Author: Teacher at Sea

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea 2017 Field Season

Below is a list of the NOAA Teachers at Sea for the 2017 Field Season. Once they have embarked on their cruise, you can gain access to their logs which document their missions at sea and offer a wealth of information about the research being conducted as well as personal stories. All individual teachers’ logs can be accessed by clicking on the teacher’s name.

Samantha Adams teaches Geoscience at Pan American International High School at Monroe in Bronx, NY. Samantha was aboard NOAA Ship Hi’ialakai.

David Amidon teaches Biology and Life Science at LaFayette Jr/ Sr High School in LaFayette, NY. David was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Melissa Barker teaches Biology at Dawson School in Lafayette, CO. Melissa was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Lisa Battig teaches Chemistry and Environmental Science at Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley, CA. Lisa was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Susan Brown teaches Science at Northland Preparatory Academy in Flagstaff, AZ. Susan was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II .

Cecelia Carroll teaches Math and Technology at Hampstead Academy in Hampstead, NH. Cecelia was aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow.

Dave Chambers teaches Biology, Environmental Science, Botany, and Zoology at Pratt Community College in Pratt, KS. Dave was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Staci DeSchryver teaches Earth and Physical Science at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, CO. Staci was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette.

Amanda Dice teaches Science, Environmental Science, Astronomy, and Gifted STEM Extracurriculars at Connections Education in Baltimore, MD. Amanda was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Karen Grady teaches Gifted and Talented Enrichment at Lavaca School District in Lavaca, AR. Karen was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Jennifer Hartigan teaches Science at Lincoln Middle School in Alameda, CA. Jennifer was aboard R/V Fulmar.

Helen Haskell teaches Geology and General Science at Sandia Preparatory School in Albuquerque, NM. Helen was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Marsha Lenz teaches All subjects at South Bay School in Eureka, CA. Marsha was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Anna Levy teaches Biology at Prospect Ridge Academy High School in Broomfield, CO. Anna was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Terry Maxwell teaches Physical Science at Seneca High School in Seneca, IL. Terry was aboard R/V Hugh R. Sharp.

Christopher Murdock teaches Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Regina Jr/Sr High School in Iowa City, IA. Christopher was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II .

Samuel Northern teaches Library Resources at Simpson Elementary/Simpson County Schools in Franklin, KY. Samuel was aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter .

Chelsea O’Connell-Barlow teaches Life Science at City Schools of Decatur in Decatur, GA. Chelsea was aboard NOAA Ship Bell Shimada.

Sian Proctor teaches Physical Science, Geology, and Sustainability at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, AZ. Sian was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson .

Brad Rhew at Sea

Brad Rhew teaches Science at Cook Literacy Model School in Winston-Salem, NC. Brad was aboard NOAA Ship Bell Shimada.

Kimberly Scantlebury teaches General Science, Physical Science, and Natural History at Founders Academy in Manchester, NH. Kimberly was aboard NOAA Ship Pisces .

Katherine Schafer teaches Science at The Harker School in San Jose, CA. Katherine was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Jennifer Smallwood teaches Science at Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach, VA. Jennifer was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Emily Sprowls teaches Earth, Physical, Environmental Science and Chemistry at Harmony School in Bloomington, IN. Emily was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Christopher Tait teaches Biology and Environmental Science at New Fairfield Public Schools in New Fairfield, CT. Christopher was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Christine Webb teaches English and Math at Providence Christian School in Kalamazoo, MI. Christine was aboard NOAA Ship Bell Shimada.

Dawn White teaches Biology and Environmental Science at North Branch Area High School in North Branch, MN. Dawn was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Mark Wolfgang teaches Biology and Zoology at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, PA. Mark was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea 2018 Field Season

Below is a list of the NOAA Teachers at Sea for the 2018 Field Season. Once they have embarked on their cruise, you can gain access to their logs which document their missions at sea and offer a wealth of information about the research being conducted as well as personal stories. All individual teachers’ logs can be accessed by clicking on the teacher’s name.

