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Julie Hayes: What’s Below Us? April 29th 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Julie Hayes

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

April 22-May 5, 2023

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: April 29, 2023

Weather Data

Clouds: Broken

Temperature: 66 degrees F

Wind: 25 kt.

Waves: 4-6 ft.

Science and Technology Log

Sphere Cameras:

As we travel along the coastal shelf of Texas to Louisiana, scientists have already mapped out drop sites for the Sphere Cameras. There are five cameras that have a 360 degree view, one camera is stereo paired for measurements, and one is facing straight up. The cameras are attached to a rosette (cage), as well as bait to attract fish. Once the cameras are dropped in their designated location they will record for approximately 30 minutes. It is a process dropping the cameras in and picking them up that both the scientists and deck crew all have to help out with. It is hard to believe that by the end of their mission (Legs 1-4) they will have done this over and over around 500 times. Once all footage is collected from the day and downloaded it is then stitched together. This information allows scientist to see a number of things including biodiversity, distributions, and habitat classifications. This is helpful because it is also a much less invasive way for scientists to collect data.

Two members of the science crew, wearing hard hats and life vests, stand on deck, facing a large metal cage hoisted up on ropes. The cage houses underwater cameras. The crewmembers are steadying the apparatus with additional ropes as a davit arm lifts it over the railing of the deck.
A view over the railing of the ship’s deck of the camera array, lowered on a cable and ropes, making contact with the surface of the ocean.
Image gallery imageFour members of the science crew, wearing hard hats and life vests, stand on deck. Two are guiding the underwater camera array as it is raised over the railing of the deck. A third stands farther away, holding one end of a rope attached to the camera array as backup.
Three members of the science crew, wearing hard hats and life vests, stand on deck, looking over the railing where the camera array is being lowered down to the ocean. The crewmember in the foreground holds slack a blue rope attached to the top of the camera array. Another yellow rope, likely held by another crewmember, is also visible.
Three members of the science crew, wearing hard hats and life vests, stand on deck, facing a large metal cage hoisted up on ropes. The cage houses underwater cameras. The crewmembers are steadying the camera array as a hook (connected to something out of view) lifts it over the railing of the deck. In this photo, the array is now suspended entirely over the water.
Four members of the science crew, wearing hard hats and life vests, stand on deck, facing out toward the ocean. One holds a line (rope) attached to something in the water out of view. A camera array awaiting deployment is visible on the deck behind them.

Deploying Cameras

Camera Recordings

A black and white view, through the bars of the camera array, of a shark swimming underwater above a mostly sandy ocean bottom.
Shark
A black and white view, through the bars of the camera array, of about seven red snapper who appear to be jostling over the bait attached to the array.
Red snappers

Tony VanCampen, Electronics Technician

Tony, wearing khaki pants, a khaki shirt, glasses, and a large white beard, stands at a control panel lined with computer monitors, keyboards, and radios. He holds a telephone up to his right ear and grasps papers in his left hand.
Tony demonstrating the Global
Maritime Distress System

Tony is responsible for anything electronic. This could include things like wind, temperature and pressure sensors, electronic connections for the scientific computer systems, and GPS position for mapping. He states, “Anything that can be recorded for future data collection accuracy is very important.” Tony is also in charge of letting others know if the ship needs help. Tony has been on several ships in his lifetime including spending twenty years in the Navy. When Tony retires he hopes to work at a train museum in New York, due to his fascination with trains. He has been a great person to talk to while on this journey and is always willing to give me any information I ask. He even took time out to give me a tour of the bridge and flying bridge, as well as giving me several lesson ideas of coding for my students.

Chris Rowley, Lead Fisherman

Chris, wearing a hard hat, life vest, and sunglasses, stands on deck near a large camera array. He works to hook a cable to the top of the apparatus.
Chris helping deploy cameras

Chris is the lead fisherman on Pisces. His job is to assist the scientists in deploying cameras and CDT, and anything else needed. NOAA provides great benefits to support his family. Chris also is a coxswain who drives the Fast Rescue Boat (FRB) if needed. He is also part of the fire drill and you can see him in the pictures below during the drill. Chris lives in Louisiana and enjoys spending any off time he has with his twin daughters and wife.

Student Questions of the Day for Tony and Chris

Alivia and Tucker ask: How many different ships have you been on?

Tony was a great one to answer this question. Tony was on two naval ships, and eight different NOAA ships. I would say he has had a lot of experience in maritime.

Aryan and Alivia ask: When did you start working for NOAA?

In 2004 Tony started working for NOAA.

Maverick asks: What do you do in your free time?

Tony enjoys woodworking, religious teaching, and is involved with a food bank rescue ministry when he isn’t out to sea.

Konnor asked: What did you do before this job?

Chris started in High School working in the summers on shrimp boats as a deckhand in Louisiana. Before working for NOAA, he worked several years on offshore supply vessels (OSV).

Holden, Karson, Gary, Macie, Zane, Haylee, and Liam ask: What is the coolest and largest thing you have seen in the ocean?

Chris states that at night, while working on the supply vessels, lights would shine in the dark water and he saw an albino barracuda. The largest marine life he has seen has been a whale shark and he has seen several orcas.

Meela and Parker ask: Do you get lonely and do you get personal time?

Chris works out on the ocean over nine plus months out of the year. He looks forward to vacation where he can spend more time with his family back home. The ship now has internet that helps keep them in touch with family.

Personal Log

Last night we had to start working our way inland about 20 miles offshore, due to a large storm out in the Gulf. Tomorrow we plan to head back out towards our mission locations to continue where we left off. We have been tracking the storm for a few days and knew that we would need to go somewhere due to the heavy winds and waves. Since we can’t deploy cameras at our designated locations, everyone is using this day as a catch up day. We also did fire drills and abandon ship drills today. Safety is a huge priority on the ship, and I am confident that if there were to ever be an emergency situation, that everyone on Pisces would handle it excellently. I am taking advantage and downloading photos and working on the blog today, and checking in with my students work back home. Yesterday was amazing! I love getting my hands dirty and take every chance I can get to help cut bait for the baited cameras. I got to see my first whale at sea, and I have had the opportunity to see dolphins a few times now. I find myself often looking for marine life. There are always amazing sunsets at the ocean.

Two crewmembers, dressed in protective coats, pants, gloves, and masks, head down an outdoor stairwell to the deck during the fire drill.
Two crewmembers, dressed in protective gear, spray powerful hoses over the deck of NOAA Ship Pisces during the fire drill.
NOAA Corps Officers, two with protective helmets and gloves, make their way down an outside staircase to the main deck hauling fire extinguishers.

Fire drills

A view off the fantail of NOAA Ship Pisces of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico.
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico
Three mackerel, used for baiting the camera arrays, lay on a teal plastic cutting board.
Bait fish

Bait fish

Julie, right, and an unnamed science team member, left, pose for a photo on deck. Both wear baseball caps and yellow latex gloves. Julie holds a fistful of squid up for the camera. The other person holds an orange mesh baitbag triumphantly above her head.
Bait (squid)
Julie and another science team member stand at a table out on the deck. They are wearing yellow latex gloves. Julie uses a knife to cut the bait into sections on a cutting board. The other person pulls an orange mesh baitbag (filled with cut bait) closed via drawstring. Five other filled baitbags sit on the table.
Cutting and filling bait bags for the baited cameras

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