NOAA Teacher at Sea
Cheryl Milliken
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 25 – August 10, 2025
Mission: Bottom Longline Survey, Leg 1
Geographic Area of Cruise: Atlantic Coast of Florida
Date: July 30, 2025
Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 28° 35.1’ N
Longitude: 080° 14.9’ W
Wind speed: 9 knots
Wave height: 0-1 ft.
Air temp.: 31.3° C (88° F)
Sky: Few clouds
Science and Technology Log
Before I begin, my friend asked if we have a streaming presence. Although we do not, NOAA supports a website that tells where NOAA Ship Oregon II (and the rest of the fleet) is located at this link: https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/cwn/apps/noaa-shipwatch.html. This week we are completing many stations off the Florida coast and have made it as far north as Cape Canaveral.
On Tuesday we launched our first drifter, from NOAA’s Adopt-a-Drifter (ADP) program. The deployment went off without a hitch. Soon we will be able to view its movements using the following link: https://adp.noaa.gov/trackadrifter/falmouth-high-school/. Oceanographers from NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, Florida, set up this dashboard to eventually see all three drifters in the ocean.
Images: (1) Drifter #1 in wet lab; (2) Cheryl and drifter #1 prior to deployment; (3) Cheryl and Josh (chief bosun) deploying Drifter #1; (4) Cheryl and Josh preparing to launch; (5) Drifter #1 in the Gulf Stream!
Tuesday night at 2030 (military time for 8:30 PM), we began preparing the first longline of the trip! This process looked daunting the first time we did it, but I’m sure we will settle into a groove soon.
A longline is a series of baited hooks stretched out for a long distance (ours stretches for a mile!). The line is weighted down at the beginning, middle, and end and marked by flanking high flyers, or buoys with long poles and a flashing beacon on top of a reflective panel so the ship’s captain can return to retrieve the gear.
We set out 100 gangions clipped to the mile-long longline. The ship steams forward, and the bridge calls out every 1/10 of a mile (10, 20, etc.) to help the bosun pace the number of gangions along the mile-long line. A gangion is a fishing unit consisting of a metal number to keep track of the hook, a clip, a length of monofilament with a circle hook at the end, and a piece of bait (we used mackerel cut into thirds). A circle hook is used because the curve of the hook reduces the chances that a fish or sea turtle will swallow the hook (an event that often mortally wounds the fish because it is very difficult to remove, or it can hold a sea turtle underwater and may drown them ). The bait has to be double-hooked (pierce it twice with the hook) to secure it.
Once the 100th gangion is attached to the monofilament, the bosun secures a weight, the second high-flyer, and a separate floating buoy to mark the end of the longline. Then the timer begins: the longline soaks, or stays in the water, for an hour from the time the second high flyer hits the water to the time we retrieve the first high-flyer. Here is an infographic made by Stephen Kade, former Teacher at Sea from 2018:
Infographic of longline survey aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II, created by Stephen Kade, NOAA TAS 2018.
We did not land any fish at our first station, but we have a long way to go! The night watch caught two sharks: one silky shark and one dusky shark. I can’t wait to see some on our watch!
I am enjoying being on the ship and meeting new people. I will be interviewing some of them for this blog, so you can see for yourself the diversity of careers needed to support a survey cruise.
Interview with LT Luke Petzy
LT Luke Petzy of NOAA Corps on NOAA Ship Oregon II.
LT Luke Petzy was one of the first members of NOAA Corps (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps) we met, as he led the “Welcome Aboard” meeting for all new volunteers and crew. From the outset, it was clear that safety is a top priority on this vessel.
The meeting covered essential safety procedures and introduced us to the impressive array of equipment installed to ensure our well-being at sea. Located at the top of the ship is an EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon), which is triggered to call for help via satellite if the ship is in distress. In addition, SARTs (Search and Rescue Transponders) emit radar signals to aid in locating the ship during an emergency.
Each person aboard is assigned to a specific life raft and issued an EEBD (emergency escape breathing device) for use in smoke-filled or low-oxygen situations. Hard hats and work vests are mandatory when working on deck. It is reassuring to know that we are in capable and well-practiced hands, as they perform drills at the start of each leg of the survey. Here’s a closer look at LT Petzy’s background and how he came to serve in the NOAA Corps.
How did you become a part of the NOAA Corps?
I grew up in Methuen, MA, and graduated with a degree in Natural Resource Studies and Fisheries Conservation from UMass Amherst. I took a SCUBA course that culminated in a trip to Key Largo, FL, which really hooked my interest in fish and the ocean. After college, I moved to St. John, US Virgin Islands to work at an eco-resort, where I met my wife, Corie. We moved back to MA when I got a job as a fisheries observer out of Woods Hole to go out on different types of fishing boats. It was the coolest job, but also the most dangerous. The job had a very unpredictable schedule and no way to call home for a couple of weeks while I was at sea observing. It was a really great experience but also a tough lifestyle.
In 2015 I moved back to St. John with my wife. I got my captain’s license and taught scuba. In 2019 I got a job in Newburyport, MA, as a tow boat captain.
Later that year, I applied and was accepted to NOAA Corps training. This job has given me the ability to drive boats and be a part of scientific operations and have adventures. I am a NOAA diver and have to dive a certain amount per year to maintain proficiency.
Why is your work important?
My job is to navigate the ship. I also work with the science crew to plan trips to complete the surveys. I like working for an agency that promotes science, scientific integrity, and an environmentally focused mindset. My job supports these efforts. I am responsible for the safety of the crew and safety of the ship, and I take pride in that.
What do you like most about your job?
I like seeing the ocean in a way that many others don’t, in all its moods and forms. I get to see marine mammals and marine life during the surveys. It is a rewarding feeling after we complete a successful mission.
What is the most important piece of technology that you use in your job?
The radar and electronic chart display system are so important to know where we are, and to avoid other vessels. I have to add the depth sounder, too, to avoid shallow water.
What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t working at NOAA?
I would put my captain’s license to use on ecotourism boats or work with schools to bring students out on the water.
Do you have any hobbies?
Scuba, woodworking, and playing guitar. I have my ukulele on this trip to practice.
Personal Log
Life aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II is comfortable and exciting. The scientific crew work twelve-hour shifts, so a lot of time is spent with four other people on my watch. Each person brings different strengths to the group and takes on a variety of roles and responsibilities when we are fishing. I will share more about that in my next blog.
Animals seen:
- Flying fish (they don’t actually fly, but the ship’s movement definitely motivates them to scoot along or glide)
- Brown booby (a seabird)
- Barracuda! The fishermen troll behind the ship when their work is done, and this day they caught a barracuda. They did not keep it because the barracuda sometimes contains ciguatoxin, a toxin that causes ciguatera fish poisoning. We don’t want anyone to be poisoned on this trip!
L to R: Chief bosun Josh Cooper and skilled fisherman Sean Gronquist reel in the barracuda from the stern of the ship. Josh Cooper shows his barracuda catch to an excited group.
Did You Know?
Many sharks have only a few babies (called pups) at a time. Tiger sharks, however, can have up to a hundred! Their pups are often preyed upon by adult tiger sharks, including their mother!