Cynthia Byers teaches Science and English at Rosholt Middle School in Rosholt, WI. Cynthia was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Geoffrey Carlisle teaches Science at KIPP Austin College Prep in Austin, TX. Geoffrey was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Victoria Cavanaugh teaches Math at Edward Devotion School in Brookline, MA. Victoria was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Emily Cilli-Turner teaches Precalculus and Calculus at University of La Verne in La Verne, CA. Emily was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Ashley Cosme teaches Biomedical Innovations at Crown Point High School in Crown Point, IN. Ashley was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Jennifer Dean teaches Anatomy & Physiology and Environmental Science at Camas High School in Camas, WA. Jennifer was aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

Susan Dee teaches Marine Science and Biology at May River High School in Bluffton, SC. Susan was aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow.

Justin Garritt teaches Math at KIPP Ujima Academy in Baltimore, MD. Justin was aboard NOAA Ship Bell Shimada.

Kimberly Godfrey teaches Natural Sciences at the Academy of Natural Sciences WINS program in Philadelphia, PA. Kimberly was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Michelle Greene teaches Statistics, Algebra and Calculus at Lamar High School in Lamar, SC. Michelle was aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter.

Kristin Hennessy-McDonald teaches Physical Science and Biology at T-STEM Academy at East High School in Memphis, TN. Kristin was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Brandy Hill teaches Math and Science at Twality Middle School in Tigard, OR. Brandy was aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson.

Angela Hung teaches Biology at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL. Angela was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Thomas Jenkins teaches Science/ STEM at Greenon Jr./Sr. High School in Springfield, OH. Thomas was aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow.

Stephen Kade teaches Art at O.L. Smith Middle School in Dearborn, MI. Stephen was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Andria Keene teaches Biology and Marine Science at Plant High School in Tampa, FL. Andria was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

David Knight teaches Marine Science and Biology at University High School in Irvine, CA. David was aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

Eric Koser teaches Physics at Mankato West High School in Mankato, MN. Eric was aboard NOAA Ship Rainier.

Dana Kosztur teaches Science at St. Martin Middle School in Ocean Springs, MS. Dana was aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

Anne Krauss teaches Literacy at Cobbles Elementary School in Penfield, NY. Anne was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Martha Loizeaux teaches Marine Science and Field Labs at Ocean Studies Charter School in Tavernier, FL. Martha was aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter.

Roy Moffitt teaches Science at Maple Street Elementary School in Contoocook, NH. Roy was aboard USCGC Healy.

Heather O’Connell teaches Math and Science at West Hawaii Explorations Academy in Kailua Kona, HI. Heather was aboard NOAA Ship Rainier.

Victoria Obenchain teaches Science at The Saklan School in Moraga, CA. Victoria was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Jeffrey Peterson teaches English at The College Preparatory School in Oakland, CA. Jeffrey was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Taylor Planz teaches Physical Science at Harlem High School in Harlem, GA. Taylor was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Meredith Salmon teaches Biology at Peddie School in Hightown, NJ. Meredith was aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Thomas Savage teaches Earth Science, Chemistry and Physical Science at Henderson County Early College High School in Flat Rock, NC. Thomas was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Pamela Schaffer teaches Integrated Science at Will C. Wood Middle School in Alameda, CA. Pamela was aboard NOAA Ship Bell Shimada.

Joan Shea-Rogers teaches Regular Education Inclusion – Biology, Science, and English at Lanphier High School in Springfield, IL. Joan was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Lacee Sherman teaches Science at Firebaugh Middle School in Firebaugh, CA. Lacee was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Lenore Teevan teaches Earth Science and Oceanography at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, VA. Lenore was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

David Tourtellot teaches Music at Lee’s Summit Elementary in Lee’s Summit, MO. David was aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson.

Mark Van-Arsdale teaches Oceanography, Biology and Marine Biology at Eagle River High School in Eagle River, AK. Mark was aboard R/V Tiglax.

