2015 – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

September 26, 2015August 21, 2021

Rebecca Loy, Sad to Say Goodbye, September 24, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Rebecca Loy
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
September 8 – 24 , 2015

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of Research: Kodiak Island, Alaska
Date: September 24, 2015

Current Location: Kodiak, Alaska

Noaa corps banner depicting work done by noaa corps officer and the logo's of NOAA Corps and DOC

While NOAA is a larger organization, I thought it might be nice for people to learn about the group that took such excellent care of me while I was at sea. I am talking about the NOAA Corps. These are the officers that get the ship where it needs to go safely. NOAA Corps is one of the seven uniformed services in the United States. It has a long history starting as Survey of the Coast which was established by Thomas Jefferson in 1807. The 321 officers in NOAA Corps not only work on and operate ships, but they also fly airplanes, facilitate research projects, conduct dive operations and work as staff throughout NOAA.

Press the link to learn more about NOAA Corps. This could lead to an amazing career for someone!

Path to Rainier:

I thought it would be appropriate for me to highlight one of the NOAA officers. They have all been wonderful to me and have taught me so much, it is hard for me to pick just one person. I wish I could highlight them all. One person that I could go to for anything, gave me my tour of Rainier and worked with me on the ship and on the shore is ENS Shelley Devereaux.

ENS Shelley Devereaux and I on the bridge.

The NOAA Corps officers do so much. I enjoyed sitting with ENS Devereaux and learning more about what she does and how she got to Rainier. ENS Devereaux told me she does a little bit of everything, which is very true. She works on navigation, standing watch, logistics of planning details for when the ship is inport including mail delivery and organizing the “liberty van” that takes crew into town. ENS Devereaux does survey work and is the tide assistant (she was with me when we installed the tide gauge earlier). I have only listed a few things here, all of the officers work very hard and are pretty amazing people!

ENS Devereaux started as a math major in college. She also did some work as a bicycle mechanic, a pastry chef, worked as a research assistant for a bio lab and was a data manager for an educational non-profit. She realized she missed science and went back to school to get her Master’s Degree in Geographic Information Systems. She studied mapping applied to many areas of study including data visualization.

She learned about NOAA Corps when her uncle told her and her cousin about it. ENS Devereaux’s cousin applied first and then she followed. Her cousin in on Rainier’s sister ship, Fairweather. Interestingly, the two cousins had a chance to meet up this past summer in the Arctic.

ENS Devereaux inputting data at the tide gauge installation.

ENS Devereaux told me more about the NOAA Corps. She had to undergo training for 6 months with the Coast Guard Academy (the two services work together for training). There she learned ship navigation, firefighting, First Aid, driving the rescue boats and how to be an officer plus much more. After her initial training, she had further training with NOAA for safety, teamwork, communication, leadership skills and problem solving. ENS Devereaux truly enjoys the hands on work, being part of a team, serving and creating charts for safe navigation.

When I asked ENS Devereaux where she has been in the world, she told me she traveled to parts of Europe and Costa Rica, but the most interesting part is she backpacked by herself through Mongolia, China and Taiwan. I was not surprised that this dynamic woman would take on this challenge.

Tide install with Rainier in the background.

Like all of the officers on Rainier, ENS Devereaux is a pretty spectacular person. Knowing that people like her, including her NOAA Corps colleagues, are serving and taking care of our oceans is very reassuring. Thank you for everything you have done for me and our planet.

Personal Log:

My time here on Rainier is drawing to a close. When I first arrived, it was all so new and exciting and I must admit it was a bit overwhelming. Now, almost 3 weeks later, I feel like an integral part of this crew. While this ship is incredible, it is the people who make it their work and home that make it truly special.

This hard working crew has included me in everything! I was given every opportunity possible so I could bring this experience back to my community – and I have some wonderful ideas thanks to them!!!

I learned more than just how this ship runs or what hydrographic surveys are. More importantly, I watched this group of people be problem solvers. We often teach our students how to resolve a situation. Being on Rainier showed me that this is a skill that needs to continually be exercised!

I thought this was an interesting beach photo.

I appreciated how a situation would present itself and the crew would move into action! This could be something less intense like planning our route from bay to bay around Kodiak Island to more involved problem solving such as repairs/maintenance to the MVP on the back of the ship. A group of people would start thinking, brainstorming, testing, reviewing and thinking some more. They came together from different departments and areas of expertise to solve an issue. It was incredible to be a part of this process and something I plan to facilitate more in my teaching.

