Vincent Colombo, Getting Ready to Leave, June 4, 2015

NOAA Teacher At Sea
Vincent Colombo
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 11 – 30, 2015

Mission: Annual Walleye Pollock Survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: Bering Sea
Date: June 4, 2015

Introduction

Greetings from Delaware! This is my introductory post for my Teacher at Sea experience. I am set to arrive in Kodiak, Alaska on Monday June 8th. My name is Vinny Colombo, teacher at Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown, Delaware. I live near Bethany Beach, DE, and an experience on the water is less than a 5 minutes drive away. As you can see below, Delaware is part of the Delmarva Peninsula. A peninsula is an area surrounded on three sides by water. Accordingly, the Atlantic Ocean and tidal bays are part of our every day lives.

My next post will be from NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson. I am anxiously awaiting being a part of the annual walleye pollock survey. Some of the reasons I have decided to study fisheries is because I absolutely love the water. Below are some pictures of things I will be missing out on until I return in July.

While on the Bering sea, my research study will be to assess the population of Walleye Pollock, an integral part of the Alaskan ecosystem, economy and global commerce. Pollock are a key fish in the food web of the waters surrounding Alaska. The best comparison I have to the pollock is the Atlantic Menhaden found in the waters surrounding Delmarva. Menhaden have different names depending on where you live, such as Bunker, Elwys, Moss Bunker, and Pogy. The way we know exactly the species is by its scientific name: Brevoortia tyrannus.  Many other species of fish and invertebrates rely on this very special species of fish.

Sustaining fisheries is vitally important to all of the environment. I look forward to learning more and sharing my experiences with you right here. Please check back soon for more information.