Kiersten Newtoff: How My College Choice Led Me Here, May 26, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Kiersten Newtoff

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

June 3 – June 16, 2023

Mission: Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Departure Port: Pascagoula, MS

Arrival Port: Galveston, TX

Date: May 26, 2023

The inner marine biologist in me is EXCITED. I shouldn’t say inner, as I do have a master’s degree in marine biology! But I definitely feel like a phony as I studied birds… on land… and never once needed to snorkel or SCUBA dive. I am embarrassed to admit it given my educational background and the fact that I grew up in a coastal town, but I cannot even swim. So sure, sign me up to live on a boat for two weeks!


A life-sized dolphin statue, mounted on a black post in a rock bed lining a brick building. The dolphin is painted with images of dolphins and other marine life (fish, seahorses) swimming in a deep blue background.
One of the hundreds of dolphin statues that dot the Virginia Beach, VA landscape. Photo by Mechelle Hankerson.

If I were to trace back the threads to how I ended up in NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program, it would likely have started in 2007, when I was a junior in high school. Like other juniors, we were all feverishly searching College Board on universities to attend, majors to study, and regions to live in. Growing up in a coastal town and like many girls my age, I was obsessed with dolphins. To be fair, we literally have statues of dolphins all over my hometown, so how can you not be intrigued by them?! In Virginia at the time, there was only one university that offered a degree in marine biology: Old Dominion University. Unfortunately, ODU was only 15 minutes from where I grew up and I was ready to spread my wings and fly a little further from the nest. A great school I found for marine biology was the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where I applied and was accepted, but the out-of-state tuition was too great for me to financially handle. After conducting more searches on College Board, I applied to Radford University, which is in the mountains of Virginia. Here, I settled into a degree program in Biology, with a concentration of Environmental Biology.

One of the requirements of the Environmental Biology concentration is to take a GIS course. GIS stands for geographic information systems and is a growing technology that has unlimited applications. The intro class I took focused on how to use ArcGIS, the software that is used in the industry. I elected to take an intermediate class where I got to practice my skills more and learn about the applications of the tool. I was the only biology major (and woman!) taking the intermediate course, which is surprising given how much GIS is used in the field now.

As my years at Radford came to an end, I knew that I wanted to teach. I had earned countless opportunities in various teaching or tutoring roles at the college and enjoyed every minute. Well, not every minute. I would get incredibly nervous before each class period and that… processed itself… in different ways… Anyway, if I wanted to pursue a career as a professor, I needed to at least get my master’s degree. With the help of my college professors, they reviewed my materials and shared the expectations of grad school, how to apply, and how to find a research mentor. Since funding was less of an issue as a graduate student, I was not worried about staying within the confines of Virginia. With this boundary lifted, I also set my eyes back on marine biology.

With my environmental background, I was able to shift my mindset away from dolphins to focusing on how humans impact marine organisms. I sent emails to over 50 different professors across 20+ schools and maybe only heard back from about half. I interviewed at 5 different schools, got a verbal offer to study sharks, but was rescinded when their funding fell through. One of the last people I emailed was Dr. Steve Emslie, whose lab at UNCW focused on mercury toxicology in marine birds. I had no interest in birds, and I think they are cheating at being considered a marine animal, but I was starting to realize I needed to expand my scope more because marine biology is a competitive field. And opportunities to study marine organisms larger than an oyster are even more competitive. Steve brought me on to his lab where I shifted my previous dolphin obsession to birds.

I definitely… terned 

Dozens (hundreds?) of two species of terns crowd a beach area. Most are standing, though a few have their wings outstretched. ALl of the terns are white, with black legs, andblack, tufted crowns. The sandwich terns have black bills, while the royal terns have vibrant orange bills.
Colony of Sandwich (foreground) and Royal Terns (background). Photo by Kiersten during graduate school research in the Cape Fear Estuary, North Carolina.
Kiersten, wearing shorts, a t-shirt, a hat, and sunglasses on a sunny day, poses for a photo while gripping a brown pelican carefully with two hands. Her left hand hoists the bird's back, between two semi-outstretched wings, while her left hand holds its bill closed. The pelican braces itself against her middle with its left foot. The right ankle sports a metal band. In the background, we see upland marsh plants, water in the distance, more shoreline beyond the water, and birds flying in the air.
Picture of Kiersten holding a Brown Pelican that she just banded. Taken at Ferry Slip Island in the Cape Fear Estuary, NC.

While I could drone on and on about my research on Brown Pelicans and their mercury loads, we need to focus on the GIS, which is the thread that led me to NOAA. With my fundamental GIS background, I added a spatial variability component to my research to analyze how mercury concentration in Brown Pelican tissues in their breeding colonies varies over space. At UNCW, I took a higher level GIS course entitled Environmental GIS. In this course, I was able to learn about the ecological applications of GIS and about the exciting world of remote sensing. When you think of satellites, you likely think of sensors looking for alien life or GPS or Starlink. And while that is true, NASA has a series of satellites that point back at Earth that remotely sense various parameters, such as particulate matter in our atmosphere, the amount of chlorophyll a on a surface, water temperature, soil moisture, and so much more.

Near the end of the semester, a student in this course shared about an internship she completed and passed out flyers around the room. I took one, but it wasn’t related to teaching so I didn’t immediately jump on it. At this point, I was nearing graduation and was starting my search for a full-time faculty role. Looking back, it was quite ambitious to think I was just going to land a full-time faculty position directly out of my master’s degree. But I did try! I was able to get a couple interviews but was always outcompeted by someone with far more experience than me. Panicking that I need an income after I finished school, I applied for the internship.

a graphic depicting illustrations of satellites on orbits around earth. there are fifteen in this illustration, orbiting earth on three arcs.
Graphic of a subset of NASA’s Earth Observing Satellites. Created by NASA.