I have the greatest respect for this unique group of people. I am going to miss a lot here… the easy comradery they have with each other, sharing our wish for better internet among the mountains, looking for wildlife or the aurora borealis together, eating PB&J sandwiches with the most incredible views, having dessert with lunch AND dinner, 18:00 movie time (6:00 PM for those of you on shore), watching the beautiful Alaskan coast go by, whales…whales and more whales, the unique names that are used throughout the ship (the Holodeck, Princess Suite, engineer Hollywood just to name a few), line handling and all kinds of deck work, learning how to use a crane and not getting the Bo’sun wet, watching the launches come out of and into their cradles, hanging on to EVERYTHING as the ship rolls and pitches (yes, even this), looking at ENS Kosten and ENS Devereaux’s beautiful photos, hearing about everyone’s incredible experiences- especially in the Arctic, bumping my head in engineering, and most importantly, being my nerdy self with people who understand!

I am very thankful to NOAA ship Rainier Commanding Officer EJ Van Den Ameele for being so kind and allowing me this opportunity, to Rainier’s officers and crew for being so helpful and supportive as I learned my way around asking a million and one questions (no joke, I should have kept track of how many I asked) and to the NOAA Teacher at Sea program.

I hope to make you all proud as I head back home and share this incredible experience!

September 25, 2015August 21, 2021

Rebecca Loy, Full STEAM ahead! September 21, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Rebecca Loy
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
September 8 – 24 , 2015

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of Research: Kodiak Island, Alaska
Date: September 21, 2015

Current Location: Viecoda Bay, North Kodiak, Alaska

After learning how areas to be studied are decided, organized and surveyed, I wanted to see what happens after the data is collected. I spent some time in the Plotting room with NOAA visiting physical scientist Adam Argento. Adam instructed me on hydrographic research and what is involved with completing their work. Needless to say, using the term “blowing my mind” is very appropriate here.

Sitting with Adam and discussing the work that is accomplished was great. He even made me think of space – and you know how much I love a space tie-in!! While we were talking about the data that would be collected we began speaking of how do researchers know where the ship is? You might automatically think of GPS (Global Positioning Systems). We have them on our phones, in our cars and other forms of technology to help us find our way home, but the GPS systems we use are not as accurate as NOAA needs.

On Rainier they need to know exactly where they are!! Just like when we give you rules you need to follow in doing your work, the researchers here have very limited parameters for creating/updating their charts for safety. While collecting data they want to make sure that the charts are as accurate as they can make them. If the data collected is off just a bit, there could be a dangerous situation. The people updating the charts work very hard to create high quality and safe charts.

A satellite GPS receiver on one of the launches.

Adam showed me some of the satellite receivers on the ship and launches. We couldn’t reach the Rainier receivers, but see the picture of a receiver on a launch, they are much smaller than I imagined. Each launch has two receivers at least six feet apart. They are needed for the satellites to know which direction the launch is going in. The satellites use the smallest of time measurements sent down and received back between the two, but it works!

Adam asked me some questions – now it’s your turn to think about this…How would Rainier know exactly where it is? You might say it uses a GPS because I just mentioned it and simply put, yes it does. Except, one, two even three satellites will not give Rainier the accurate positioning they need. Four satellites can give Rainier a specific point. Just take a moment and think about this. In short, four satellites will give you a good position, but Rainier uses up to seven to be much more accurate. For more information on satellites check out this website: http://www.gma.org/surfing/sats.html#nav

Adam Argento at his computer in the Plot room.

Another question… how do the satellites know where they are? We can’t use a marker on the Earth reliably, or to the level that NOAA needs, because our planet is constantly moving (think tectonic plates and earthquakes). Are you ready? Adam told me satellites use pulsing QUASARS that are far out in space to know exactly where they are!!! (In case you were wondering, this is the part where my mind was blown, I thought they used land based markers).

Like I mentioned earlier, the CARIS program takes all of the data, including changes in the Earth’s Ionosphere and differences in the ocean water due to CDT (conductivity, depth and temperature) and puts it together to create a working document or chart. This is a lot of information that needs to be controlled. Adam works for NOAA in Seattle so he will be part of the team taking the data and putting it into more accurate charts once he gets back on land. A pretty cool job if you ask me!!

