NOAA Teacher at Sea
Pam Schaffer
Aboard NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada
[July 2-10, 2018]
Mission: ACCESS Cruise
Geographic Area of Cruise: North Pacific: Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
All I can say about my NOAA Teacher at Sea experience is WOW- what an incredible experience. Thank you to everyone at the NOAA Teacher at Sea program, the crew of the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, the ACCESS research scientists on-board and the staff of the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries. I’d particularly like to thank Dr. Jaime Jahncke for teaching me how to collect and process zooplanton samples using the Tucker Trawler and enabling me to become a trusted member of his research team.
During the cruise, I learned so much about the work of oceanographers, marine biologists and ecologists. I’ve sailed in these waters in my own sail boat many times but I’ve never seen the sanctuaries through the lens of a researcher. The care and attention to detail taken during marine wildlife observations and the collection of zooplankton and phytoplankton samples throughout the water column reveals an incredibly rich and abundant ecosystem. The data collected will be shared with scientists around the world and helps us better understand and manage the health of our oceans.
The experience has given me lots of great ideas for lessons that I think will engage students and get them excited about knowing more about the ocean. I can hardly wait for the next school year to start so that I can share this amazing experience with students and facilitate learning experiences to inspire future scientists.
Here are some great wildlife pictures that I wanted to share earlier but the connectivity on the vessel was really limited and I wasn’t able to post them.
