NOAA Ocean Service – Page 5 – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

October 10, 2014August 21, 2021

Lauren Wilmoth: Officially a Teacher at Sea! October 10, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lauren Wilmoth
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
October 4 – 17, 2014

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Kodiak Island, Alaska
Date: Friday, October 10, 2014

Weather Data from the Bridge
Air Temperature: 10.6 °C
Wind Speed: 13 knots
Latitude: 59°00.742′ N
Longitude: 150°53.517′ W

Science and Technology Log

On Thursday, I got to sit in on Junior Officer Steve Wall and Survey Tech Christie’s discussion of their holiday plan. This does NOT mean they were talking about what they were doing for Thanksgiving or Christmas. A holiday is a space in an area that has already been surveyed where there still isn’t sufficient data. This can happen for a number of reasons. Think about mowing the lawn. If the lawn mower is going back and forth in lines, just as the ship does, sometimes you can still miss a spot (I know I do). With the lawn mower though, it is easy to see where you missed a spot, so you can go back over it immediately. This is not the case with the ship. What’s more, when you are mowing the lawn it is relatively easy to push the lawn mower in a straight line. It is not as easy to drive a ship in a straight line, because currents and weather can be pushing and pulling it in different directions. The purpose of a holiday plan then is to find these missed spots, so a smaller boat can be sent over to fill in those gaps in the data. The holiday plan also tries to figure out how this can be done most efficiently. For example, if holidays are close together you can send out one boat one time to take care of multiple holidays.

The holidays are the places outlined in yellow. This shows the area were are about to survey in Kodiak. — This is part of the holiday plan that Christie and Steve put together for this next part of our trip. The holidays are the places outlined in yellow and the black are the places where there is already sufficient data.

While I have been aboard the ship, I have constantly be learning more about NOAA corps. If you were interested in joining the NOAA corps, the first step would be get a four year (Bachelor’s) degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) field. Many corps members have degrees in Marine Biology. The greatest need is for people with engineering degrees. Once you have your four year degree, you can apply to be in the NOAA corps. If you are accepted in to the program, you will have training for 5 months. This is a combination of class work and hands-on training. When you successfully complete your training, you will be assigned to a ship. You will work on that ship for 2 to 3 years. During those years, your jobs progress in difficulty and vary, so that you can slowly learn how to do it all. All NOAA corps officers are trained on navigating the ship! Even though you are assigned to a ship for 2 to 3 years, you won’t be “gone” the entire time. Each ship has a season when it operates. For example, the Rainier‘s season runs from April to November. When the ship is out of season, it stays in the home port. Rainier‘s home port is Newport, Oregon. Just because the ship is out of season doesn’t mean you don’t work. You still report to the ship daily and work aboard the ship. It is just docked during that time. In the off-season, you may do additional training that would occur off of the ship. Also, many people take their leave during the off-season. NOAA corps officers get 30 days of paid leave a year! After your 2 to 3 years on a ship, you work on land for 2 or 3 years. When you return for your second ship assignment, you will likely have moved up in the ranks.

Today, we finally got underway! I was invited to listen in on the evolution required to get the ship underway. Evolution, I quickly learned, has a different meaning in the military then has when we talk about evolution in biology class. An evolution is a set, step-by-step process. To ensure that everything is done properly, there is a check list that must be completed before departure. Some tasks begin an entire day ahead of time. Some of the items required for the checklist include checking the fire doors, heating up the engine (for about 30 minutes), and much much more. Just untying the ship involves multiple steps because of the ship’s size. We actually had to leave two crew members behind to undo the lines. Then, they hopped on one of Rainier‘s smaller boats (called a skiff) and rode back the ship. After they got off of the skiff, Rainier hoisted the skiff up and puts it back in its place.

TeacheratSea 004 — The skiff coming to the ship after the ship was untied from the pier.

TeacheratSea 006 — The skiff being hoisted onto the ship with a crane.