Path to Rainier

To continue sharing some of the fascinating people on Rainier, I sat down with Rainier General Vessel Assistant (GVA) Carl Stedman to learn how he came to work here. Carl started his career in the Army and retired after 20 yrs. Incredibly, after proudly serving our country for so long, he then went to college and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from San Francisco State.

With GVA Carl Stedman. Photo Credit: Bob Steele

About half way through earning his MBA (Masters of Business Administration) he decided to take some time off. He rode his motorcycle around the US for three months. Realizing wearing a suit or working in a cubicle would not make him happy, he moved to Virginia and opened his own coffee shop for three years where he met his wife. He then worked as a patient service manager in Norfolk hospital. With more introspection he thought back to his time in the Army. After having lived in Germany and serving in other areas of the world for a long time, he remembered his time on an Army ship for the last 7 years of his Army career and how much he enjoyed it. He then applied to work for NOAA and was put on Rainier.

On Rainier, Carl has some very interesting jobs!! Along with the very busy job as a GVA, Carl is also an Advanced Firefighter and is on the first response team (he was also in his firefighter outfit when we had drills, but I did not get a picture of him). He is an MPIC (Medical Person In Charge) which is like an EMT that we have on land. Another job he has (and one that makes me nervous just thinking about it) is as a Confined Space Rescuer. Yikes… he clearly does not have claustrophobia!! Another exciting job he has is the driver for the fast rescue boat that is on Rainier. Carl is another unique person on this incredible ship and I feel very safe knowing he is around. Thank you, Carl, for taking the time to chat with me and show me so much!!!

Personal Log

Moving my bucket filled with water. See Jason near it. Photo credit: Bob Steele

This wonderful crew has been teaching me a great deal about this ship. One day, acting Boatswain (pronounced Bo-son) Jason Kinyon took time to teach me how to work the two smaller cranes on the bow of the ship. He had me move a filled bucket of water to different areas on the bow WITHOUT SPILLING ANY OF IT!!

I really liked it!!! The most challenging part was when he sat down right next to where I had to place my bucket of water. I did not want to get the deck boss wet and I didn’t! I did spill a little bit on one of the hatches though. Jason was very patient showing me all the tricks to moving the crane! Bring on the big aft crane next!!!!

When we went to the fuel pier in Kodiak I was able to throw the “heave line” that goes up to the dock and is then knotted around the bigger mooring lines so they can be pulled up to the pier.

Getting ready to throw the heave line! Photo Credit: ENS Chris Wood

I feel the need to add that three big, strong deck crew who were back in the fantail of the ship with me missed where they had to throw their lines. GVA Carl Stedman was very reassuring to me and I got the line where it had to go. Everyone on the ship was talking about how I made it on the first try when the seasoned crew did not. In case you are wondering, yes, that is a cruise ship in the distance at the Kodiak public dock.

Pulling slack on the line. Photo Credit: ENS Chris Wood

To name just a few more things, I have been shown lots about navigation, I have also driven the launch, worked the davits that raise and lower the launches, learned about the anchor and basically anything else I can learn about and what people are able to teach me. Thank you, again, to everyone for teaching the teacher so I can share this amazing experience with others!!

Learning to lower the launches. Here, I already put the launch in the water.

September 25, 2015August 21, 2021

Rebecca Loy, Days of Data Aquisition! September 18, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Rebecca Loy
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
September 8 – 24 , 2015

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of Research: Kodiak Island, Alaska
Date: September 18, 2015

Current Location: Uganik, Viecoda and Terror Bays, Northern Kodiak Island, Alaska

After our tide gauge installation we were ready for data acquisition. Back in the Plot Room with the NOAA officers and surveyors, we were using Rainier to get information for Sheet H12692 and later for sheet H12691.

The MVP before it was sent off the back of Rainier

The first thing we had to do was drop the MVP off the back of the ship. On Rainier, the MVP is a Moving Vessel Profiler. This small, but very important piece of equipment needs to be placed in the water before we begin scanning the ocean floor. On Rainier, they use the MVP. On the launches, they do the same thing, but they call it a CTD.

