“Inside every good scientist is a curious kid. ” —Ms. Frizzle
Ms. Frizzle takes her class to the Ocean. Illustration by Bruce Degan via Scholastic Inc.
Personal Log
I am home. The floors have stopped swaying, my seabag is unpacked and the fish scales are washed from my boots. I have had time to rest and reflect. Looking over my endless photographs of indescribable landscapes, fascinating animal life and the hardworking but always enthusiastic crew, it would be easy to be wistful, sad that the journey all went by in the blink of an eye. But the thing is, it’s not over. The journey was never just about me, I was assigned this adventure to be the eyes and ears of my students.
I love the Magic School Bus series. For some, it’s unclear whether Ms. Fizzle’s class actually goes to all those incredible places or if their trips have only been imagined. But I know Ms. Frizzle’s secret, she is an extraordinary teacher. Her lessons are so engaging, so powerful, that her class feels transported to those unbelievable locations making lessons real, relatable and meaningful. And that is NOAA’s charge for their Teachers At Sea.
The NOAA Teacher at Sea program provides the adventures, we the teachers, go home to take our students back to these magical places and exciting experiences. It’s no small task, but one I take on with great seriousness and excitement. I want my students to feel the wind and fog blowing in across Dutch Harbor. I want them to puzzle over colorful echograms searching for fish. I want them to measure, weigh and record pollock and jellyfish splashed across the culling board. I want them to envision themselves as NOAA officers, or engineers, or scientists. But most of all, I want them to care deeply about the health and well-being of the world’s oceans. So I am frantically writing lessons, building hands-on activities and creating project based STEM challenges in hope that my students will feel like they too have been to the Bering Sea on the Summer Pollock Acoustic Survey. May the Frizzle be with us.
Looking back from the fly-bridge on the Bering Sea.
“I spawned a wither!” and, “That is the weirdest world that has ever existed!” my twins yelled to each other from across my parents’ living room while they played Minecraft and I typed this post. I’m Sabrina (Sara) Whitaker, and in about a week, my view will change from the rain soaked prairie of Northern Indiana where my parents live to the waterfront of Lake Ontario where I will begin my journey aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson as I continue the third leg of a hydrographic survey of Lake Ontario.
Our mission out on the water is a hydrographic survey—essentially mapping what lies beneath the surface. By charting depths, shorelines, and hidden underwater terrain, we will create the accurate maps ships need to navigate safely and keep our coastal waterways protected. Over the next two weeks, I will be learning the details that allow scientists to discover these secrets, and I hope you will join me as we do so.
Personal Log
While my parents live in Indiana and I lived part of my childhood here, I now live on Long Island and teach physics in Farmingdale, New York. The story of how I went from living in Indiana to ending up on Long Island is long and varied, but it closely follows my path toward becoming a physics teacher and leads directly to my newest adventure aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson.
During this summer’s trip to Indiana, I got to visit my undergraduate physics advisor, Dr. Henry Scott, at Indiana University South Bend, where my physics journey continued after high school.
Sabrina and Dr. Henry Scott on the banks of the St. Joseph River during a visit to Northern Indiana, 2026
Under the mentorship of Dr. Scott and later Dr. Wendy Panero at The Ohio State University, I studied high-pressure mineral physics and conducted experiments at the synchrotrons at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. That foundation led to an incredible opportunity in Japan, where I worked with scientists at Ehime University’s Geophysical Research Center editing their scientific research papers.
Sabrina and a friend at the Chrysanthemum Festival in Matsuyama, Japan 2010
When my oldest daughter, husband, and I returned to the United States, I continued editing scientific papers, but I eventually decided to bring that love of science, travel, and global community into the classroom. To make the shift from researcher to educator, I attended Stony Brook University to gain the skills that would help me translate those experiences into inspiration for my students.
This upcoming voyage on Thomas Jefferson combines everything I love: science, travel, and finding fresh ways to engage my students. For two weeks, I’ll get hands-on experience in a branch of science I’ve never practiced, learning straight from NOAA scientists and bringing those lessons back to my classroom. I expect to make mistakes, learn from them, and have a lot of fun along the way. It’s going to be a great challenge, and I can’t wait to begin.
Did You Know?
NOAA ShipThomas Jefferson
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (credit: NOAA)
For this assignment, I will be living and working aboard Thomas Jefferson, a 208-foot hydrographic survey vessel.
Capable of traveling nearly 19,200 nautical miles and staying at sea for up to 45 days, the ship functions as a mobile lab. Its primary job is mapping the seafloor and lake beds to collect data for updating nautical charts.
Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey, Leg 1
Geographic Area of Cruise: Western North Atlantic Ocean
Date: August 8, 2026
Latitude: 31° 36.130’ N
Longitude: 79° 40.546’ W
Weather Data from the Bridge: South to southeast winds, 5 to 10 knots. Seas 4 to 5 feet. Showers likely and scattered thunderstorms.
Science and Technology Log
NOAA Operations Officer Heather Gaughan and science volunteers Maysin Douglas and Kleys Morillo measure the length and weight of an Atlantic sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae)
In the past couple days, we have begun to catch a greater number of small sharks that do not require the cradle. When a smaller shark is hauled up, length measurements are taken on a board that’s like a big ruler. They can be weighed by hanging them from a handheld scale. During this process, I was able to hold a juvenile tiger shark!
How do you hold a shark safely? Sharks are similar to alligators in that they have very strong muscles for biting down but weak muscles for opening their mouths. If you hold them firmly in the right spot, it is possible to keep their jaws clamped shut. In the cradle, the person controlling the shark’s head applies downward pressure to keep the jaws closed. On the deck, grasping with thumbs and fingers on either side of the jaw does the trick.
I was assisting with measuring when suddenly everyone around me insisted that I hold the shark. I am not going to lie: I was terrified to hold that shark! But everyone here is very encouraging and they want to make sure I don’t leave anything on the table. After all, I came out here for a challenge. So I took the shark that was handed to me and now I can live without regret. I sent this picture to a student’s mother to show him and he said, “Aww, that’s my teacher, she’s a shark catcher!” New teaching level unlocked.
Because this leg of the survey spans the end of July and the beginning of August, we have had to participate in abandon ship drills twice. During these drills, we practice getting to our muster stations for fire, mariner overboard, and abandon ship emergencies. For the abandon ship drill, we have to practice putting on our survival suits. These all-in-one suits are designed to keep you afloat and prevent hypothermia while awaiting rescue. They are also equipped with whistles and lights so that you can alert other ships to your location. My suit was comically large, but I was assured that it would still keep me warm and afloat should I need it.
You might wonder why we would need protection from hypothermia in the summer when the water is around 80° F. Water conducts heat better than air. This is why you can briefly stick your hand into a 400° oven without injury but 212° water will burn you instantly. Being immersed in water below your body temperature will sap your body heat much faster than air at the same temperature would and your body can’t keep up with maintaining warmth. You can become hypothermic in 80° water within a couple of hours. When you are far from shore, it could take much longer than that for another vessel to know you’re in trouble, locate you, and arrive to rescue you.
Although being aboard ship — or out on a recreational boat — can be a lot of fun, safety should always be first in everyone’s mind. If you’re planning to get on the water, please make sure you’re ready for emergencies and have all required safety equipment. Boating laws vary by state but this site from the US Coast Guard is a great place to start learning: https://www.uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/
Cheyanne Vanderdonckt wearing a survival suit during a safety drill (Photo credit: Maya Seehotlz)
While the deck crew and science team work in the well deck hauling in the line, the officer driving the ship is just as busy up on the bridge. NOAA vessels are under the command of officers from the NOAA Corps, which is a uniformed service branch. Oregon II’s commanding officer (CO) is Commander Jesse Milton and he was kind enough to give me a tour of the bridge during haulback operations one evening. It is the quietest place on the ship and it has a wonderful mix of 1960s era control panels and new technology. After dark it is illuminated only with red lights to preserve night vision. Even with modern radar and sonar systems, the most important safety feature is the vigilance of the person at the helm.
In the picture below you can see Operations Officer Heather Gaughan looking out the starboard window to maneuver the boat from the controls there. There is a similar setup on the port side, as well as the primary controls in the center. Being able to operate the vessel from these different vantage points assists with operations such as docking and hauling in the fishing lines. After the fishing line is set, the line is cut so it is no longer attached to the ship. This means the ship must go back and pick it up again. The ship must approach the high flyer close enough for crew members to be able to catch the line attached to it with a grappling hook, but not so close that it runs over the line. Then the ship must change its angle of approach so that the line is more or less parallel to the side of the ship. These are delicate maneuvers that require coordination and communication between the bridge and the crew hauling in the line.
In the bridge, Operations Officer Heather Gaughan drives the ship while looking out the window to starboard while Commanding Officer Jesse Milton looks out the front.