Quickly after getting underway, we had our required emergency drills. I had NO idea how realistic the fire drill would be! I thought it would be like a school drill where we just go to our spot and stand around. This was definitely NOT the case. I was sitting in my stateroom (where I sleep) when the alarm sounded which announced it was a drill. The announcement proceeded to say where the fire was located which was the XO’s (Executive Officer) room a few doors down from me. By the time I was in the hall there was smoke, pretend smoke, but smoke! People were going to their stations, some were getting on their fire fighting gear, and in no time, they were fighting the pretend fire with gear on and hoses unwound. I was sent on border control, so basically, I had to go to a bordering area and monitor if the fire was spreading by feeling for heat. The drill was so realistic that there was even an unconscious victim that had to be treated by the medical officer. It is vital to have these realistic drills, because unlike on shore, you cannot just call the fire department. You have to be your own fire department! Almost immediately after the fire drill, we had an abandon ship drill. My group mustered (gathered) at life raft #8 and then, we had to put on our red survival suits.

My emergency billet that tells me where to go and what to do in case of an emergency.

Personal Log

On Thursday, Meclizine was passed out in the dispensary. This is a medication to prevent motion sickness. I will definitely be taking some. Even if it doesn’t work 100%, I have been given some tips on how to settle the feelings of nausea. It was recommended for one that I get further down in the ship and closer to the center of the ship. There is a lounge with couches called the ward room that is in a more ideal place to reduce motion sickness than my berthing area, so I may go there if I start feeling bad. If my nausea is still bad, I have been told to go the back of the ship (the fantail) and watch the horizon. You might wonder why watching the horizon off the back of the ship would help. Motion sickness is caused when your senses are giving you conflicting information. So if you are in a ship, your inner ear ,which controls your balance, knows your body is moving, but visually, since the boat is moving with you, your eyes are telling you a different story. This explains why it can be helpful to go to the fantail. Your visual sensory input (what you see) will match more with what your inner ear is telling your brain if you are watching the movement.

TeacheratSea 002 — Selfie with my motion sickness medicine.

Between the fire drill and the abandon ship drill, the captain called me up the bridge (the place where you control the ship). He wanted me to see all of the orcas (killer whales). There was a whole pod of them. There were possibly 50 orcas (Orcinus orca) and they were pretty close to the ship at times! There were also dall’s porpoise’s (Phocoenoides dalli) swimming in our wake. It was so cool!

Here is a picture of dall’s porpoises like the ones we saw today. This photo was taking by Teacher at Sea alumna Britta Culbertson.

Did You Know?

There is more than one way to “rock the boat.” The ship can pitch, roll, or yaw.

Animal Spotting

Thursday night I saw a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by the piers. I didn’t get a picture, because it flew way too fast. It was still awesome though!

October 8, 2014August 21, 2021

Lauren Wilmoth: Safety First, October 8, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lauren Wilmoth
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
October 4 – 17, 2014

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Kodiak Island, Alaska
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Weather Data from the Bridge
Air Temperature: 3.82 °C
Wind Speed: 6.1 knots
Latitude: 60°07.098′ N
Longitude: 149°25.711′ W

Science and Technology Log

Junior Officer Micki Ream diving in Thumb's Cove. Photo courtesy of Junior Officer Katrina Poremba. — Junior Officer Micki Ream diving in Thumb’s Cove. Photo courtesy of Junior Officer Katrina Poremba.

The launch that I participated in on Tuesday was awesome! We went to an area called Thumb’s Cove. I thought the divers must be crazy, because of how cold it was. When they returned to the boat from their dive, they said the water was much warmer than the air. The water temperature was around 10.5°C or 51°F while the air temperature was hovering right above freezing. One diver, Katrina, took an underwater camera with her. They saw jellyfish, sea urchins, and sea stars.

The ride to and from the cove was quite bouncy, but I enjoyed being part of this mini-adventure! Later that day, we did what is called DC (Damage Control) familiarization. Basically, we practiced what do in case of an emergency. We were given a pipe with holes in it and told to patch it with various objects like wooden wedges. We also practiced using a pump to pump water off of the ship if she were taking on water. Safety drills are also routine around here. It’s nice to know that everyone expects the best, but prepares for the worse. I feel very safe aboard Rainier.

Seastar from Katrina Poremba from the dive at Thumb's Cove. — Sea star and anemones taken by diver Katrina Poremba at Thumb’s Cove.

This source diagram from Kodiak Island shows when the latest data was collected in for an area. We will be working near the red x.

Today, I got a chance to meet with the CO (Commanding Officer), and he explained the navigational charts to me. Before the ship leaves the port, there must be a navigation plan which shows not only the path the ship will take, but also the estimated time of arrival to various points along the way. This plan is located on the computer, but also, it must be drawn on a paper chart for backup.