Information from the MVP during scanning Photo Credit: Chris Palmer

This important part of data acquisition is needed to check the conductivity of the water, the depth of where this is happening and the temperature. To be more specific, sound travels differently when water has more salinity (conductivity), more pressure (depth) and fluctuating temperatures. This information varies greatly from place to place. Simple changes to this information could come from a variety of places. There could be glacial runoff or streams coming into the bays that would change salinity and temperature. Further down from the surface, water has more pressure from above. Something as simple as the time of year – warmer water temperatures in the summer, cooler in the spring or fall can make a difference to the data collected. This is all important information so Rainier and the launches check levels a great deal. Here is some Rainier specific information on MVP/CTD. For additional information, check out this great link about sound in the sea. I also found an interesting website about the difference between salt water and fresh water – why salt water and fresh water don’t always mix. What else can you think of that might change the conductivity in ocean water?

Again, all of this information, including tidal readings and depth of the boat where the sonar is, will be put into the CARIS program for a great deal of work after we initially scan the ocean floor.

ENS Bissell and ENS Deveraux were here along with many surveyors as we scanned over their sheet with Rainier’s MBES. Do you remember, this is the Multi Beam Echolocation Sounder that comes out of the bottom of the ship.

I initially thought we would be going back and forth over the area – sort of like when you mow the lawn. You want to cover everything without repeating a space and wasting time, but also you don’t want to miss an area either (they call this missed area a “holiday” – kind of quirky, but I couldn’t find anyone who knew why). Today, Rainier was going in a zig-zag crossover pattern.

Looking at the radar where Rainier has been. — Looking at the ECDIS, an electronic chart, where Rainier has been.

I learned that they do this initially in an area for Quality Control. Here, they just call it QC. They scan an initial zig zag pattern so when they do the back and forth lawn mower type of scanning they will be able to match up the scans with the previous zig zag. Again, they take their work very seriously and this a great way to make sure they are getting quality scans.

HAST Mike Bloom keeping an eye on all of the information coming in.

At first, I was able to experience collecting data on Rainier. Then, one of the days I was assigned to survey launch RA6. The launches are miniature versions of Rainier but they can go into areas that are more difficult for Rainier. Every morning, after the American flag is raised, LT Pfundt holds a saftey briefing

After a bit of training for new crew and myself, the large davits brought the 16,000 pound survey launches out of their cradles and into the water, we loaded them up and off we went. On the day I was out surveying, we had two launches working. One was further inside Viecoda Bay while RA6 was out in the bay closer to the opening. We went to our assigned polygon to begin work. Eli Smith, the scientist in charge of this particular sheet named all of his polygons with tree names (I was told a story how a few years ago someone used silly names such as Fluffy Bunny to name their polygons). We went to Eucalyptus first and began scanning the ocean floor. About halfway through our initial scan we needed to stop and get a CTD reading. We would do this a total of 3 times today.

LT Pfundt and ENS Bissell preparing the CDT to be lowered. — LT Pfundt and ENS Bissell preparing the CTD to be lowered.

Unlike the MVP on Rainier that gets dragged behind the ship for a specific time period, the CTD on the launches gets lowered to the ocean floor while the launch is not moving. In the photo you can see LT Pfundt and ENS Bissell working with the CTD. HAST Chris Palmer was also with us and he then checked to see if we received quality data and later would put all the information together in the Plot Room.

Our day continued for many (many… many…) hours out scanning the ocean floor in polygons. We had AB Anthony Wright at the helm driving us throughout the day. He was kind enough to let ENS Bissell and I drive the boat for a while and he was an excellent teacher.

Some rough seas coming over the bow of RA6

Eventually, the weather changed and we had some rough seas to work in. Since we are looking for quality scans, we had to leave an area and go closer to shore to get away from big waves (when scans are not good they get “noise” and “blow-outs” that need to be re-scanned). We also had to lower our speed from about 6 knots to 4 knots so our scans were clear. A knot is a unit of speed that is equal to 1.151 miles per hour. As you can see, we didn’t go very fast.

Remember, we are sending sound waves down to the bottom of the ocean and back. The more we moved around the more difficulty the sound had coming back to us. Keep in mind all this movement on top of the ocean, plus checking the quality of the water equals the computers needing to do a great deal of work. The launches not only have multiple computer screens to use, but behind the person manning them was a stack of computer servers to process the data… and this was only the beginning of the work!

Hydrographic Assistant Survey Tech Chris Palmer keeping track of data.

