NOAA Teacher at Sea
Amelia Black
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 6-17, 2026
Mission: SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey
Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico
Date: July 18, 2026
Science and Technology Log
Are you curious about the final number of marine taxa (types) that we caught on Leg 3 of the SEAMAP Groundfish Survey?
We caught more than even the scientists onboard predicted we would! However, before I tell you the final count, I want to explain a little bit about the process of sorting and identifying the different types of marine life counted during the survey.
Not everything that came up in the net was counted as part of the survey. Trash, empty shells, sea grass, and organisms small enough to pass through the holes in the net were not included. We first sorted everything into similar groups and then separated those groups further when needed. For marine life that looked very similar or was difficult to identify, the scientists would double-check each other’s work to make sure everything was sorted correctly. Remember, this survey was not just about fish but included all kinds of marine life living on the ocean floor.
Looking at these pictures, can you tell the difference between some of these organisms?
Sometimes it was easy to tell the difference and other times it was very difficult. The scientists had to not only know the differences but also the scientific (Latin) names for hundreds of different marine taxa. Occasionally, we would catch something that was not common during the groundfish survey. When this happened the scientists would consult identification guides or databases to help identify what we had caught.
Over the past two weeks, I have learned so much and encountered many new names and words. Not only have I learned the common names of the marine life we encountered, but I have also learned their scientific names. I’m not sure how many of those names will stay in my long-term memory since I may never encounter some of these organisms again. I do know I have learned more than I ever expected.
I was able to identify a lionfish on someone’s shirt! Before this trip, I never would have recognized it.
Lionfish are an invasive species from the Indo-Pacific region. They are related to scorpionfish and also have venomous spines. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lionfish-facts.html
So.. what was the final count?
The total count of different marine taxa (types) that we counted was…
350!
That’s 350 different marine taxa that we identified during Leg 3 of the survey. Then, every individual within those taxa had to be counted, with many also being measured and weighed. It was incredible to see the diversity of life living on the ocean floor.
Watch this slideshow to see video to see some of the amazing marine life we encountered.
Did you see any marine life that looked familiar? I did! I was surprised to learn that there are catfish in the sea! They are a different type than the catfish we have in the rivers back home in Kansas, but they look very similar.
Personal Log
Before leaving for this trip, I wanted to get a picture of the sunset every night. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen! At first, I did not realize the sun set around 8:00 p.m. in the Gulf instead of closer to 9:00 p.m. like back home in Kansas. By the time I figured that out, I had already missed a few beautiful sunsets. Thankfully, I was still able to capture several beautiful sunsets before the end of the trip.
They say that if you are lucky, you might see a ‘green flash’ just as the sun disappears below the horizon because green is the last color visible before the sun is gone. I watched every chance I got, but I was not lucky enough to see one.
As I head back to Kansas, I just want to say thank you to everyone who made this experience possible. Thank you to the NOAA Teacher at Sea team, the crew of Oregon II, the science team, and everyone who followed along on my adventure.
It is still hard to believe that this was my life for the past two weeks. The entire Oregon II crew was incredibly welcoming and made the ship feel like a home away from home.
To the science team, thank you for making room for a Teacher at Sea and for answering my thousand-and-one questions. You are an incredible group of people, and the research you do to help monitor the health of the Gulf is so important. A special thank you to Scientist Dereke for being willing to pick up the ‘spicy’ fish so I could take pictures, and to Mo, the college student, for learning alongside me and teaching me about marine biology.
Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home.” While I am happy to be back in Kansas and preparing for my next adventure at a new school, I know I will miss the people I met aboard Oregon II. It truly became a home away from home.
Artist Highlight
Meet artist Sean Gronquist, a member of the NOAA crew. Sean uses the Japanese art of fish printing called Gyotaku. Gyo means fish and taku means rubbing. This traditional art form began as a way for fishermen to record their catches before photography and is still practiced today. https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/get-involved/educational-uses-gyotaku-or-fish-printing
Activity Corner
Choose an ocean animal that interests you and do a little research. Where does it live? What adaptations help it survive? What role does it play in its ecosystem?
Here is a website you can use to help you learn more about your ocean animal: https://oceanconservancy.org
You can also learn more about Gyotaku https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_mG-Ka4mv8&t=1s or even create your own fish print https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tI92lYwL8U For younger children, I recommend using finger paints instead of traditional ink.
Book Recommendations
The science team shared some of their favorite ocean-themed books for readers of all ages. Whether you are just beginning to learn about marine life or you are looking for your next great read, I hope you find one that inspires you to learn more about our oceans.
Lower Elementary
- The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
- The Cod’s Tale by Mark Kurlansky
Upper Elementary and Up
- The Octopus Scientists: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk by Sy Montgomery
- Why Fish Fart: Gross but True Things You’ll Wish You Didn’t Know by Francesca Gould
Middle School and up
- Octopus: The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate by Jennifer A. Mather
- The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Nonfiction High School and up
- What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe
- Emperors of the Deep by William McKeever
- Longitude by Dava Sobel
- So Excellent a Fishe by Archie Carr
- A Shadow and a Song by Mark Jerome Walters
Fiction High School and up
- Andy Weir: The Martian or Project Hail Mary
- Merfolk by Jeremy Bates
Nonfiction Adult
- Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
- The Reef: A Passionate History by Iain McCalman
- The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales
- Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith
- Rachel Carson’ ‘s The Sea Around Us or Silent Spring
Adult Fiction Books
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
- The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Did You Know?
Oregon II will welcome another NOAA Teacher at Sea at the end of July for Longline Survey. It will be a different science team, but I hear they will be catching lots of sharks and snappers! Follow the NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog to continue the adventure.
Adventure awaits!
¡La aventura te espera!
Sources
https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/ctd/
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/science-data/oceanographic-and-ecosystem-sampling-during-pacific-hake-survey
https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ocean-fact/ctd/
https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/indicators-conductivity
https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-feature/19gulfofalaska-logs-july26-2/ https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-07/parameter-factsheet_turbidity.pdf