In the summer of 2014, I started my internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the DEVELOP program. This program utilizes Earth remote sensing to answer ecological questions for organizations around the world. The project that I had worked on that summer was using satellite imagery to measure forest fragmentation. We then compared it to bird presence data, which we collected from the Breeding Bird Survey, a yearly bird count through the U.S. Geological Survey. There were 7 other interns working together in a windowless office that was probably 150 sq ft in size. I would not be surprised if this was originally a storage room, given the wires, pipes, and electrical boxes found in the room.  

Let’s do a quick speed run through parts that do not matter too much to this story: I worked at NASA Goddard for about 1.5 years before transitioning to teaching. I had been teaching part-time at a local community college for some of that time and received another part-time role, leading me to leave NASA. I worked at two institutions for a year, before getting the opportunity to move to China to teach the sciences at an international high school. I was there for 6 months before moving back in January 2017 to the United States after landing a full-time professorship at Montgomery College, a community college in Maryland. I have been with MC since then teaching ecology, evolution, and environmental biology.

Flash forward to 2019, and I see a post by one of my friends on social media. This friend was one of the other interns at NASA, whom I literally shared a desk with (it was a very small office space), who went on to work with the U.S. National Weather Service. And, if you did not already know, they are a part of NOAA! Jamie had shared about the Teacher at Sea program on his social media and after I read through the stories of educators on board, I knew I needed to apply. Add in four years while the world sorted itself, and here I am!

screenshot of a Facebook post from October 24, 2019 announcing NOAA's Teacher at Sea Program's application.

I am incredibly excited for this opportunity. The groundfish survey measures population size structures of the species caught and characterizes the water column at the sampling locations. I look forward to creating data driven lessons for my students to use statistics to measure diversity between stations and to compare that diversity with water quality samples. Our world is changing, and if we are to do something about it, we need to understand it.

Laura Guertin: My Journey Begins on NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson, May 31, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Laura Guertin

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

May 31 – June 22, 2023


Mission: 2023 Summer Acoustic-Trawl Survey of Walleye Pollock in the Gulf of Alaska

Geographic Area of Cruise: Islands of Four Mountains area, Western Gulf of Alaska
Location (in port): 57o 47.0200′ N, 152o 25.5543′ W

Date: May 31, 2023

Not every educator has the amazing opportunity to volunteer with scientists on a NOAA ship. But in 2014, that opportunity became a reality for me when I joined NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson for a hydrographic survey in the Atlantic Ocean. Now my journey at sea with NOAA continues in 2023 as I head out on NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson for an acoustic-trawl survey of walleye pollock populations in the Gulf of Alaska.

Ever since I was an undergraduate intern for two summers at NOAA Maine Operations Center – Atlantic in Norfolk, VA, I wanted to sail on a NOAA ship. The NOAA Teacher at Sea (TAS) program opened that door for me and has provided so much, from my own advancement of the science and technology used to map the ocean floor, to content and stories I share with students and at science outreach events for the public. Now as a TAS alumna, I can’t wait to see how much more I can learn, teach, and share from my latest ocean expedition with NOAA.

Photo of Laura Guertin on a boat on the Atlantic ocean
Offshore of Miami, Florida, where I went to graduate school (University of Miami – Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science)

I’m a college professor, teaching introductory-level earth science courses primarily for non-STEM majors at Penn State Brandywine in Media, Pennsylvania. I am dedicated to not only helping my students build their science literacy but also seeing the relevance of why and how science matters in their present and future lives. My research has involved using technology tools to enhance student learning of geoscience content, with my current work focusing on having students produce audio narratives (or “podcasts”).

Photo of Laura Guertin with RDML Gallaudet standing in front of flags in DC office
RDML Gallaudet and I in his office in Washington DC

I also blog for the American Geophysical Union (AGU) about educational technology, pedagogy, and science communication on my blog GeoEd Trek. I’ve dedicated several posts on NOAA and its programs and resources . But it was my blog post A New Year’s resolution: help the public learn about NOAA (December 30, 2017) that caught the attention of RDML Tim Gallaudet, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere at that time. He was kind enough to invite me to his office in Washington DC to thank me for the post – and, naturally, I wrote up a blog post about the visit and our conversation! That visit has been “the” highlight of all my NOAA experiences! (*see A conversation about science communication with NOAA’s RDML Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D. (March 13, 2018))

Heading back out to sea with NOAA in 2023 is special for so many reasons. Life for all of us was disrupted in March 2020 – the COVID pandemic has been long and hard. My teaching and research has had so many twists and turns, and I still don’t know how everything will be moving forward. Getting out to sea on my first-ever fisheries expedition is not just exciting for me, but it has been heartwarming to see how many of my students and colleagues are sending me messages and looking forward to frequent updates! In a way, I’m taking so many people out to sea with me, and I’m going to work so hard to make this an informative and thrilling adventure for us all!

Photo of book cover, Endless Novelties of Extraordinary Interest - The Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger and the Birth of Modern Oceanography
Cover photo of Macdougall’s book on the Challenger expedition

Last year (2022) was a notable year for the field of oceanography. It was the 150-year celebration of when the H.M.S. Challenger set sail to collect meteorological and oceanographic data ranging from deep sea soundings and temperatures to biological samples. Although there were several ships that went out on scientific expeditions prior to 1872, the Challenger expedition (from 1872-1876) is the one credited as giving rise to the field of oceanography – and it’s interesting that before 1872, the term “oceanography” didn’t even exist in any dictionaries! I read the book Endless Novelties of Extraordinary Interest: The Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger and the Birth of Modern Oceanography by Doug Macdougall, and I couldn’t help but make connections between the methods of oceanographic research back at the time of Challenger versus today. Keep a look out for many comparisons between the work and logistics of Challenger to my experiences on Oscar Dyson in my upcoming blog posts – no doubt I will be sharing some current items of “extraordinary interest!”

I’m also looking forward to continuing to explore the intersections of science and art (STEAM) can be used to engage audiences and to communicate science data. I like to crochet temperature data and use these temperature records created in yarn for teaching and outreach (it is similar to the amazing work of The Tempestry Project!). While on board Oscar Dyson, I’ll not only be exploring under the sea but looking up towards the sky as my atmospheric observations will inform my Stitch the Sky project! Stay tuned for a future blog post to follow along and/or to create your own data visualization for your location.