This illustrates again how redundancy, as I discussed in my last blog post, is a very important part of safety on a ship. Every ship must have up-to-date paper charts on board. These charts get updated with the information collected from the hydrographic surveys. The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet which is why Rainier‘s mission of mapping the ocean is so important. There are many areas in Alaska where the only data on the depth of the water was collected before sonar technology was used. In fact, some places the data on the charts comes from Captain Cook in the 1700s! If you look at the chart below the water depth is measured in fathoms. A fathom is 6 feet deep. Places that are less than 1 fathom deep have a 0₅where the subscript indicates how deep the water is in feet.

TeacheratSea 066 — One of the nautical charts that will help Rainier navigate back to its home port in Newport, Oregon. Notice the ocean depth marked in fathoms.

CO (Commanding Officer) and me after discussing nautical charts.

Today, I also spoke with the AFOO (Acting Field Operations Officer), Adam, about some work that he had been doing on Rainier‘s sister ship NOAA Fairweather. One project they are working on is connecting hydrographic data to fish distribution and abundance mapping. Basically, they want to find out if it is possible to use sonar data to predict what types of fish and how many you will find in a particular location

They believe this will work, because the sonar produces a back scatter signature that can give you an idea of the sea floor composition (i.e. what it is made of). For instance, they could tell you if the sea floor is rocky, silty, or sandy using just sonar, as opposed to, manually taking a bottom sample. If this hydrographic data is integrated with the data collected by other NOAA ships that use trawl nets to survey the fish in an area, this would allow NOAA to manage fisheries more efficiently. For example, if you have map that tells you that an area is likely to have fish fry (young fish) of a vulnerable species, then NOAA might consider making this a protected area.

Personal Log

Artwork from the SeaLife Center created by high school students to illustrate how much trash ends up on our beaches.

On Tuesday, I had a little extra time in the afternoon, so I decided to ride my bike down to the Alaska SeaLife Center which is a must-see if you ever find yourself in Seward. There were Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina), Stellar Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus), Puffins (Genus Fratercula), Pacific Salmon (Genus Oncorhynchus) and much more. I really appreciated that the SeaLife Center focused on both conservation and on organisms that live in this area. A local high school even had their art students make an exhibit out of trash found on the beach to highlight the major environmental issue of trash that finds its way to the ocean.

Can you think a project we could do that would highlight a main environmental concern in Eastern Tennessee? I also thought is was really interesting to see the Puffins dive into the water. The SeaLife Center exhibit explained about how Puffin bones are more dense than non-sea birds. These higher density bones are an adaptation that helps them dive deeper.

I officially moved into the ship today. Prior to that, I was staying at a hotel while they were finishing up repairs. We are expected to get underway on Friday afternoon. I am staying in the princess suite! It is nice and cozy. I have all of the essentials. I have a desk, bunk beds, 2 closets, and one bathroom (head).

Rainier, my home for the next week and a half, in Seward Alaska — *Rainier*, my home for the next week and a half, in Seward, Alaska

My berthing area (where I sleep) nicknamed "The Princess Suite." — My berthing area (where I sleep) nicknamed “The Princess Suite.”

Did You Know?

Junior Officers get homework assignments just like you. At the navigation briefing today, the CO (Commanding Officer) told the Junior Officers what that they needed to review several documents before going through the inside passage (a particularly tricky area to navigate). He is expecting them to lead different parts of the next navigation briefing, but he isn’t going to tell them which part they are leading until right before. Therefore, it is important that they know it all! It’s a little like a pop quiz and presentation in one.

Word of the Day

Bathymetry – the study of the “beds” or “floors” of bodies of water.

October 7, 2014August 21, 2021

Lauren Wilmoth: Introductions, October 7, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lauren Wilmoth
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
October 4 – 17, 2014

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Kodiak Island, Alaska
Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Weather Data from the Bridge
Air Temperature: 0.77 °C
Wind Speed: 12 knots
Latitude: 60°07.098′ N
Longitude: 149°25.711′ W

Science and Technology Log

Our departure from Seward was originally scheduled for today, but the ship is having some repairs done, so our expected departure is now Wednesday or Thursday. In case you were wondering, this doesn’t delay my return date. Regardless of the fact that we are not underway, there is still so much to learn and do.

