Marla Crouch – Page 2 – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

June 13, 2013August 11, 2021

Marla Crouch: Checking Out the Fish! June 12, 2012

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Marla Crouch
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 8-26, 2013

Mission: Pollock Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Alaska
Date: June 12, 2013

Weather Data from the Bridge: as of 2300
Wind Speed 12.30 kts
Air Temperature 6.10°C
Relative Humidity 98.00%
Barometric Pressure 1,009.6mb

Latitude: 54.22N Longitude: 164.65W

Science and Technology Log

Here I am all decked out in my rain gear in the wet lab, ready to sort the catch of our first bottom trawl. Quite a fashion statement, don’t you think?

Walleye Pollock (latin name Theragra chalcogramma), a fish that lives both on and above the seafloor, is the main target of the Pollock survey, but information about other sea life is also collected. When we start sorting the catch from this bottom trawl, the primary population is Pacific Ocean Perch (POP, Sebastes alutus). The POP is a member of the Scorpaenidae or scorpionfish family and has poisonous spines. When handling the fish I have to be really careful of the very sharp spines to avoid injury. Fortunately, the POP’s teeth are not as formidable as their spines, so I can grab them by the mouth to safely move them around.

Every point on the dorsal fin (top fin) is a poisonous spine. Graphic courtesy of http://akfishinfo.alaskaseafood.org/main/pages/white-rockfish

After we sort the catch the total weight of each species is recorded. We collect additional biological data on the POP, by first sorting them by “Blokes” or “Sheilas.” I’ll let you figure out what characterizes Blokes and Sheilas. After the sorting, each fish in the sample is laid on an electronic measuring board (mm) to determine and record the length of the fish. In this survey the length of the fish is measured from the tip of the mouth to the center of the “v” in the tail, this is know as the fork length.

Other populations being sampled are plankton and the jellyfish that were collected in a Methot trawl. Here Abigail McCarthy is sorting two types of zooplankton krill (also called euphausiids) and jellyfish that were collected. Once the sorting is completed, then the quantity and weight of the krill and the jellyfish is recorded. One of the areas Abby is investigating is if there is a correlation between the krill population and the location of baleen feeding whales. Abby wonders how far away the whales can smell or sense dinner? Who can tell me which species of whales are baleen feeders?

Another tool the scientists use to collect data is a tethered stereo camera that takes 10 pictures/second. Using the pictures I am counting and sorting fish by species. Look at the pictures and you’ll see a Gorgonia sea fan and a basket star. The camera has a stationary photo length, so objects closer to the camera appear bigger. In the picture with the sea fan, you are also seeing krill. You can use the pairs of images from the stereo cameras to measure the size of the organisms that appear in the images.

The two cylinders in the center are the cameras and the four other cylinders are strobe lights.

The sea fan is a member of the soft coral family. Krill can be seen in front of the sea fan. Picture provided by NOAA.

The basket star is a type of sea star. Here the basket star is open waiting for dinner to drift by. — The basket star is a type of sea star. Here the basket star is perched on top of a sea sponge open waiting for dinner to drift by. Picture provided by NOAA

Personal Log

When the Oscar Dyson sailed from Dutch Harbor we head west to the Islands of Four Mountains, a cluster of volcanic isles. On one isles is Mt. Cleveland, which on May 5^th was actively spewing lava. As we pass, Mt. Cleveland is quietly shrouded in dense cloud cover. Darn, cannot check eruption off my “Want to see” list. I don’t think I’ll see an aurora either as the cloud cover has been thick.

This is the south side of Onalaska. Dutch Harbor is on north side facing the Bering Sea. — This is the south side of Unalaska. Dutch Harbor is on north side facing the Bering Sea.

Science aboard the Oscar Dyson runs 24/7. Both the Dyson’s crew and the science team work in twelve hour shifts. For the Dyson’s crew the day is broken into two shifts, from midnight to noon and noon to midnight. The science team shifts are from 4 a.m. (0400 hrs.) to 4 p.m. (1600 hrs.) and 1600 hrs. to 0400 hrs. I am on the 1600hrs to 0400hrs shift; morning and night run all together. A note here, when the scientists collect data the time stamp is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). GMT is eight hours ahead of us here in Alaska.

Did You Know?

I’ve discovered that you can slosh in your berth. Check out the next blog for “Surf Your Berth.”