*If you are interested in reading about my first TAS experience on NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, here are direct links to those blog posts:

Photo of Laura Guertin in front of the hull of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (at Marine Operations Center-Atlantic, 2014)

Julie Hayes: Shipshape and Onward! May 4, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Julie Hayes

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

April 22-May 5, 2023

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish Survey

Geographic area of cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: May 4, 2023

Weather Data

Clouds: Scattered

Temperature: 74 degrees F

Wind: 4 kt.

Waves: 0 ft.

Science and Technology

Environmental DNA

NOAA fisheries research vessels often work with colleges to help provide experiences for the students by allowing them to come on the ship to collect data for their research. On this leg, Makaila Hernandez was aboard to collect environmental DNA (eDNA) under Dr. Alexis Janosik for the University of West Florida. Water samples are taken from different sampling sights in the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental DNA tells scientists what organisms are in the area of water. DNA can be found in the water when organisms shed materials such as the skin, scales, feces, mucous, and gametes. Once the water is collected, a lab will extract the DNA from the water. The extraction is done in such a way that only the purest form of DNA is obtained. It will then be amplified so that it can go through the DNA sequencing process for organism identification. Collecting DNA for the purpose of knowing what organisms are present is done for several different reasons. It helps check the biodiversity and compare the health of the ecosystem to the previous years.

Makailyn stands at a workbench in the ship's lab. Wearing blue latex gloves, she slides two sample tubes into a plastic bag. On the bench nearby is a squirt bottle with a curved spout. It's labeled, but we can't read the writing. Other cardboard boxes and crates with sampling gear surround the work surface.
Makailyn working on eDNA samples
Julie stands at a workbench in the lab of NOAA Ship Pisces. In front of her is a styrofoam tray for holding sample tubes. The back row is filled with six labeled tubes. All except the foremost tube are capped. Wearing latex gloves, Julie grasps the squeeze bottle with two hands and squeezes its contents into the open sample tube. She does not face the camera, but rather keeps her eyes carefully on her work.
Helping with the eDNA samples

NOAA Ship Pisces

On this mission we have 28 people aboard Pisces. Without the engineers, technicians, deck crew, and the NOAA corps, the scientists wouldn’t be able to do their job. As most of you know, when things go wrong with a vessel out in the ocean, you have to rely on those within. The engineers work hard and I haven’t gotten to talk with them as much as I would have liked, but after all they have been busy down below keeping the ship going. While touring and visiting the bridge, the amount of technology there and knowledge from the officers on maneuvering the vessel is astonishing. I even had a slight go at it, and with the waves and current my travel line was a bit everywhere and not even close to being as straight as theirs. No worries, they were right by my side the whole time.

Drew Barth, Second Assistant Engineer

Drew, facing the camera for the photo, stands at a control panel in the engineering room. We can see screens, buttons of different colors, meters, levers.
Drew Barth, Second Assistant Engineer

Drew grew up in Montana and has been working for NOAA for around 18 years. Drew has worked his way up through the years, and the knowledge he knows about how to keep everything on this ship running is incredible. I had no idea there was so much down below us, and the amount of things that have to be checked and continuously working to keep this working vessel going. Drew tried to summarize all the things he did to me from operating all the equipment (including plumbing, HVAC, engine), maintaining all of the equipment, and every 2 hours all gauges have to be completely checked. At midnight a full report of how much fuel is being consumed as well as other things. Drew said some challenges he has had to deal with are bad weather, flooding, and having to fix multiple things at once. Drew states that working hands-on, growing up with a dad as a mechanic, and taking welding vocational classes really helped him, but training today can be done by attending a maritime school.

view of the bridge: two rows of computer screens facing one another; the captain's chair far toward the back of this view; windows surround three sides of the room
Bridge

NOAA Corps

LCDR Kidd, in NOAA Corps navy shirt and shorts, satnds on deck looking over the rail. We see his face in profile. Other crewmembers, their faces obscured, stand to either side of him and look in the same direction.
LCDR John Kidd, Commanding Officer
LCDR VanDine sits at a table in the mess, turned to face the camera for a photo.
LCDR Ben VanDine, Executive Officer
LT DeProspero, on deck, pauses for a photo. He is wearing a navy blue NOAA Corps t-shirt. His right hand holds a travel mug, and his left is on his hip.
LT Nicolas DeProspero
ENS Macy pauses for a photo in the computer lab. He is wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt with the NOAA logo and the words NOAA Ship Pisces, R-266 at the logo.
ENS Aaron Macy, Junior Officer

Personal Log

Today is our last day at sea. Later this evening we will start working our way towards Pascagoula, MS. We are finishing up our last camera drops and preparing to disembark. I can already tell this morning by looking at the water that we are getting closer to Mississippi. The coloration of the water is more of a brown hue than blue due to the Mississippi River meeting the ocean. Several deck crew are making last minute plans as we prepare to port. I have met so many amazing people from all walks of Earth, and listening to their stories and how they ended up on Pisces is remarkable. There are a lot of hard-working and dedicated people who keep this ship running.

I can’t believe I have been on the ship now for two weeks. I have several more questions from my students back home that I can’t wait to answer when I get back. When I return there are only 10 days of school left, so it will be a whirlwind. I have been blessed to have experienced this, and I have learned so much that I hope to inspire my students to dream big and put themselves out there. I told them before I left how nervous I was and that blogging for the first time ever and doing the unknown was way out of my comfort zone. However, hopefully I have taught them that it is important to take chances and pursue things that they want to do even though they may seem scary. My hopes are to also talk about all the different career paths involved in keeping this mission going aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

view over the bow of NOAA Ship Pisces from an upper deck. the water is calm and blue; the sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.
Front (Bow) of Pisces
view over the aft deck of NOAA Ship Pisces from an upper deck. We can see an A frame, davit arms, a large spool. the water is calm and blue, and the sky is blue with small white clouds.
View of the back of Pisces
Julie takes a selfie in front of an orange life preserver mounted on an outside wall. The life preserver is stamped NOAA Ship Pisces. Julie's t-shirt has a tiger on it, her school mascot, and the letters MMS for Macon Middle School.
Final Day at Sea!