As part of my Teacher at Sea experience, I was invited to deploy two drifting buoys as part of NOAA’s Adopt-a Drifter Program. This program helps connect students to ocean science as they track the movements and data from their drifters.
The drifter itself consists of a spherical float — like a large, rigid beach ball — attached by a tether to a drogue. The drogue looks kind of like a large windsock or a fabric play tunnel. It helps to anchor the buoy in the upper surface of the water, rather than allowing it to be tossed around in the wind and the waves. Students can track the drifter buoy as it moves along in ocean currents and gathers data on sea surface temperature. Other data gathered can include barometric pressure, wind speed/direction, and salinity.
The data from drifters can be used to support weather forecasting, as well as climate research. All of these drifters are part of the Global Drifter Program, which aims to maintain an array of these mobile data transmitters around the globe. You can see all the drifters on a map and click on each one to learn more about it here: https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/global-drifter-program/
Before deploying the first drifter, we decorated it with stickers and messages for my students. We chose a spot within the Gulfstream current to give the drifter buoy a good chance of traveling far. The batteries typically last about 400 days but they have been known to last much longer. Before we tossed it off the stern, the bridge made an announcement for anyone who wanted to come watch. It felt like a little celebration.
Our decorated drifting buoy ready to be deployed, deployment with lead fisherman Sean Gronquist, and a view of the buoy drifting away. (Photo credits: Cheyanne Vanderdonckt and Maysin Douglas)
Aboard ship, we are beginning to ask one another what we miss from land. We miss our pets and going barefoot (not allowed for safety reasons on the ship). I miss my husband and taking naps on the couch with my dog. It’s also a little frustrating to see all this water and not be allowed to swim!
I am still enjoying being at sea, but I miss working within my realm of expertise. At my workplace, I am an experienced employee that people may come to for help with challenging student behaviors or ideas for teaching a tricky concept. Here I am helpful with routine tasks, but way over my head in scientific conversations. This is also really helpful for understanding the emotional dimensions of learning. When students are struggling, they need support but they do not need us to remove all of the discomfort. This is often our first instinct as we teachers tend to be compassionate people, but being able to tolerate some level of discomfort is critical to learning. Supporting students through this — rather than seeking to eliminate all friction — is how we can help them to become lifelong learners. Instead we can remind them that making mistakes and temporary confusion are normal parts of the learning process. You can invite students to think about skills they have now that used to be difficult or impossible for them and think about how they improved. Sometimes all we need is a reminder that we have done hard things before and we can do them again.
While learning more about sharks, I have also been learning how scientists and the ship’s crew manage to write reports and e-mails in an office swinging from side to side at an inconstant rate. For the last few days the ship has been rocking quite a bit due to swell from a storm off the coast of Florida. This has made it challenging to read or write. Large objects on the ship are secured to keep them and us safe, but not everything can be strapped down so there are still some things falling off shelves. We will go on deck for a set or haul and return to find computers or other equipment on the floor. Everyone takes it in stride as part of life at sea. When I applied for the Teacher at Sea program, the application stressed three qualities above all: flexibility, fortitude, and the ability to follow orders. I can see these traits in the people working aboard Oregon II and I’m thinking of ways I can help to cultivate them in myself and my students.
Did You Know?
A chronometer is a highly accurate clock that can keep time under extreme conditions, such as those encountered at sea. Accurate timekeeping was difficult at sea when clocks relied on mechanical components whose movement was affected by the constant motion on the water. Being able to keep time accurately was important for navigation, particularly for calculating longitude. The marine chronometer was invented in the 18th century and began a new era for navigation.
During my tour of the bridge, Commander Milton told me I should get an engineer to take me down to the engine room to see Oregon II’s chronometer. It was originally part of the ship’s predecessor Oregon and is 100 years old. NOAA has educational activities to learn more about geography and navigation at https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/learn/educational-activities.html
Oregon II’s chronometer, originally part of its predecessor Oregon’s equipment
Mission: Summer Pollock Acoustic-Trawl Survey, Leg 3
Geographic Area of Cruise: Bering Sea, Alaska
Date: July 30, 2026
Photography is an austere and blazing poetry of the real. — Ansel Adams
Science and Technology Log
The internet is filled with selfies created by everyone from silly kittens to the Kardashians, but why are photos so addictive to us as humans? Cameras allow us to not only record where we have been, but also allow us to take others along on our adventures. They give proof of phenomena, chronicle history and record changes over time. Photography, since its invention in the 1820-1830’s, has played an important role in the toolbox of scientists (and also travel enthusiasts). The scientists of Oscar Dyson are no different. They too love a good photo, and continue to innovate new technology to capture and utilize photography for research. These photos take others along with them into the Bering Sea, but also provide important scientific information. NOAA scientists are earth influencers helping those on shore to understand this unique environment and inform decisions about the health of the Alaskan fisheries.