June 12, 2013August 11, 2021

Marla Crouch: Hello Dutch Harbor, Alaska, June 8, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Marla Crouch
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 8-26, 2013

Mission: Pollock Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Alaska
Date: June 8, 2013

Weather Data from the Bridge: as of 1900
Wind Speed 9.57 kts
Air Temperature 6.84°C
Relative Humidity 81.00%
Barometric Pressure 1,030.5 mb

Latitude: 53.52N Longitude: 166.34W

Science and Technology Log

The Oscar Dyson is harbored in Captains Bay and there is much to do aboard before we set sail on our cruise. Some equipment needs to be off loaded and stored while other equipment needs to be loaded and secured. The Science Team checks their berth (room) assignments, drop off their gear, and begin the task of readying the equipment.

“What are the properties of sea water?” Are you thinking liquid? There are three properties that scientists routinely check, they are temperature, salinity and density. The Dyson’s crew deploys an instrument referred to as the CTD. The CTD contains sensors which continuously measure the Conductivity, Temperature and Depth of the water. The CTD is sent to the bottom to create a profile of the temperature and salinity (as measured by how well the water conducts electricity or its ‘conductivity’) and then is brought back to the surface. On the way back up water samples are collected at per determined depths, in the grey bottles. The collected water samples are measured to calibrate the sensors on the CTD. This information is then used to calibrate the sonar.

There are five grey water sample bottles on this CTD. — There are five grey water sample bottles
on this CTD.

Sonar uses sound waves called pings that bounce off objects creating echoes. The echoes are recorded and used to create pictures of the sea floor and other object, such as schools of fish. To calibrate the sonar a round shiny ball that reflects the pings is submerged beneath the ship. The scientists know the expected strength of the echo from the sphere given the water temperature and salinity, allowing them to calibrate the sonar. Sometimes fish interfere with the calibration process. Fish are curious creatures and want to investigate the shiny sphere, getting in the way of the pings and slowing down calibration.

When the calibrations have been completed we set sail. As the Dyson sailed out of Captains Bay, we encountered dolphins jumping out of the water and whales surfacing. Perhaps they were feeding on the large school of fish seen in the sonar.

The sonar shows the sea floor, the band of blue, yellow and red. The schools of fish are the pink groupings. The water depth is 123.23m. — The sonar shows the sea floor, the band of blue, yellow and red. The schools of fish are the pink groupings.
The water depth is 123.23m.

Personal Log

Before leaving Seattle, I was told my luggage might not be on the same flight as I was on into Dutch Harbor. The airport in ‘Dutch’ has a short runway and is serviced by turbo prop aircraft that seat 33 passengers. When I checked in, I was asked for my weight and any carry-on. The airline uses the total loaded weight of the aircraft to calculate how much runway is needed to take off and how much fuel is needed to reach the next refueling point. Upon boarding the plane, the passengers were told that 87 pounds of luggage would not make the flight and more than likely the bags would be on tomorrow morning’s freighter– weather and volcanic activity permitting! I kept my fingers crossed that my bag was in the cargo hold. A little over an hour into the flight, we landed in King Salmon for refueling. Shortly after landing, we were once again airborne for the 1 ½ hour flight to Dutch Harbor. In route along the volcanic chain of Aleutian Islands, you can see peaks visibly venting steam and Mt. Pavlof’s snowy surface is blackened with fresh ash. The Oscar Dyson will sail past several of these active volcanoes. Looks like I’ll be adding a volcanic eruption to my list of “want to see” while aboard the Dyson. I am also hoping to see the Aurora Borealis and pods of Humpback and Orca whales. Landing at Dutch Harbor I realized why weather is a crucial factor for safe touch downs. A section of Mt. Ballyhoo has been blasted away to make room for the runway. Peering out the window, one gets the feeling that the tip of the wing is barely whisking past the face of the cliff. On the other side of the runway is the water of Iliuliuk Bay. Good news, my luggage and I landed at the same time!

Dutch Harbor attracts many bird watchers, as bald eagles, puffins, rock ptarmigans and other birds are abundant here. Juvenile bald eagles are dappled brown and white and blend into the rocky shore and crags of the steep cliffs. This time of year, signs warning of nesting eagles are also abundant. As birds tend to use me for target practice I am very mindful of the warnings.

Thankfully, I was not dive bombed by any eagles or other birds!

At least 3 eagles are in this picture one adult and two juveniles. Can you find all three? — At least 3 eagles are in this picture one adult
and two juveniles. Can you find all three?

Before boarding the Oscar Dyson I visited the Museum of the Aleutians. The exhibits feature information about life and culture in the Aleutians and how WWII impacted the people. One of the displays featured several handmade parkas constructed from the gut (intestine) of seals and walruses. The material is both light weight and water proof.