Julie Hayes: Women at Sea, May 2, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Julie Hayes

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

April 22-May 5, 2023

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: May 2, 2023

Weather Data

Clouds: Scattered

Temperature: 80 degrees F

Wind: 1 kt.

Waves: 1 ft.

Science and Technology Log

Seafloor Mapping

The survey technician team collects data on the bathymetric seafloor using a precise timing and ranging system. Multibeam echosounders emit different frequencies to capture different particles in the water (fish, plankton, gases like oxygen), as well as the bathymetry of the seafloor (basically, what the bottom of the floor is made up of.) This will then provide a 3-D picture of the seafloor. A larger version of this, called Kongsberg ME70, was used during the Deepwater Horizon Spill tracking the oil and methane gas. Often, sea floor mapping occurs at night in designated locations.

A rendered image of the seafloor bathymetry, color-coded to represent different depths: red is the most shallow, while blue or purple is the deepest. This section is mostly flat, with a round red peak to the left. The bathymetric image is superimposed on a nautical map, at the same scale, to indicate the location of the surveyed area.
Seafloor mapped during this leg

Vocabulary Check

What is Bathymetry?

Bathymetry is the study of underwater depths of lakes, rivers, or oceans.

What is Sonar?

Sonar (SOund NAvigation and Ranging) is used to not only measure the water’s depth but to also detect objects underwater. This is done by emitting sound pulses under water and measuring their return after being reflected.

Sophie Caradine-Taber, Survey Technician

Sophie stands at a computer desk, facing an array of monitors. She controls the computer mouse with her right hand. We cannot see her face.

Sophie got her degree in biology and environmental studies. She got her start at the National Marine Fisheries Service working for NOAA on a hydrographic survey vessel on the Bering Sea in Alaska for four and half years. Her job on Pisces is part of the survey technician team that does seafloor mapping.

Makailyn Hernandez

Makailyn, wearing blue latex gloves, leans over to work on something at the base of water sample bottles attached to the CTD rosette. We can't clearly make out what she is doing with her hands.

Makailyn is on Pisces collecting Environmental DNA (eDNA) for the University of West Florida’s lab under Dr. Alexis Janosik. Makailyn graduated from UWF with a degree in marine biology, and worked as a research technician under Dr. Janosik. She has volunteered for numerous career opportunities, including this trip and sea turtle monitoring. Her goal is to attend graduate school and get a job as a researcher in either lab or field work.

ENS Grace Owen, Junior Officer

Grace stands at an instrument panel on the bridge. She is facing the  rounded bridge windows, but looking off to her left side. She wears a navy blue sweatshirt with the words NOAA CORPS written prominently on the back.

Grace is a Junior Officer for NOAA Corps. She is from North Carolina, and didn’t originally start her path on the ocean, but towards the mountains. She went to college in Colorado and worked as a climbing guide. She felt like she needed to do something more, and began looking at the Coast Guard. This is when she discovered the NOAA Corps and she felt like it aligned more with her values. Grace learned that she didn’t have enough STEM credits to join NOAA, so she moved to Florida to attend the University of Miami and got her graduate degree in exploration science. Training for the NOAA Corps takes around 5 months at the Coast Guard Academy. Once training is completed officers can then go to driving and navigating vessels for NOAA. Grace also has her pilots license and her next goal is to attend NOAA flight school with the future hopes to fly for the NOAA Hurricane Hunters. She even says there is a hurricane name in rotation named “Grace” that has yet to be used, and that would be super neat if she was the one who helped find it.

Heather stands at the controls on the bridge, peering out the window ahead of her. She is wearing the casual blue NOAA Corps uniform.
ENS Heather Gaughan, Junior Officer
Marina poses for a photo in front of a computer desk. Several monitors are visible on the desk or mounted on the wall.
Marina Rowen, Survey Technician

Student Questions of the Day

Jonathan asks: Have you ever found a sunken ship in the ocean?

Sophie works with sea floor mapping, and last year NOAA’s hydrographic ship on Lake Erie found 5 shipwrecks.

Anabelle asks: What is daily life like on the ship?

Sophie calls each ship she is on home, because she spends most of the year on them. She works the 12am-12pm shift 7 days a week. She tries to stay in touch with family, and reads a lot of books on her down time while on the ship. If they port between legs for the weekend she tries to make sure she takes time for herself.

Levi asks: How many years did it take to be able to drive a ship?

Grace states that the NOAA Corps training is 5 months, but once you’re on a ship that is when the real training takes place. Officers will do 2 years on a ship and then usually 3 years off on land assignments.

Ethan asks: What challenges are there when driving the ship?

Grace states that part of the challenges of driving the large ships are learning the physics and maneuvering of the vessel. NOAA is also mostly male dominated, but she feels confident in what she does and it has been an easy fit for her.

Personal Blog

I am enjoying learning all the different backgrounds of everyone on this ship. Even though it is predominately men, I am impressed with the determination that the four women of the crew have. Myself and Makailyn are guests aboard Pisces, but it was nice to see how the women fit in on the ship and are respected. Everyone on board continues asking how I am doing, and making sure I am learning as much as I can. Chief Survey Technician Todd Walsh even spent days building up an extravagant event by having me deploy an Expendable Bathythermograph Sensor (XBT). Todd had convinced me that it was going to be like an “explosion” when it went off, and I was in charge of it. He even gave me a training pamphlet that I studied, and he had me convinced that I must be crazy to agree to do this but I am here for the experience… right? Little did I know that the entire ship was in on the joke. After all the hype of how things could go dangerously wrong, training on how it could backfire, and the special safety attire the day of; the device literally just dropped into the ocean falling out of the holder. Todd… I will get you back!