There are many different tools to capture pictures on Oscar Dyson because there are lots of different types of research that need to be recorded. Several of these specialized camera devices have been designed and built by innovative NOAA scientists to complete specific tasks in diverse locations. Two of my favorites are CamTrawl and CATCam.
CamTrawl coming in with the trawl net
CamTrawl: CamTrawl is a camera that attaches to the side of the pollock trawl net near where the fish collect. It takes images of the things flowing through the net. This is valuable information as it can be compared to the FS70 on the mouth of the net and Echosound data from the ship (both explained in a previous blog) to show what species was captured at specific locations and depths.
CamTrawl captures two pictures from different perspectives at the same time allowing scientists to measure the size of each specimen. NOAA scientists use a program specifically written to view CamTrawl images to look at each image set and use computer clicks to label each creature’s species. The program also lets scientists measure the length of the pollock and view the depth at which they are captured. Knowing the size of the pollock helps to determine its age/stage of life, important information when reporting on the health of the Alaskan fisheries.
CamTravel image added to Echogram
Look at the image of the data sources combined together. On the left is the photo taken by CamTrawl that was labeled by scientists. The location this photo was taken is marked on the chart next to it by an open red circle (center bottom). The black line represents the path of the trawl net. The bright colored circles are the groups of each species, the more that have been identified on a photo, the larger the circle. The background is the echogram information gathered by the boat during fishing.
Can you find krill, pollock and jellyfish? Do they appear at the same or different ocean depths? These different data sets allow NOAA scientists to determine if the fish patterns on the echogram were actually the fish they expected.
Constant Altitude Towed Camera (CATCam)
CATCam: CATCam (Constant Altitude Towed Camera) is a device used to capture deep underwater images from the seafloor. Dropped over the side, CATCam is a remote control submersible camera. It is designed to keep a constant height from the bottom and photograph the seafloor while slowly being towed by the ship. CATCam has sensors that detect the seafloor and activate thrusters that keep the cameras from crashing into the bottom. Scientists onboard the ship are also able to control the thrusters to guide CATCam into just the right spot. It is also equipped with bright lights to light up the dark bottom waters.
Because the pollock trawl doesn’t typically move along the bottom, often the species photographed are especially fun to see. Here are some of my favorite CATCam pictures:
Rockfish & AnemoneSkateOctopus
Under Pressure: In designing and building underwater cameras like CamTrawl and CATCam, NOAA scientists need to consider the issue of water pressure. These camera systems need to go deep down into the ocean and the deeper they go the higher the pressure becomes. Underwater pressure is called hydrostatic pressure and it increases dramatically as you travel deeper.
Check out these styrofoam cups. They were sent down on various deep water missions. They show the effect of underwater pressure. Styrofoam is made up of plastics filled with tiny pockets of trapped airy open space. When brought down under the water, these airy spaces are crushed inward on all sides, shrinking the cup. My middle school teacher had a tiny styrofoam cup that was towed behind a WHOI submarine that fascinated me: I can’t believe I now have one of my own. You can learn more about hydrostatic pressure with the fun interactive WHOI simulation.
shrunken styrofoam cups
Try It on Dry Land
Just like styrofoam, marshmallows are filled with tiny little pockets of air surrounded by a flexible material. Both styrofoam and marshmallow react to changes in pressure in similar ways. It took me decades to catch a ride to a deep sea environment and get a tiny styrofoam cup. If you aren’t that patient, you can create a similar environment at your desk with a few simple materials.
Illustration of a marshmallow inside of a syringe, created with Gemini AI
Marshmallows from the Deep
Materials:
2-3 Mini Marshmallows
60ml Plastic Syringe
Sharpie
Instructions
Use Sharpie to decorate mini marshmallows
Take plunger out of syringe and add marshmallows
Replace plunger
Hold finger over tip (or add a drop of hot glue tip)
Gently push plunger in to increase the pressure inside the syringe
What happens to the marshmallow?
What happens to the decoration?
If you gently pull the plunger in the opposite direction you are decreasing the pressure inside the syringe. What happens to the marshmallow?
