NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kiersten Newtoff
Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces
January 6 – January 29, 2025
Mission: Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (AMAPPS)
Geographic Area of Cruise: North Atlantic Coast
Date: January 13, 2025
Current Location: 38°02.141′ N, 73°30.716 W (you can follow us on Windy in real time!)
Weather from the Bridge:
Team Spotlight: The Michelin Stars
While the purpose of NOAA cruises is conducting science, it’s not just scientists on board. There is a whole community of people who make the day-to-day on the Pisces possible. In addition to the blog series on the different science teams, we will also meet the different teams that run the Pisces. First stop – the galley.
The kitchen is the soul of the ship.
Jean
Meet Jean and Julius, easily the most loved crew members of all because they keep our bellies full of the good stuff. You know how you overeat during the holidays and when they pass you try and workout more and lessen your eating? Yeah, this cruise right after the holidays is definitely not the time to start a new diet. Jean and Julius make us three meals a day, and lunch and dinner always have dessert! I attempt to only grab 2-3 food items from the buffet bar, but it’s really hard and I rarely do. And how does someone not take dessert when they are just sitting there, waiting to be consumed? I guess I’ll start with those New Year’s resolutions after getting back.
The Michelin Stars make a wide variety of dishes each day that accommodates the diets of the 34 folks on board, and everything is incredibly delicious. Not only do they make sure that everyone has something substantial to eat; they also take care of the crew that have to miss meals based on their shift. I’m impressed that they are always so prompt with the meals; always finished the moment the meal starts. If you have seen the reality TV show Below Deck, you know that the food is never on time. I had no idea what to expect as I’ve never done a trip like this before, so most of my boat knowledge comes from that show. And it’s nothing like this. NOAA Pisces is so much better!
Meet the Michelin Stars
The chief steward on board is Jean (pronounced like “John” but fancier) and the second cook is Julius. Jean is half black – half Panamanian, where he grew up. His parents met in Panama where his father was working. Jean used to work in offshore drilling, but during the COVID shutdowns, only small teams were working. Jean really wanted stability in his career and his mom, who works for NOAA, recommended filling out an application with the agency. Jean got the position and began in the laundry department. While he doesn’t work for NOAA, his dad works as a chief steward on a University of Hawaii vessel. Something tells me that Jean was destined for a chief steward role in NOAA. His first assignment was on Rainier, which experienced a fire in September 2023. Jean was on the fire team and after 3 hours the team was able to control and extinguish it. None of the 41 passengers on the ship were injured, but there was quite a bit of damage and the ship had to be towed from America Samoa to Honolulu. Since the Rainier was out of commission, Jean needed to transfer to another boat. He already knew some people aboard the Pisces and shared that it is important to have good working relationships with your crew. Jean only recently was promoted to Chief Steward, and so far, he is really enjoying the role because he gets to make decisions and please people.
Julius is a man of many hats. When he first started with NOAA in 2014, he started on deck and moved to sewage and engine before settling in as the second cook. Technically, he is assigned to the Brown, but it has been docked for repairs for Julius has been floating around different vessels. He plans on making a switch to the Pisces because he really likes the crew and working with Jean. Julius doesn’t have a culinary background, but he’s picked up a lot of skills from floating around departments and working with the different stewards for the past decade. Of all the positions he has worked, he enjoys working in the kitchen the most.
Julius and Jean do more than just cook though, there’s a lot of moving pieces to make a perfect meal. They have to inspect and repair the cooking vent systems, manage the linens, make menus (3 per day!), and ensure that dishes are clean and sanitary and not break during foul weather.
If the food’s good, people are going to be happy.
Jean
I asked the Michelin Stars about their favorite parts of their job. Julius says he really enjoys cooking and he likes seeing the crews’ faces light up as they eat something good. I think I can easily say that everyone on board loves the food, so hopefully we have been bringing them lots of enjoyment! Jean’s initial answer is that he likes getting off work and getting paid. I mean, you can’t really fault him for that, because same. He then agreed with Julius, and I am choosing to believe that would have been his real answer.
They both agreed that the hardest part of the job is being away from home so much. Julius has a wife and two kids at home and Jean has a partner at home. Jean shares that it’s hard getting into arguments when you can’t really make up. They have missed birthdays, anniversaries, and other important milestones, which is difficult. But the stableness of a position with NOAA and doing something they truly love to do has helped get through the difficulty times.
How Can You Work in the Steward Department?
Both Jean and Julius would look on USAJobs for positions with NOAA but couldn’t find any. Julius then went to the NOAA website where he found a position for the deck crew that he applied for. He got the position, but soon after boarding, he asked if he could work as a second cook, which they granted. Jean didn’t find much on the NOAA website (this was during the shutdowns when he was looking), but fortunately his mom works at NOAA and was able to forward along some job opportunities.
Neither Jean or Julius started in the steward department, they both worked their way up. You likely will have to start at a lower rank, but your work ethic will be noticed – and that goes in both directions. Although NOAA ships are found all across the US, nearly everyone knows everyone else. If you change ships, you can guarantee that word about your work ethic has already spread to your new crew. And if your work ethic is as great as Jean and Julius’, then you will be going places.
Breakfast, a Limerick
It’s 0600 and breakfast is ready.
Half of the crew is there already.
Pancakes, bacon, sausage, and cereal,
All the best for a perfect meal.
Lunch is next, hoping for spaghetti!