Several on the ship are looking forward to the end of leg 3 to have a few days off before they are back at it to finish the last leg of this mission. Today I heard the countdown, “2 days and a wake up”. The crew spends so much time out here they look forward to a few days off the ship and a chance to see family. The current scientists will go back to their land jobs after this leg and new scientists will finish the last leg of this mission. Today was by far the prettiest day we have had yet. The ocean has finally calmed down and the Sun is shining bright. This evening it was as if the ocean came alive. We saw whales, dolphins, mahi-mahi, a shark and a trigger fish. I was able to do some laundry on the boat which was great because I tried to pack as light as possible so that I didn’t have to check in luggage at the airport. I am trying to do a little grading when I get a chance. There will only be 10 days left of school when I return. I have missed the students and have really enjoyed reading the letters they wrote me to bring along. Below, you will see a drawing that a student did for me to give to the ship. It is amazing and she is so talented!

Julie readies to deploy the expendable bathythermograph (XBT). She's wearing a life vest and facing away from the camera, across the railing of NOAA Ship Pisces. She stands with her left leg behind her right, for balance, and holds the XBT deployer up with both hands, as if she is about to fire a gun.
Training for deploying the XBT
Julie, wearing a life vest and perhaps unnecessary face mask, holds the now-empty XBT launcher pointed down over the railing of NOAA Ship Pisces. She smiles at the camera. Todd, wearing a life vest and hard hat, stands next to her and points toward the launcher, mid-explanation.
Chief Survey Technician, Todd Walsh and myself after finding out the “joke’s on me.” The XBT just fell in the water with no explosions.

Student Drawing

A beautiful and detailed pencil drawing of NOAA Ship Pisces. It's signed at the bottom: Pandora Hennessy, 4/19/23, NOAA Ship Pisces.
Macon R-1 Middle School student Pandora’s drawing of NOAA Ship Pisces
blacktip shark seen from above, swimming near the surface of the water
Shark on starboard side of ship
Julie leans into view of the camera to point behind her to Joey, who wears a life vest, sunglasses, and hard hat. Joey stands in front of a CTD apparatus on deck.
Finally, I got a picture of Scientist, Joseph “Joey” Salisbury.
Joey tried to avoid the camera most of the mission. He agreed to at least let me tag him in a picture.

Julie Hayes: What’s Below Us? April 29th 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Julie Hayes

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

April 22-May 5, 2023

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: April 29, 2023

Weather Data

Clouds: Broken

Temperature: 66 degrees F

Wind: 25 kt.

Waves: 4-6 ft.

Science and Technology Log

Sphere Cameras:

As we travel along the coastal shelf of Texas to Louisiana, scientists have already mapped out drop sites for the Sphere Cameras. There are five cameras that have a 360 degree view, one camera is stereo paired for measurements, and one is facing straight up. The cameras are attached to a rosette (cage), as well as bait to attract fish. Once the cameras are dropped in their designated location they will record for approximately 30 minutes. It is a process dropping the cameras in and picking them up that both the scientists and deck crew all have to help out with. It is hard to believe that by the end of their mission (Legs 1-4) they will have done this over and over around 500 times. Once all footage is collected from the day and downloaded it is then stitched together. This information allows scientist to see a number of things including biodiversity, distributions, and habitat classifications. This is helpful because it is also a much less invasive way for scientists to collect data.

Deploying Cameras

Camera Recordings

A black and white view, through the bars of the camera array, of a shark swimming underwater above a mostly sandy ocean bottom.
Shark
A black and white view, through the bars of the camera array, of about seven red snapper who appear to be jostling over the bait attached to the array.
Red snappers

Tony VanCampen, Electronics Technician

Tony, wearing khaki pants, a khaki shirt, glasses, and a large white beard, stands at a control panel lined with computer monitors, keyboards, and radios. He holds a telephone up to his right ear and grasps papers in his left hand.
Tony demonstrating the Global
Maritime Distress System

Tony is responsible for anything electronic. This could include things like wind, temperature and pressure sensors, electronic connections for the scientific computer systems, and GPS position for mapping. He states, “Anything that can be recorded for future data collection accuracy is very important.” Tony is also in charge of letting others know if the ship needs help. Tony has been on several ships in his lifetime including spending twenty years in the Navy. When Tony retires he hopes to work at a train museum in New York, due to his fascination with trains. He has been a great person to talk to while on this journey and is always willing to give me any information I ask. He even took time out to give me a tour of the bridge and flying bridge, as well as giving me several lesson ideas of coding for my students.

Chris Rowley, Lead Fisherman

Chris, wearing a hard hat, life vest, and sunglasses, stands on deck near a large camera array. He works to hook a cable to the top of the apparatus.
Chris helping deploy cameras

Chris is the lead fisherman on Pisces. His job is to assist the scientists in deploying cameras and CDT, and anything else needed. NOAA provides great benefits to support his family. Chris also is a coxswain who drives the Fast Rescue Boat (FRB) if needed. He is also part of the fire drill and you can see him in the pictures below during the drill. Chris lives in Louisiana and enjoys spending any off time he has with his twin daughters and wife.

Student Questions of the Day for Tony and Chris

Alivia and Tucker ask: How many different ships have you been on?

Tony was a great one to answer this question. Tony was on two naval ships, and eight different NOAA ships. I would say he has had a lot of experience in maritime.

Aryan and Alivia ask: When did you start working for NOAA?

In 2004 Tony started working for NOAA.

Maverick asks: What do you do in your free time?

Tony enjoys woodworking, religious teaching, and is involved with a food bank rescue ministry when he isn’t out to sea.

Konnor asked: What did you do before this job?

Chris started in High School working in the summers on shrimp boats as a deckhand in Louisiana. Before working for NOAA, he worked several years on offshore supply vessels (OSV).

Holden, Karson, Gary, Macie, Zane, Haylee, and Liam ask: What is the coolest and largest thing you have seen in the ocean?

Chris states that at night, while working on the supply vessels, lights would shine in the dark water and he saw an albino barracuda. The largest marine life he has seen has been a whale shark and he has seen several orcas.

Meela and Parker ask: Do you get lonely and do you get personal time?

Chris works out on the ocean over nine plus months out of the year. He looks forward to vacation where he can spend more time with his family back home. The ship now has internet that helps keep them in touch with family.