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Looking Back On 30 Years of Teachers at Sea

This week, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program. Join us as we look back at the history and accomplishments of this groundbreaking program.

Since 1990, more than 850 teachers have sailed aboard NOAA research ships. They serve as valued crew members, conducting hands-on research and learning more about the science that informs our conservation and management efforts.

This unique professional enhancement opportunity is made possible by the NOAA Teacher at Sea program. For three decades, the Teacher at Sea program has helped teachers participate in annual NOAA research surveys conducted by our scientists. Teachers from around the country embark on a two to three week expedition at sea. They gain invaluable on-the-job experience and communicate their journey through a series of blogs and lesson plans.

After their research cruise, teachers take their newfound knowledge back to their classrooms and hometowns. Teacher at Sea alumni have worked with more than 500,000 students and 3 million other people at conferences and other outreach events. The Teacher at Sea Alumni Association was created in 2011 to provide a way for teachers to continue learning and network with others who’ve had the same experience.  

Teacher at Sea Program Manager Jennifer Hammond said, “Teachers at Sea are great ambassadors for NOAA science. We accept Pre-K through college-level teachers in all subject areas who demonstrate they can communicate the science back to their classrooms, whether they’ve taught for one year or 20 years. The original goal of the program was for teachers to get an opportunity to see how we conduct at-sea research and introduce them to NOAA careers, specifically NOAA Corps and at-sea science.”

History of the Program

The program started in NOAA’s Office of Marine Aviation Operations in 1990. NOAA Corps Officer Lt. Ilene Byron placed the first Teacher at Sea, Debora Mosher (pictured right), on the NOAA Ship Oregon II to help conduct an Atlantic scallop survey. 

Mosher said the experience allowed her to see “…the reality of scientific research—the expertise, the planning, the time, the effort, the dangers, the data, the equipment, the cataloging and computing of numbers, the frustrations. But most importantly, I saw the information and careful analysis would help us understand the natural world.”

Experiencing Real-World Science at Sea

By doing the science, the teachers gain a greater connection to the science. They see firsthand how our surveys translate to the real-world and they learn how to communicate the experience to their students. They also become an integral part of the research team. “The teachers learn that problem-solving and team-building are a much bigger component of science than they thought. You have to rely on each other and the equipment you have at-hand,” Hammond said.

Some of these teachers have never had a real-world research experience before. Their first trip out to sea can be intimidating regardless of background and skill level. The Teacher at Sea program puts teachers squarely in the shoes of their students, who encounter new and complex lessons every day at school. For many teachers, their experience at sea reminded them what it felt like to be a student. It allowed them to change their teaching habits to more effectively reach students who feel overwhelmed by new class material.

Program Benefits Teachers—and Scientists

It’s not just the teachers and students that benefit from the program. NOAA scientists are eager to work with Teachers at Sea. “Teachers are suited for sea,” Hammond said. “They stand up all day long, they get no lunch break, rare bathroom breaks, they’re constantly adapting to their class and lesson plans. They’re prepared for rapid change, they work long days, and they tend to be a group that doesn’t sleep much. Scientists find them hard working, energetic, motivated, and appreciative of the experience. They’re such a wonderful contribution to the research team. This is why more than 70 NOAA scientists request Teachers at Sea to join their surveys each year.”

Although we could not send teachers to sea this year, the program continues to support the educational community through the Teacher at Sea Alumni Association.

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea 2019 Field Season

Retrieving the Beagle ROV
view from Shimada

Below is a list of the NOAA Teachers at Sea for the 2019 Field Season. Once they embark on their cruise, you can gain access to their logs which document their missions at sea and offer a wealth of information about the research being conducted as well as personal stories.  For more recent Teacher Logs, please go to the NOAA Teacher At Sea Homepage

Jill Bartolotta teaches Marine & Aquatic Science at Ohio Sea Grant in Painesville, OH. Jill was aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Jessica Cobley teaches Life Science at Floyd Dryden Middle School in Juneau, AK. Jessica was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Catherine Fuller teaches History at Iolani School in Honolulu, HI. Catherine was aboard R/V Sikuliaq.

