NOAA Teacher at Sea
Shelley Gordon
Aboard R/V Fulmar
July 19-27, 2019
Mission: Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, Northern and Central California Coast
Date: July 17, 2019
Science Log
This year my summer is coming to an end with a bang! Tomorrow I will drive over to Sausalito, California to join a team of scientists on a research cruise as a NOAA Teacher at Sea. Over the course of the next week I will be on the deck of R/V Fulmar, a NOAA research vessel, off the coast of California in the Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries. From what I have learned so far, this high nutrient area of the ocean attracts a lot of different forms of life. Whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and a wide variety of sea birds all migrate to this region to feed on the many forms of prey that thrive here.
Scientific data collected on this trip will contribute to the Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS), a long-term research project which started back in 2004. This unique project is studying the offshore ecosystem in two National Marine Sanctuaries, Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones. Three times each year scientists systematically collect data, and the resulting dataset shows how the ocean environment is changing over time, and how various populations of organisms are responding. The data also helps scientists understand how to better protect the National Marine Sanctuary ecosystems (learn more at www.accessoceans.org).
Over the course of our 8-day cruise, scientists on the ship will collect data along 11 transects (according to the plans, we will not be collecting data on transects 8-10 on this map). As the ship moves along each transect, various types of data will be recorded, including counts of what can be seen above water (birds, marine mammals, ships, and marine debris like trash, fishing gear, etc…) and what is underneath the surface (plankton, krill, fish, and nutrients). In addition, we will collect data on ocean salinity, temperature, and acidity. I can’t wait to share information about what I see and learn on this adventure.
Personal Log
My interest in joining this research trip is both personal and professional. I grew up with family members that are keen observers of nature. My dad is an avid bird watcher who diligently kept a life list and my mom finds great pleasure in observing and identifying flowers and plants. While I can appreciate these interests, the environment under the ocean waves is what has always captivated my attention. Although I grew up in the desert of Tucson, AZ, I had the opportunity to learn how to SCUBA dive from a high school teacher and I have been hooked on learning about the animals in the ocean ever since. My personal favorites are Giant Manta Rays and Harlequin Shrimp. The opportunity to briefly step into the shoes of a marine scientist is something I am really looking forward to.
I work at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland, CA, a public school that serves a uniquely diverse population (in any given year we have more than 20 different home languages spoken by our students and their families). As an educator in this amazing place I aim to support our students in growing their personal skills so that they can become the creative leaders our community will need in the future. While the marine sanctuaries I will be visiting on this trip are practically in our backyard, they can also seem a world away from daily life in Oakland. Yet, our daily lives have a huge impact on the ocean environment. By participating as a NOAA Teacher at Sea on the ACCESS cruise, I am excited to gain first-hand research experience in my “backyard” and be inspired with new ways to help make this information come to life in our classrooms.
Over the next week I will happily share what we are up to on the boat. I would also love to bring questions to the research team, so please send any you have my way!
Did You Know?
Balloons are the most common type of trash spotted from the research boat! Helium-filled balloons easily wriggle out of the hands or knots meant to hold them down and float high into the sky. I’ve watched many a balloon do just that and wondered, what happens to those balloons once they are out of sight? Convection currents in the air eventually deposit those same balloons into the ocean, where they become dangerous hazards. Marine animals can eat the balloons by mistake and die. Hopefully we’ll see way more whales than balloons on this trip!?! Stay tuned…
Shelley – have you posted an update since the cruise started? I am only seeing your pre-trip post but using Blogs is new to me