NOAA Teacher at Sea
Maureen Anderson
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 25 — August 9, 2011
Mission: Shark Longline Survey
Geographical Area: Southern Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico
Date: July 15, 2011
Personal Log
Hello! I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Maureen Anderson and I teach middle school science at MS442 in Brooklyn, NY. In one week, I will be leaving for my NOAA Teacher at Sea trip aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II. I’m very excited to be a part of this survey! I don’t have a very strong background in science (I have 4 years of teaching experience – 3 in math and 1 in science), so I’m eager to learn as much as I can and share it with my students and community when I return.
Here’s a little bit of information about the trip. I will be helping scientists survey various fish species in the Gulf of Mexico, with a focus on sharks and snapper. Our boat leaves from Pascagoula, Mississippi on 7/25 and returns to Mayport, Florida on 8/9. We will cruise from one station to another to do hauls and sort through our catch. In this way, scientists get an idea about how many species are in this area and the overall health of these species.
A lot of people have already told me many shark jokes, or given me tips for how to handle a shark. But guess what? I won’t be dealing with sharks in the water directly (no diving on this trip). My students ask me tons of questions about sharks. While I sometimes encounter them during scuba diving, I really don’t know too much about them. So I’m looking forward to learning more about how to identify different shark species and finding out about the their overall health in this area of the world. Overall, I’m also eager to learn about how everything works on a ship, and about the different kinds of science jobs and careers of the crew.
I have never slept on a boat before, so I’m hoping that I have no problem adjusting to life at sea for 16 days. I have a ready-to-go seasickness patch just in case… Other than that, I am excited and eager to learn!
I will aim to make a blog post about 3 times a week, so please check back. Feel free to post your comments, feedback, and questions along the way!