Personal Log
Alongside all the scientific photographs being taken, I have been frantically clicking away behind my camera. I hope my photos introduce my story to my students. I hope they can feel the vastness of the ocean, the magic of life teeming underneath it and the breathtaking majesty of a return to the Alaskan mainland. I hope these photos cause students to ask questions I can’t answer, to think about careers far beyond those in our neighborhood, and dream of new innovations of exploration and preservation of this incredible place.
Geographic Area of Cruise: West Coast Pacific Ocean
Date: August 9 , 2026
Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 45°46.3’N
Longitude: 124°15.9′ W
Wind Speed: 12 kts
Air Temperature: 15.0°C
Science and Technology Log
Today we had safety drills, and I felt more confident knowing what to do in an emergency. They also checked fire hoses, and the fire response team practiced suiting up and going to their stations as quickly as possible. We were going to light expired flares into the air, but unfortunately we were unable to do so due to the waves and the acoustic sonar being in the water.
Safety drill with expired flares
Commanding Officer Erick Estela led us on a tour of the engine rooms to see how the ship runs. It also gave me a better idea of how the net is deployed. Here is one of the winches that connects to the doors that hold the net open underwater:
Winch that controls the net door, located in the engine room
This is the rudder indicator of the ship:
Ship’s rudder
The engineers have everything they need to keep things running smoothly. They have a number of work areas, including a welding area:
Welding station
This hallway shows some of the electronics that control the generators that power the ship:
Automatic ship controls
There are many backup equipment processes in case something goes wrong. Here is an area that an engineer can control propulsion if there was an issue on the bridge. Also, if the power goes out, there is an old-fashioned sound-powered “land-line” that you crank to call:
Engineer Operating System Location where engineers can control the ship in case of emergency
Sound powered telephone
Before I came on board, I was worried that we would have to take “Navy” showers, like my father used to talk about when he was in the service. These are where you only turn on the water to wash away soap and shampoo. Luckily, times have changed and NOAA makes its own water onboard! Here is a photo of one of the evaporators where fresh water is distilled from salt water. They have multiple units, but they usually don’t need to use all of them, unless people take extremely long showers.
Fresh water distilled on board
There are also HVAC systems and sewage pumps (they use bacteria to break down solid waste):
Organic waste material is processed by bacteria
There are a few areas of the ships that have watertight doors that close during a flooding event, so that you can remain safe.
Doors that can be closed automatically by the bridge in case of emergency
We also checked out the damage control lockers located on opposite sides of the ship. If there is damage done to the hull, materials for containing the leak are available, along with fire mitigation supplies.
Damage Control Locker
Oil leaks are mopped up with items located in these yellow tubs:
Spill clean-up materials
The Dive Locker has wet suits, an air compressor for dive tanks, and other tools necessary for staff that are certified. Once a month, they check the hull outside of the ship to make sure everything is clean and intact. Divers train once a month to maintain their skills and certifications.
Dive locker
Did you Know?
Every night, the chief of science, the chief engineer, the operations officer, the commanding officer, all of the deck crew, and the survey lead meet to go over the trawl plan for the night. Based on the days acoustic data, they go over fishing locations, the weather, if any vessels or buoys are in the area, the topography, and if there are any concerns or updates from the crew.
Then they do an operational risk assessment. Each person puts up a finger, with 10 fingers being the highest risk, and zero fingers being no risk. They rate Resources (Boat and Equipment, Supervision, Communication, and Support), Environment (Surf Zone, Remoteness, Ice, Rocks, Traffic, Shallow or Uncharted water), Team Selection (Experience, Training, and Familiarity), Fitness (Physical and Mental), Weather (Effects on mission and safety),and Mission Complexity (New or experimental, or restricts maneuverability). If the total score is high, that can affect whether trawling proceeds or how many trawls will occur that night.
Operational Rish Assessment Form used during meetings
Personal Log
Before I left Eugene to fly to San Francisco, I was excited to start my time with NOAA but also nervous about how well I would adapt and fit in on a research expedition. Admittedly, the fish trawling and sampling is rigorous and switching to a night schedule was tiring for the first few days. But everyone has been so patient and open to all of the questions I have (they even let me steer the ship!), even though I struggle sometimes with understanding some of their answers. I’ve learned an incredible amount about marine biology, fisheries, and NOAA, along with learning about the people behind the jobs on board. Now, near the end of my time on board, I feel that I’m more than capable in the wet lab, I’ve adapted to life aboard a ship, and I’m now part of an incredible crew and team. Maybe it’s time I switch to a science teaching position…? 🙂
