NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jenna Cloninger
Aboard Bell M. Shimada
June 11 – June 26, 2025
Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 1)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast
Today’s Date: June 23, 2025
Track the Ship: Bell M. Shimada
Weather Data Snapshot: 9:16am, Pacific Daylight Time
Currently, the air temperature is 57°F (14°C) with a wind speed of 15 knots and a wave height of 6 feet. I have just completed my first daytime marine mammal watch (mentioned in a previous blog post), where I spotted several dolphins and sea lions. The bright sunlight and clear blue skies made it easy to spot mammals during the day, as opposed to the nighttime when I am normally on marine mammal watch. As with every marine mammal watch, if marine mammals are spotted, fishing operations are paused until marine mammals are no longer within a certain distance of our vessel. If marine mammals persist in the area, fishing operations may be suspended entirely. In today’s case, we called off our fishing operations after seeing several marine mammals over the course of an hour.
Science and Technology Log
In other news, I finally got to experience my first and only hake trawl! Pacific hake, otherwise known as Pacific whiting, are another species of fish that are being assessed on this integrated survey. They are fished during the daytime hours at the midwater level as opposed to the nighttime hours at the surface level, as we do for coastal pelagic species (CPS) like mackerel, anchovies, and sardines. Scientists use real-time acoustic data to determine the best places to fish for hake as well as CPS, and up until this point in our survey, a hake trawl never quite lined up with my waking hours. After becoming an expert on CPS, I had to learn how to identify hake as well. (And in my completely biased opinion, I enjoyed trawling for CPS more than hake, but that’s just me!)
However, when asked if I wanted to “jump in there” for a photo with the hake, I couldn’t say no! As I’ve said, one of the best parts of this whole experience has been how much fun I am having with my team. They have been my personal photographers so that I have plenty of excellent pictures for this blog!
The following night, we caught around a dozen jack mackerel that were the largest I had ever seen! We normally see smaller individuals in our trawls, but these big guys were the highlight of the night. And just like we do with the smaller specimens, we measured their lengths and weights and extracted otoliths (mentioned in a previous blog post). As you can see in the picture below, these fish were so large that they barely fit into our “taco trays” that we use for organizing fish for dissection.
Personal Log
I am nearing the end of this adventure at sea, and I must say, I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. Am I excited to go home and see my family? Of course. Will I miss my newfound family aboard NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada? Definitely. As a teacher, I get to go home and relax for the rest of the summer, while everyone else on board this vessel will continue their work in some form or fashion, whether that’s on the ship or in an office somewhere on land. I will miss the sense of discovery that every new day brings, and I will miss the comradery of the ship. I have had such a positive experience with everyone, whether they are part of the science team, the deck crew, the NOAA Corps., etc. and it’s something that I wish everyone had the chance to experience. It’s not every day that you meet a group of people who are genuinely kind and cooperative with one another as they work toward a common goal.
Did You Know?
For today’s Did You Know? section, I have decided to highlight some information about two members of the science team who are sailing on NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada with me for Leg 1. I chose to interview John Pohl and Julia Clemons because their backgrounds are in oceanography, which is the subject that I teach. I hope to use the summaries of these interviews to help my students gain insight into the life and career of an oceanographer.
Interview with an Oceanographer: John Pohl
John Pohl, a research oceanographer with NOAA, has been captivated by the ocean since childhood and now dedicates his career to exploring and understanding the marine world. He believes the scientific method is a powerful tool to satisfy curiosity and make meaningful contributions to both human society and the natural world. Pohl emphasizes the importance of recognizing how deeply our lives depend on ecological systems, such as those that produce oxygen, food, and clean water. He enjoys the variety and adventure of fieldwork, whether on research vessels or diving underwater, as well as the creativity involved in developing new scientific ideas. While much of his time is spent analyzing data at a computer, it’s the blend of discovery and imagination that keeps his work fulfilling. He wishes more people would realize that scientists are not emotionless or robotic, but rather are fueled by curiosity and wonder. To students interested in marine science, Pohl advises taking charge of their own learning, using available free resources, and seeking out mentors and collaborators who inspire and support their growth. He believes that nurturing a sense of wonder and building strong, positive networks are key to both personal and professional development.
Interview with an Oceanographer: Julia Clemons
Julia Clemons, team lead of NOAA’s Fisheries Engineering and Acoustic Technologies (FEAT) team and co-lead of the Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (IWCPS), has a background in geological oceanography and brings her lifelong passion for the ocean to work with her every day. Her team collects fishery-independent data, which is important because it helps scientists understand fish distribution and population trends beyond just areas that are easy to fish. This information is essential for tracking how fish grow and migrate, and for supporting sustainable fisheries management. Julia finds joy at work in collaborating with others, especially during large-scale surveys that inform stock assessments of important species like Pacific hake. Although much of her work is done in the office, she also spends one to two months at sea each year during intense fieldwork periods. She’s loved the beach since she was a toddler and turned that early fascination into a career. Julia wishes more people knew how much effort, planning, and dedication go into each research survey and how deeply scientists care about getting things right. Her advice to students is to follow their passion boldly, stay open to learning, ask for help when needed, and not let discouragement from others define their future. Passion and persistence, she believes, matter more than having all the answers at the start.