Katie Gavenus teaches Ecology & Oceanography Field Studies at Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies in Homer, AK. Katie was aboard R/V Tiglax.

Shelley Gordon teaches Science at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland, CA. Shelley was aboard R/V Fulmar.

Lona Hall teaches Earth Science at East Hall Middle School in Gainesville, GA. Lona was aboard NOAA Ship Rainier.

Callie Harris teaches Marine Science at Sugarloaf School in Summerland Key, FL. Callie was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Allison Irwin teaches English at Wilson High School in West Lawn, PA. Allison was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Ragupathy Kannan teaches Biology & Ecology at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR. Ragupathy was aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter.

Linda Kurtz teaches STEM Lab at Sope Creek Elementary in Marietta, GA. Linda was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

David Madden teaches Science at Maclay School in Tallahassee, FL. David was aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

Erica Marlaine teaches all subjects at Nevada Avenue Elementary School in Canoga Park, CA. Erica was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Phil Moorhouse teaches Earth Science & Oceanography at Armstrong High School in Richmond, VA. Phil was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson.

Karah Nazor teaches Molecular Biology, Environmental & Marine Science at McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. Karah was aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Cara Nelson teaches Biology & Marine Biology, Oceanography and Chemistry at Bartlett High School in Anchorage, AK. Cara was aboard R/V Tiglax.

Elizabeth Petrick teaches Science & Math at Wallace & Priscilla Stevenson Intermediate School in White Salmon, WA. Elizabeth was aboard R/V Point Sur.

Hayden Roberts teaches Geography & History at Western Heights Public Schools in Oklahoma City, OK. Hayden was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Kathy Schroeder teaches Marine & Environmental Science at Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples, FL. Kathy was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II.

Meg Stewart teaches Earth & Environmental Science at West Bronx Academy for the Future in Bronx, NYC, NY. Meg was aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Teacher at Sea Blogs

Guy Sturdevant: Heading North, June 17, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea Guy Sturdevant Preparing to board NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson June 20 – July 15, 2026 Mission: Summer Pollock Acoustic Survey, Leg 2 Geographic Area of Cruise: Bering Sea, Alaska Date: June 17, 2026 Weather Data from the Flint Hills of Kansas Latitude: 37°34’00” N Longitude: 96°30’40” W Winds S at 20-30…

gsturdevant85emilysusko by gsturdevant85 and emilysusko

Amber LaMonte: Don’t Doubt The Drifters: Plankton Are In Charge, June 6, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea Amber LaMonte Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces May 31 – June 10, 2026 Mission: Northeast Ecosystem Monitoring Survey (EcoMon) Geographic Area of Cruise: Southern New England Date: June 5, 2026 Data from the Bridge Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 8:26 PM Latitude: 39° 02.684’ N Longitude: 072° 43.098’ W Doppler Wind Speed: 1.97 knots (kt) True…

Amber LaMonte by Amber LaMonte

Amber LaMonte: This Post Is Fishy, June 4, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea Amber LaMonte Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces May 31- June 10 Mission: Northeast Ecosystem Monitoring Survey (EcoMon) Geographic Area of Cruise: Mid-Atlantic Date: June 4, 2026 Data from the Bridge Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 8:24 AM Latitude: 39° 02.599’ N Longitude: 072° 42.161’ W Doppler Wind Speed: 9.97 knots (kt) True Wind…

Amber LaMonte by Amber LaMonte

Jennifer Widdig: Readying for Life Aboard a Research Vessel, June 2, 2026

NOAA Teacher at SeaJennifer WiddigAboard NOAA Ship Thomas JeffersonJune 17 – June 30, 2026 Mission: Hydrographic Survey  Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario Date: June 2, 2026 A New Adventure Begins Welcome! My name is Jen, and I call the small town of Minford, Ohio, home. For the past decade, I have…

Jennifer.widdig by Jennifer.widdig

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