Personal Log

Last night we had to start working our way inland about 20 miles offshore, due to a large storm out in the Gulf. Tomorrow we plan to head back out towards our mission locations to continue where we left off. We have been tracking the storm for a few days and knew that we would need to go somewhere due to the heavy winds and waves. Since we can’t deploy cameras at our designated locations, everyone is using this day as a catch up day. We also did fire drills and abandon ship drills today. Safety is a huge priority on the ship, and I am confident that if there were to ever be an emergency situation, that everyone on Pisces would handle it excellently. I am taking advantage and downloading photos and working on the blog today, and checking in with my students work back home. Yesterday was amazing! I love getting my hands dirty and take every chance I can get to help cut bait for the baited cameras. I got to see my first whale at sea, and I have had the opportunity to see dolphins a few times now. I find myself often looking for marine life. There are always amazing sunsets at the ocean.

Fire drills

A view off the fantail of NOAA Ship Pisces of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico.
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico
Three mackerel, used for baiting the camera arrays, lay on a teal plastic cutting board.
Bait fish

Bait fish

Julie, right, and an unnamed science team member, left, pose for a photo on deck. Both wear baseball caps and yellow latex gloves. Julie holds a fistful of squid up for the camera. The other person holds an orange mesh baitbag triumphantly above her head.
Bait (squid)
Julie and another science team member stand at a table out on the deck. They are wearing yellow latex gloves. Julie uses a knife to cut the bait into sections on a cutting board. The other person pulls an orange mesh baitbag (filled with cut bait) closed via drawstring. Five other filled baitbags sit on the table.
Cutting and filling bait bags for the baited cameras

Julie Hayes: Days at Sea! April 26, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Julie Hayes

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

April 22-May 5, 2023

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: April 26, 2023

Weather Data

Clouds: Scattered

Temperature: 77 degrees F

Wind: 12 kt.

Waves: 2-4 ft.

Science and Technology Log

Each day is started and then ended with a water sample from the ocean. The technology is called a CTD, but the procedure would be called a CTD cast (as if we were casting it in the ocean). CTD stands for conductivity, temperature, and depth. The CTD consists of a collection of electronic instruments that measure the properties of the water, including a laser that checks the clarity of the water. Sampling water bottles are connected to a metal frame called a “rosette”. This information on water characteristics is important to both the scientists and the survey mapping team that use cameras and sonar. This information lets them know how well the clarity of the water is and the speed of sound that helps with the depth finders and sonar.

The apparatus containing the conductivity, temperature, and depth probe sits on the deck of NOAA Ship Pisces, awaiting deployment.
CTD used to check water quality, conductivity, temperature, and depth.

Vocabulary Check

What is Conductivity?

Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current.

What is Salinity?

Salinity is the dissolved salt content of a body of water and is a strong conductor of water.

So why is it important for scientist to know what each of these are?

The higher salinity the water is, the higher the conductivity of electrical currents.

Temperature also plays a role in the density. Knowing each of these is important because it lets the scientists know the water quality at different depths so they can make adjustments to their cameras and sonar.

Jack Prior, Chief Scientist

Jack is a pretty “chill” guy, and I have enjoyed watching him in action the past few days. Jack is the field party chief of this mission which involves everything from planning the trip, to deciding the daily sampling locations, deploying cameras, mapping, and figuring out what to do when things go wrong. Jack is in charge of planning and submitting the protocol for the entire mission and also is responsible for the end reports of the mission. You will find Jack on this leg sitting behind multiple computers regulating and keeping a watchful eye on all of the important information regarding this mission. Jack attended the University of West Florida to get his degree in marine biology.

Jack sits at a computer desk with multiple monitors. He smiles at the camera, his right hand giving a thumbs up.
Chief Scientist Jack Prior

Student Question of the Day

Whenever I get a chance, I ask random crew members questions that my students back home were curious about. Here is how Jack answered some of the students’ questions.

Konnor, Nichole, Lillian ask: What degree do you have and what all is needed to do your job?

Jack started his major in biology and had originally planned on going on to be a pharmacist, but then moved to Florida where he ended up getting his degree in marine biology instead. Jack continued to also get his Masters at the University of West Florida, too. Jack changed his career path because he enjoyed marine life. Volunteer work is crucial to get experience, and can benefit you on becoming more diverse when it comes to getting a job in marine biology.

Alyson asks: What would be your dream job?

Someday Jack wants to explore the seafloor in a submarine.

Blake, Sailor, Lilli, Jenna ask: What is your favorite food on the ship?

Taco Tuesdays seem to be a huge hit on the ship, as well as Friday pizza day.

Auburn, Ashton M., Karson, Liam: What would you consider to be the coolest marine life you have seen?

Seeing large diverse reef habitats is what Jack says he finds the most interesting, especially uncommon invertebrates that you’d never see on the beach.

Jaxon and Dwight: Can you be on the ship if you have health issues and what happens if there is a medical emergency?

The ship is a pretty confined space with steep stairs, uneven footing, areas you have to be able to step over, and have the ability to carry heavy weight. If there is ever a medical emergency, the ship works alongside the United States Coast Guard to get them the help they need. However, the ship is great working with all issues and plans accordingly to those who may have special diet restrictions.

Personal Log

Well, I will say that I am getting better at having my sea legs but that is still a work in progress. I have really enjoyed getting to understand the life on this ship, and I am just amazed at how diverse everyone is and yet still make this an amazing environment. It has taken me a few days to get the hang of where things are and to get out of my comfort zone to ask what I feel like has to be a million questions about everything. I have really enjoyed getting to hear and learn about the crew’s background and how they ended up on NOAA Ship Pisces. I greatly appreciate their willingness to answer my questions, even though I am sure I am in their way at moments. Everyone has a job to do and work different hours and shifts. It is great to see how they all respect each other’s space and sleeping hours.