While we were out in the launch, we got a chance to see lots of whales and sea otters up close. It was pretty exciting being out on the launch surrounded by nature and some amazing STEAM work!

I got to steer RA6 and call in to Rainier that we were 5 minutes from pick-up

Path to Rainier:

We chose to do a selfie! With Chief Engineer Garrett Urban — We chose to do a selfie! With Chief Engineer Garret Urban

For this entire trip I have been fascinated by the engineers running this ship. They would pop up out of this door with a skull and cross bones on it having worked hard to keep this 46 year old ship running smoothly. I chose to sit down with Chief Engineer Garret Urban. We discussed his job as a Maritime Engineer. As Chief, he is the boss of the engineering department and keeps a constant eye on things, hopefully they will be able to spot a situation that they can repair before it becomes a bigger problem. Garret is on call 24 hours a day, but the engine department has 2 people on duty at all times. Garret needs to maintain all the equipment, do repairs and do some administrative items such as scheduling and juggling what needs to be taken care of within a certain budget. Like everything else on this ship, Garret made sure to point out that safety is paramount to everything they do in the engine room. He told me he makes a plan for every day, but always needs to improvise and adapt!

Garret chose to go into the Navy right out of high school. He mentioned he was not a fan of going to school and suggests the Navy for someone who is interested in this job and might not like traditional schools as much. The Navy trained him very well. He did say there are Maritime Engineering schools around the country and this is a very high need career! Garret was actually on Rainier as a 1st engineer earlier on in his post-Navy career before he worked on NOAA ship Pisces. After some time taking care of family business, working on luxury yachts and in the oil industry, Garret came back to NOAA this year. He became Chief Engineer on Rainier this past summer. Everyone here is very glad to have this hard working man around!

I was pretty excited when Garret offered me a tour of the engine room – while the ship was under way. He set me up with ear plugs AND headphones to protect me from all the noise in the engine room. Wow! Was I thankful for that! This fascinating place in the lowest level of the ship is a maze of moving parts… I loved it!!

NOAA TAS engine room 025 — Notice the pistons on this sign

One small area of the engine room looking down on one of the diesel engines. Same type they use for trains, but Rainier has 2. — A small area of the engine room looking down on one of the diesel engines. Same type they use for trains, but Rainier has 2.

Down in the noisy engine room - a fascinating place for me!! — Down in the noisy engine room – a fascinating place for me!!

Personal Log:

Underwater photo of two types of jellyfish. Look closely for the very small baby jellyfish.

Holding a large starfish in Uginak Bay. Photo Credit: Shelley Deveraux — Holding a large starfish in Uganik Bay. Photo Credit: Shelley Deveraux

I have been truly enjoying the wildlife here in Alaska. I wasn’t sure what I would see being later in the year. Much to my surprise I have seen a great deal. I have seen many bald eagles, porpoises, otters, whales and even lots of underwater photos of jellyfish, starfish and sea anemone. One odd creature was a hooded nudibranch!!

A unique hooded nudibranch, a sea slug that comes in a variety of shapes and colors.

One whale was just 20 feet from the launch!

I was very impressed by how the crew respects wild life.

One day, we had some whales nearby while we were scanning the ocean. Usually the whales give us lots of room, but today a few were right in front of us. Rainier actually stopped and backed up to give the whales room. We then had to circle around to get back to our survey area. I am still hopeful that I will safely see a Kodiak Bear… but not yet!

September 16, 2015August 21, 2021

Rebecca Loy, Does Rainier Run on Diesel or STEAM? September 14, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Rebecca Loy
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
September 8 – 24 , 2015

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of Research: Kodiak Island, Alaska
Date: September 14, 2015

Current Location: South Arm of Uganik Bay, Kodiak Island, Alaska

To answer this question, Rainier runs on both diesel and STEAM. The diesel keeps this ship running where it needs to go and the engineers are masterful at keeping this ship maintained. The STEAM is everywhere, and I am not just talking about water steam in a pipe or in the galley. This ship has serious Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math!!

I met with acting (Executive Officer) XO LT Adam Pfundt and acting (Field Ops Officer) FOO LT Steve Loy (even though Loy is a unique name, we are not related – but it is pretty cool that another Loy is here). They were discussing who was going to lead certain jobs. I learned a great deal about the process needed. During research, an area in review is called a “sheet”. Why do you think they call the areas sheets and not something else? Do you think there could be some historical mariner significance?

