ketchikan.

Dinner the first night was delicious; I had roasted eggplant ragout over polenta, with roasted broccoli on the side. Yum. I have heard people onboard say that the Fairweather has the best food in the NOAA fleet and I already agree. After a long nights sleep, our first day of work started. At 0800 there was a safety briefing on the stern (back) of the ship. The two survey teams were launched from the ship. Those who stayed onboard went into Ketchikan to get almost 30,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel. For dinner the second night I had Halibut with a curried corn sauce, mushroom risotto, and snap peas. Again it was great. In my next log I will show you some of the ships facilities.

Here I am hitting a double to right centerfield, in a losing effort

Animals Seen Today

Bald Eagles – so many I lost count, at least a dozen
A few people said that bald eagles in Alaska are as common as pigeons in New York. A few seals while in Petersburg
Many other birds while out at sea