There is so much science around me that I never knew existed, and I am shocked on how much technology is actually being used and heavily relied upon. Today was the first day the waves were calm enough that I was able to go out on the stern (learning names of different areas of the ship) to work on the blog and soak up a little bit of Sun. It was nice to be able to get some fresh air. The food has been amazing on the ship. I love how everyone is so courteous by thanking the cooks, as well as cleaning up after themselves before leaving the mess. The mess is the area in which we eat and the kitchen is called the galley. It has taken me a few days to understand the boat “lingo” but I am starting to catch on. The stairs are pretty steep, and everyone on board says to use 3 points of contact when walking. This is so that if they hit a wave while walking you are more stable. I could definitely see this being an issue going up and down the stairs. The doors are super heavy and I am still learning how to get those twisted and sealed tight the first time I close it (I am getting there).

A view of the mess: that is, the ship's the dining area. At the moment, it is unoccupied. There are five long tables, bolted to the floor, covered in blue vinyl or plastic table clothes. Black chairs surround each one. The chair's legs are all capped in cut-open tennis balls. The tables are supplied with condiments and paper towel holders. A large television screen mounted on the wall shows a football game.
The mess where we eat. It is spotless and a great size to fit everyone on board.

Julie Hayes: And…We Depart! April 23, 2022

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Julie Hayes

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

April 22-June 5, 2022

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: April 23, 2023

Weather Data

Broken Clouds

Temperature: 73 degrees F

Wind: 20 kt.

Waves: 4-5 ft

Science and Technology Log

As I am still figuring my way around the boat, it is very apparent that their need for technology can be found all throughout the ship. There is a remarkable amount of knowledge regarding technology all around me, and I am feeling a bit uneducated compared to the scientists, engineers, officers, and the rest of the crew. As I mentioned in the introduction, we will be using cameras to collect video of fish along the coastal shelf of Texas to Louisiana, on this leg. This is used to categorize habitats. Each spot has been well orchestrated where the cameras will be dropped to collect footage. It takes several different people to make this happen. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is also being collected at various sites. At nighttime, sea mapping is being done as the boat travels by multi-beam sonar.

I am joining this part of the journey, which is leg 3. There is one more leg after this one and in total there are 537 planned Reef Fish Video Survey drops throughout this entire survey (legs 1-4). They are working around the clock to keep this mission going.

A view of several computer monitors at a desk in NOAA Ship Pisces' computer lab.
Technology for sea mapping.
Two camera arrays sit on deck awaiting deployment. They are round metal cages, a few feet in diameter, which house underwater camera equipment. Each is attached to lines and buoys.
Device that holds the cameras for the Reef Fish Video Survey.
A scientist watches camera footage and data feeds on an display of multiple computer monitors above a desk. She's wearing a baseball cap and facing the computer screens, so we can't identify her face.
A few of the many different forms of technology used by the scientist in the lab.

Personal Log

After my flight from St. Louis to Houston, I made my way to Galveston in a shared shuttle service. The shuttle consisted of several people going on different cruise ships the following day. I enjoyed telling them, when they asked, what ship I was going on, that I would be boarding NOAA Ship Pisces. The questions really started rolling in then, and they were fascinated to hear all about it. I was lucky enough to have gotten a hotel that was right across the street from the beach, the famous Pleasure Pier, and a seafood restaurant was just steps away. After check in, I went to the restaurant to enjoy some spicy shrimp tacos, and then headed across the street to the beach where I spent most of the evening just walking up and down the beach. Living in Missouri, you have to take in as much scenery at the beach while you can.

The next morning I was picked up by two officers from NOAA Ship Pisces and taken to the ship. The ship was much larger than I thought! I was shown my room and was told that my roommate would be arriving later that day. I got one of the larger rooms of the ship consisting of 4 beds, and its own bathroom. However, it would just be me and one other person in there so we would have plenty of room. After getting settled into my room, I was able to take part in a tour given by the ship with two professors and some students from Rice University. This allowed me to become more familiar with the vessel, and I learned a lot from listening to their answers that the professors and students asked about life on the ship. I was able to meet my roommate later that evening who is here to collect eDNA samples for the University of West Florida. I think it is so neat that NOAA works with others to enable research to be completed. That night we slept on the ship at that port. The ship is scheduled to leave the port at 10:00 am in the morning. I was still nervous about being on the ship but had already met so many supportive and friendly people, that I knew they would be welcoming for the next few weeks while on the water.

This morning we left the port as scheduled. It didn’t take long to realize the ocean was a little angry today, with what I thought was some pretty big waves. I have a feeling I will be living on Dramamine for the next few days. So needless to say I was pretty worthless the first day out. It is apparent that it is going to take a little bit of time to get my sea legs in the rough water, and I find myself extremely clumsy falling into the walls as if I am walking in one of those funhouses with the sloping floors. I am amazed how well everyone else on the ship can walk. So hopefully there is promise that the longer I am on here, the better I will, too.

We completed safety drills to ensure that everyone on the ship, in case of an emergency, would know what to do. We went over fire safety, and had a fire drill. We then did an abandon ship drill (we didn’t actually abandon ship), where we had to put on an Immersion Suit. That was not as easy as I thought it would be! I am amazed how everything on the ship is ran, planned out, and everyone knows exactly what their job is.

Julie Hayes, wearing shorts and a long-sleeve shirt, stands in front of NOAA Ship Pisces in port. We can see, on the side of the ship, large black letters identifying the ship is NOAA R 226. Julie mostly blocks the view of the adjacent blue and white NOAA logo.
Seeing the ship for the first time!
A view into Julie's stateroom. We can see two sets of bunk beds, with two bunks on each wall. Each bunk has a bright blue curtain that can be drawn across it for privacy. In the middle of the room is a metal storage cabinet.
Where I will be sleeping for the next few weeks.
Two people stand on deck wearing large orange survival suits zipped up to their noses.
Abandon ship drill: Immersion Suit
A close-up view of the letters "MMS" (for Macon Middle School) scrawled in the sand.
Letting my Macon R-1 Middle School Students know I am thinking of them while on the beach at Galveston!