Like most tasks on Rainier, research begins with a geographical area being assigned to a manager, assistant plus a mentor. They will work together as a team on their sheet until the hydrographic branch of NOAA accepts the data. Like I mentioned in my second blog entry, this could take weeks or months after the initial data collection to complete.

I have decided to use sheet number H12692, which was just assigned to the team of ENS Matt Bissell, manager, ENS Shelley Deveraux as assistant, and LT Steve Loy as mentor this past week. Can you find H12692 on the photo above?

ENS Bissell and I discussing his polygon grid. Photo Credit: Chris Palmer

All team members are responsible for maintaining work logs so they can report on them. Even here writing & communication is very important – remember this when I help you with YOUR writing! Here is a brief overview of the duties:

Sheet Manager – this is the biggest of the jobs given. The sheet manager is responsible for organizing the team. This person needs to prepare the area to be studied by separating it into more manageable areas called polygon plans.

They decide which area gets studied by the large Rainier or if a smaller launch is needed. The smaller launches are good for areas closer to the shore or shallow areas.

The manager has to know if Rainier should use its multibeam echolocation sounder (MBES) in large runs or drag its Side Scan Sonar (SSS) behind it in the area to be studied. Another option the manager has to decide is do they need to use the MBES or Side Scan Sonars that are mounted on the smaller launches and where should this be.

The MBES on one of the launches. The SSS is currently removed. Photo Credit: ENS Matt Bissell

ENS Bissell has a many choices to make to get the best information possible. Looking at the polygon grid ENS Bissell organized can you pick out which areas Rainier will cover?

Managers need to attend meetings and review data that was processed the night before. They do this to see if any problems were encountered and if an area needs to be scanned again. The manager uses the immense CARIS HIPS and SIPS marine data processing program, prepares dive teams if needed, does more reviewing of data and organizes the pilots that take the launches closer to shore. This is truly just a brief overview. Sheet Manager is a very important job.

Sheet Assistant – The assistant works very hard right alongside the Sheet Manager. This person is in training as well and will someday be a Sheet Manager. It is important for the Sheet Manager to give the assistant guidance to learn. The assistant needs to ask questions so they can be an effective manager in the future. They need to set up the launches, help with polygon plans, maintain the bottom sample notebook, load charts, assist with data acquisition and follow what the manager needs them to do.

ENS Deveraux showing me how she is plotting a course to our research area. Photo credit: Anthony Wright

Sheet Mentor – The mentor’s role is an advisor to the manager, especially if this is the first time someone is managing. They also train the sheet assistant and work between the FOO and the management team (in this case the FOO is also the mentor). The more the mentor can teach the assistant the easier their transition will be from assistant to manager in the future.

Once all of the extensive planning is taken care of, this team begins to collect data. This is the actual field work that Rainier does! I know all of you at school were most excited to hear about this!

Drilling for tide marker "Echo" while HAST Mike Bloom looks on. — Drilling for tide benchmark “Echo” while HAST Mike Bloom looks on. Photo credit: Chris Palmer

To begin, we went ashore in the South Arm of Uganik Bay, northern Kodiak Island and had to place a tide gauge station. To begin the scuba divers had to place part of the equipment called the orifice under water. This orifice holds air bubbles. When the tide is higher and the water level is high, more bubbles will be pushed out of the orifice letting the system know that the water level is up. The more water pressure on the orifice, the higher the tide level and the opposite is also true. This information is sent to the satellite links where solar panels and batteries keep everything powered so people on the ship can read the data. We also had to place tide benchmarks in five different areas near the tide station. I helped with tide benchmark 7588 E or “Echo” which was the fifth benchmark to go in. Due to movement in the Earth, we need to have tide benchmarks throughout the areas we are studying so when the ship returns in 30 days they will have accurate information.

Tide gauge 1788 E — Tide benchmark 7588 E

I worked very hard drilling into just the right rock to cement it down (I actually drilled in 4 areas before this one, but the shale kept breaking apart, LT Pfundt found this great spot with a more stable rock). Hydrographic Assistant Survey Tech (HAST) Michael Bloom and I made a great team working together. It took 1 1/2 days to place everything, survey and link the systems plus take 3 hours of observations for the tides. During this 3 hour period the observer checks the water level on the staff every 6 minutes. This is a lot of close observation to make sure everything is running properly!