Just south of the museum is Bunker Hill towers above Dutch Harbor, and one can still see the zigzag pattern of the WWII trenches etched into the landscape. There is a trail to the bunker atop the hill; I think I’ll go for a walk. Almost to the top of Bunker Hill about 700 feet above Dutch Harbor the panoramic vistas of Captains Bay, Dutch Harbor and the City Unalaska are spectacular.

Dutch Harbor with Mt. Ballyhoo in the background.

Did You Know?

The Gulf of Alaska helps to generate much of the seasonal rainfall along the west coast of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. The strong surface currents, as high as 1.7kph (1.9mph) in the southern reaches combine with the cold arctic air to create these weather systems that affect our weather and climate.

May 28, 2013August 11, 2021

Marla Crouch: The Adventure Is About to Begin, May 22, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Marla Crouch
Sailing Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 8 — 26, 2013

Mission: Pollock Survey Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Alaska Date: May 21, 2013 – Upcoming cruise dates June 6 – 26, 2013 Weather Data from the Bridge: as of 0500 Wind Speed 20.97 kts Air Temperature 5.40°C Relative Humidity 91.00% Barometric Pressure 1,031.50 mb Latitude: 55.72 Longitude:-157.36 Hi, I’m Marla Crouch I live in Issaquah, WA, about 17 miles east of Seattle. I teach Earth Sciences and I am the Robotics Club Adviser at Maywood Middle School, in the Issaquah School District. On June 6, 2013 I will head north to Alaska to begin my adventure as a NOAA Teacher At Sea. I’ll be updating this blog about three times a week, so check back often. Let me know if you have answers to the questions I’ve posted. Science and Technology Log While I am aboard the Oscar Dyson I will be working with the Scientist Team doing a Pollock Survey. The Alaskan Pollock or Walleye is member of the cod family and is the most valuable fish crop in the world. Products made from Pollock were valued at $1 billion in 2010.

During the survey we will be checking population size and characteristics including age and gender. The Science team will calibrate and monitor equipment used to find the schools of pollock that swim in the mid-water depths of the ocean (330 – 985 feet). Samples of the population will be caught using cone-shaped nets.

Personal Log The last time I cruised Alaska’s water, I was on a cruise ship gliding through the Inland Passage along Alaska’s southeast shores. This time I’m headed about 900 miles west to the island of Unalaska, in the Aleutian Islands and the open waters of the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. My Teacher At Sea experience embarks from Dutch Harbor, AK. Here I will meet the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson; I’ll introduce myself to the ship’s crew and science team and settle in for the 19 day fishery cruise.

Have you ever wondered why ships/boats are referred to as “she?” Answer, no one knows for sure as the origins have been lost in oral history. I’ll be interested in finding out how the Oscar Dyson crew refers to her. The NOAA ship Oscar Dyson is 63.8m long, 15m wide and displaces 2479 metric tons when fully loaded. The Dyson can be at sea up to 40 days and travel 12,000 nmi before replenishing supplies. Okay, Ladies and Gentlemen, your turn to do the math. Tell me what are the dimensions of the Dyson in feet? I’ll help; here is the conversion ratio, 1m: 3.28ft. Next question: convert nautical miles to statue miles 1mi: 1.15nmi.

The Oscar Dyson was launched in Pascagoula, MS in October 2003 and commissioned in 2005 in Kodiak, AK. The mission of the Dyson is to protect, restore and manage the use of living marine, coastal, and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management. The ship observes weather, sea state and environmental conditions, studies and monitors fisheries, and both marine birds and mammals. Check out the video below of the launching of the Dyson.

Video courtesy of http://www.moc.noaa.gov/od/ (animation 6) In preparation for my trip I did a little research on Dutch Harbor and the island of Unalaska. Unalaska is one of approximately 100 stratovolcanic islands spanning 1250 miles in Aleutian Islands chain. The Port of Dutch Harbor is the only deep draft, ice-fee port from Unimak Pass west to Adak and north to the headwaters of the Bering Straits. Annually, more than 1.7 billion pounds of seafood are shipped from Dutch Harbor. Island history includes settlements by the Unangan (Aleut) people roughly 9,000 years ago, architectural and cultural influences from Russia, the invasion by Japanese forces and the internment of American civilians in WWII. The WWII Aleutian Campaign is one of the deadliest battles in the Pacific theater. A note for our students studying WWII: check out the National Park Service web site for the Aleutian World War II.

Did You Know? I’ve learned a new word, Williwaw. I think I’ll add this word to our study of Catastrophic Events. What is a Williwaw? You tell me. Here is a hint, if the ship encounters a Williwaw I may be searching for the Dramamine.