Julie Hayes: Worth the Wait! April 16, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Julie Hayes

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

April 22 – May 5, 2023

Mission: Reef Fish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: April 16, 2023

Three Years In the Making

As I am writing this, I find it hard to believe that over three years have passed since I was first selected to start my journey as a Teacher at Sea (TAS) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). I am so grateful to continue to be a part of this amazing opportunity. In just a few days I will be on my way to join world-renowned scientists and to meet the crew of the ship.

I will be participating, April 22-May 5, 2023, in a Reef Fish Survey on the Gulf of Mexico on NOAA Ship Pisces. Here is the link to learn more about the ship I will call home for 14 days. The goal of this survey is to deploy baited cameras to gain video that allows us to count/measure the fish we see, categorize habitats, and ultimately provide information on overall fish populations. The measurement of water quality will be checked for environmental DNA analysis, which can provide information on what fish have been in the area. Another goal is to do seafloor mapping so that we can find new habitats worth sampling and provide higher quality maps. I will embark at the port in Galveston, Texas and disembarkation will take place in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

I am excited-nervous and the anticipation is at its highest right now. A part of me still has some disbelief that this is FINALLY going to happen. I am beyond ready and can’t wait to share this experience with my family, friends, and students.

NOAA Ship Pisces underway. Image courtesy of NOAA.

Introduction

Welcome to my Teacher at Sea Blog. My name is Julie Hayes and I am from Macon, Missouri. Macon is a small rural farming community in Northeast Missouri. I currently teach life science, ecology, and STEM at Macon R-1 Middle School, but I have taught grades 6-12 covering many science subjects. I would consider myself a life-long learner and am excited to see first- hand the data collection on this mission and how the use of technology has helped the scientists learn more about the ocean and ecosystems themselves.

I have been married for 24 years and have two grown kids. My son graduated last year with a degree in nuclear medicine and married his high school sweetheart. My daughter will soon be finishing up her first year of college. I am excited to share my experiences with my students. I was influenced by my science teacher growing up who allowed us to do hands on learning and this really peaked my interest to persuade young students to love all facets of science, too. I am excited to be taking this journey along with my students.

This is a formal group photo from a wedding. Julie stands all the way to the left, next to her son, his bride, Julie's daughter, and Julie's husband. The bride and the daughter hold bouquets.
Family picture of my son’s wedding this past summer.

Why did I apply to NOAA Teacher at Sea?

Wow! Do I ever get asked this a lot from this midwestern town? Several people I know that have never ventured out further than the neighboring states of Iowa and Illinois, ask me, “why in the world I would want to go out into the ocean with a bunch of strangers and do a bunch of high tech science stuff that none of us have ever heard of?” Even my own children think I am crazy! I tell them it is exactly what I have dreamed of doing my whole life.

Growing up on a farm in a super small town, surrounded by nothing but cornfields and cows, created a sense of wanting to go out and see the world. My family cultivated most of our own vegetables and raised or harvested our own meat. Because of this, I was taught the importance of sustainability. I have always been drawn to nature (probably because it was all around me), but really became fond of all things water. I grew up swimming and observing all of the animals in rivers, creeks, ponds, and lakes. I spent countless hours trying to catch tadpoles, fish, frogs, and turtles just to put them back again. I developed an instant fascination with the ocean at a young age when I came across the scientific expeditions of Jacques Cousteau, that just happen to be on one of the 3 television channels that we could actually get.

I spent many years thinking I was going to go into marine biology, but due to being 1400 miles away from my college of choice for that, my plans took another turn. In fact, if any of my students still to this day ask me if I could be anything other than a teacher what would it be, I have always said a marine biologist. Because of my love for the ocean and the desire to continue to grow and learn more to influence my students, I started researching teacher opportunities over ten years ago.

That is when I found the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Teacher at Sea Program. I knew that my plans of applying were several years away, because I wanted to wait until my kids were older. In 2019, I took the leap of faith and filled out the application and got the amazing news that I was chosen for the 2020 season. When the COVID pandemic hit, everything came to a stand still preventing me from going.

Student Impact

I currently teach over 100 middle school students. I want to encourage them and spark an interest to have a passion for science like I do. By having the opportunity to teach in this rural community, I would consider myself extremely lucky. I have many real-world examples students can relate to right at my fingertips. I put an emphasis on my students being able to relate to the environment around them. One way I do this is by using examples they come across in their everyday lives, especially discussing farming sustainability and ecological topics like symbiosis and food webs. Several educational specimens I bring into the classroom come from my own pond or land that I live on. I love encouraging them to just go outside and look around, including those students that tend to stay indoors more.

We are lucky to have a state park in our little town. When we discuss the importance of conservation, they can see first hand the effects of doing so and why it is so important. Since we are landlocked and far from the ocean, I try to bring the ocean to them. I use symbiotic relationships with ocean ecosystems as examples, and you can find many ocean organisms displayed throughout my classroom. Part of the application process to become a NOAA Teacher at Sea, was to include an original lesson plan. I wanted to create a lesson teaching the students that our practices here, whether it be in farming or the burning of fossil fuels, impact the oceans ecosystems. We discuss how our farming practices in the Midwest can filter through the watershed and end up in the Mighty Mississippi River that meets the Gulf of Mexico. Making them aware of the things we do in our own community, can still have an impact on the oceans ecosystems.

My hopes are that from this learning experience myself, I will become more educated on key topics from ocean careers, use of technology, and practices that will influence my students. Students in my class are often problem solving for solutions, collecting data, and then analyzing that data to come up with their answers. This opportunity involves all of these, in which I can’t wait to share with them.

Student Involvement

Students and co-workers are excited to hear about my NOAA Teacher at Sea experience. Students wrote down questions they were curious to ask about the ship, mission, scientist, and crew. They also wrote me personal encouragement letters to take along with me while I am out to sea. I can’t wait to read them while I am away! My hopes are to maintain contact with the students while I am at sea, and plan to spend a few days a week checking in on them. I will miss all of them, but know that this experience will be well worth it.

A headshot photo of Julie dressed as the book character Ms. Frizzle. She wears a toy lizard perched on her shoulder.
Even Ms. Frizzle can’t wait for you to enjoy the blog!