Surveying all the tide gauges! — Surveying all the tide benchmarks!

Do you know why we would need to know when the sea rises and falls? Sometimes it can change over 6 feet in depth – two times per day here in the Pacific!! We need to know the levels for the charts that are being made. The researchers are looking at updating water depths on a chart. They will use the tide level that is lowest to be safest. This will give boats traveling above the best depth for clearance below them. The opposite is true if there is bridge on a chart. The researchers will use the highest tide depth so ships can know if they can make it under a bridge. Knowing tides is very important to chart development! Here is some more information on Vertical Control-Tides.

Our finished tide gauge installation from the water. See the tall stick where water measurements were taken every 6 minutes. In the back, are the satellite up-links with the GOES and Iridium data retrieval boxes under the blue tarp.

Path to Rainier

Hydrographic Survey Tech Eli Smith and I. Photo Credit: Tracey Davis

Another fascinating person on board is Hydrographic Survey Technician Eli Smith. Eli has been on Rainier for 1 1/2 years now. He started as a Hydrographic Assistant Survey Tech in May of 2014. Originally, he graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Geology. I was curious how he went from being a geologist in the oil fields of Denver to working on the ocean. While he was in Denver, Eli would take soil samples. So many samples that he was called a “Mud Logger” which is a pretty interesting term even though Eli didn’t enjoy it very much. He did a lot of “soul searching” and realized he needed to do something else. Between remembering an ocean based field experience in college off the coast of Hawaii and contacting a career counselor, Eli was led to NOAA. He was pleased when he was placed on Rainier.

On Rainier, Eli works a great deal up in the Plotting room or in another room called the “Hologram Room” where survey techs also work. Currently, he is a sheet manager for sheet H12691. This sheet includes Viekoda Bay and Terror Bay. You can see his area in the photo above. Eli has been hard at work doing his own polygon plot and preparing plans for his sheet. He is also part of the Tides Team placing tidal gauges in areas that are being studied.

When Eli is not working, he has his bike on board and likes to ride that when he can. He is also a hiker and snowboarder. I appreciate Eli spending some time with me telling me about himself and all your help on shore. Thank you!

Personal Log

Being on this ship is like being part of a hard working family. People are all over this ship. I have come to appreciate the true gift that this crew gave me with my own stateroom, head and starboard side porthole.

Looking into my stateroom from the hallway.

I found out the room they gave me is called the “Princess Suite.” I learned this name comes from using the initials PS for the visiting Physical Scientists who often come aboard. I extend an apology to visiting NOAA physical scientist Adam Argento. You will learn about Adam in a future blog. He did not get to sleep in the wonderful “Princess Suite” on this trip.

September 13, 2015August 21, 2021

Jeff Miller: Sharks and Dead Zones, September 12, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jeff Miller
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
August 31 – September 14, 2015

Mission: Shark Longline Survey
Geographical Area: Gulf of Mexico
Date: September 12, 2015

Data from the Bridge
Ship Speed: 9.2 knots
Wind Speed: 8.8 knots
Air Temp: 27,7°C
Sea Temp: 30.2°C
Seas: 1-2 meters
Sea Depth: 457 meters

GPS Coordinates
Lat: 27 47.142 N
Long: 094 04.264 W

Science and Technology Log
On September 8 – 9, we surveyed a number of stations along the Texas and Louisiana coasts that were in shallow water between 10-30 meters (approximately 30-100 feet). Interestingly, the number of sharks we caught at each station varied dramatically. For example, we pulled up 65 sharks at station 136 and 53 sharks at station 137, whereas we caught only 5 sharks at station 138 and 2 sharks at station 139. What could account for this large variance in the number of sharks caught at these locations?

Weighing a bonnethead shark caught off the coast of Texas.

One key factor that is likely influencing shark distribution is the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. Oxygen is required by living organisms to produce the energy needed to fuel all their activities. In water, dissolved oxygen levels above 5 mg/liter are needed for most marine organisms to thrive. Water with less than 2 mg/liter of dissolved oxygen is termed hypoxic, meaning dissolved oxygen is below levels needed by most organisms to thrive and survive. Water with less than 0.2 mg/liter of dissolved oxygen is termed anoxic (no oxygen) and results in “dead zones” where little, if any, marine life can survive.

As part of several missions, including the ground fish and longline shark surveys, NOAA ships sample the levels of dissolved oxygen at survey stations in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Measurements of dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature are collected by a device called the CTD. At each survey station, the CTD is deployed and it collects real-time measurements as it descends to the bottom and returns to the surface.

Standing with the CTD, which is used to measure dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature.

Data collected by the CTD is used to produce maps showing the relative levels of dissolved oxygen in coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico. For more environmental data go to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

2015 Gulf Hypoxia Map — Map showing dissolved oxygen levels in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Red marks anoxic/hypoxic areas with low dissolved oxygen levels. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Environmental surveys demonstrate that large anoxic/hypoxic zones often exist along the Louisiana/Texas continental shelf. Because low dissolved oxygen levels are harmful to marine organisms, the anoxic/hypoxic zones in the northern Gulf of Mexico could greatly impact commercially and ecologically important marine species. Overwhelming scientific evidence indicates that excess organic matter, especially nitrogen, from the Mississippi River drainage basin drives the development of anoxic/hypoxic waters. Although natural sources contribute to the runoff, inputs from agricultural runoff, the burning of fossil fuels, and waste water treatment discharges have increased inputs to many times natural levels.

Runoff in the Mississippi basin — Map showing sources of nitrogen runoff in the Mississippi River drainage basin. Source NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

Nitrogen runoff from the Mississippi River feeds large phytoplankton algae blooms at the surface. Over time, excess algae and other organic materials sink to the bottom. On the bottom, decomposition of this organic material by bacteria and other organisms consumes oxygen and leads to formation of anoxic/hypoxic zones. These anoxic/hypoxic zones persist because waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico become stratified, which means the water is separated into horizontal layers with cold and/or saltier water at the bottom and warmer and/or fresher water at the surface. This layering separates bottom waters from the atmosphere and prevents re-supply of oxygen from the surface.

Since levels of dissolved oxygen can greatly influence the distribution of marine life, we reasoned that the high variation in the number of sharks caught along the Louisiana/Texas coast could be the result of differences in dissolved oxygen. To test this idea, we analyzed environmental data and shark numbers at survey stations along the Louisiana/Texas coast. The graphs below show raw data collected by the CTD at stations 137 and 138.

CTD 137 — Dissolved oxygen levels at station 137 (green line; raw data). At the surface: dissolved oxygen = 5.0 mg/liter. At the bottom: dissolved oxygen = 1.5 mg/liter. Notice the stratification of the water at a depth of 7-8 meters.

CTD 138 — Dissolved oxygen levels at station 138 (green line; raw data). At the surface: dissolved oxygen = 5.5 mg/liter. At the bottom: dissolved oxygen = 0 mg/liter. Notice the stratification of the water at a depth of 7-8 meters.

Putting together shark survey numbers with environmental data from the CTD we found that we caught very high numbers of sharks in hypoxic water and we caught very few sharks in anoxic water. Similar results were observed at station 136 (hypoxic waters; 65 sharks caught) and station 139 (anoxic waters; 2 sharks caught).

Data table — Relationship between dissolved oxygen levels and numbers of sharks caught at stations 137 and 138.

What can explain this data? One possible answer is that sharks will be found where there is food for them to eat. Thus, many sharks may be moving in and out of hypoxic waters to catch prey that may be stressed or less active due to low oxygen levels. In other words, sharks may be taking advantage of low oxygen conditions that make fish easier to catch. In contrast, anoxic waters cannot support marine life so there will be very little food for sharks to eat and, therefore, few sharks will be present. While this idea provides an explanation for our observations, more research, like the work being done aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II, is needed to understand the distribution and movement of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico.

Personal Log
My time aboard the Oregon II is drawing to a close as we move into the last weekend of the cruise. We have now turned away from the Louisiana coast into deeper waters as we travel west to Galveston, Texas. The weather has changed as well. It has been sunny and hot for much of our trip, but clouds, rain, and wind have moved in. Despite this change in weather, we continue to set longlines at survey stations along our route to Galveston. The rain makes our job more challenging but our catch has been relatively light since we moved away from the coast into deeper waters. Hopefully our fishing luck will change as we move closer to Galveston. I would like to wrestle a few more sharks before my time on the Oregon II comes to an end.