Yesterday, I met with Christie, one of the survey techs, and learned all about the Rainier’s mission. The main mission of the ship is to update nautical charts. Up-to-date charts are crucial for safe navigation. The amount of data collected by Rainier if vast, so although the main mission of the Rainier is updating nautical charts, the data are also sent to other organizations who use the data for a wide variety of purposes. The data have been used for marine life habitat mapping, sediment distribution, and sea level rise/climate change modeling among other things. In addition to all of that, Rainier and her crew sometimes find shipwrecks. In fact, Rainier and her crew have found 5 shipwrecks this season!

This is what a shipwreck looks like to the sonar. This is a picture of a shipwreck found by another NOAA hydrographic ship. Photo courtesy of NOAA.

Simplified, hydrographic research involves sending multiple sonar (sound) beams to the ocean floor and recording how long it takes for the sound to come back. You can use a simple formula of distance=velocity/time and divide that by two because the sound has to go to the floor and back to get an idea how deep the ocean is at a particular spot. This technique would be fine by itself if the water level weren’t constantly fluctuating due to tides, high or low pressure weather systems, as well as, the tilt of the ship on the waves. Also, the sound travels at different speeds according to the water’s temperature, conductivity and depth. Because of this, the data must be corrected for all of these factors. Only with data from all of these aspects can we start to map the ocean floor. I have attached some pictures of what data would look like before and after correction for tides.

This shows the advantages of using multibeam sonar to complete surveys. Photo courtesy of NOAA.

Hydrographic data with correction for tides. Photo courtesy of Christie.

Hydrographic data without correction for tides. Photo courtesy of Christie

I was also given a tour of the engine room yesterday. Thanks, William. He explained to me how the ship was like its own city. In this city, there is a gym, the mess (where you eat), waste water treatment, a potable (drinkable) water production machine, and two engines that are the same type of engines as train engines. Many of my students were interested in what happens to our waste when we are aboard the ship. Does it just get dumped into the ocean? The answer is no. Thank goodness! The waste water is exposed to bacteria that break down the waste Then, salt water is used to produce chlorine that further sterilizes the waste. After those two steps, the waste water can be dumped. The drinking water is created by evaporating the water (but not the salt) from salt water. The heat for this process is heat produced by the engine. William also explained that there are two of everything, so if something fails, we’ll still be alright.

Me working out at the Rainier gym. — *Raini*er’s gym

Rainier's back-up generator. — *Rainier’*s back-up generator

Personal Log

Sunday, I drove from Anchorage to Seward. The drive was so beautiful! At first, I was surrounded by huge mountains that were vibrant yellow from the trees whose leaves were turning. Then, there was snow! It was actually perfect, because the temperature was at just the right point where the snow was melted on the road, but it had blanketed the trees. Alaska is as beautiful as all of the pictures you see. The drive should have been about 2.5 hours, but it took me 3.5 hours, because behind each turn the view was better than the previous turn, so I had to stop and take pictures. I took over 100 pictures on that drive. Once I arrived in Seward, I was given my first tour of the ship and then I had some time to explore Seward.

TeacheratSea 074 — One of the views on my drive from Anchorage to Seward

Yesterday (the first official day on the job), I learned so much. Getting used to the terminology is the hardest part. There are acronyms from everything! Immersion is the best way to learn a foreign language, and I have been immersed in the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) language. There is the CO (Commanding Officer), XO (Executive Officer), FOO (Field Operations Officer), TAS (Teacher at Sea or Me!), POD (Plan of the Day) and that is just the tip of the iceberg. I also had to learn all of the safety procedures. This involved me getting into my bright red survival suit and learning how to release a lifeboat.

Today, I am going on a dive launch. The purpose of this launch is to help some of the divers get more experience in the cold Alaskan waters. I will get to ride on one of the smaller boats and watch as the Junior Officers scuba dive.

Did You Know?

NOAA Corps is one of the 7 branches of the U.S. uniformed services along with the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC).

October 2, 2014August 21, 2021

Lauren Wilmoth: Get Ready! October 2, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lauren Wilmoth
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier
October 4 – 17, 2014

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Kodiak Island
Date: October 2, 2014

Introduction

My name is Lauren Wilmoth, and I have been teaching biology at Jefferson County High School in Dandridge, TN for 3 years. Prior to teaching in Jefferson County, I conducted research on pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) caterpillars in East Tennessee as a part of my master’s thesis at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. My research involved a lot of hiking in the woods and catching butterflies with my net. Who wouldn’t enjoy that? I learned a lot about how science works while obtaining my master’s degree, and now, as a teacher, I get to share my fascination with nature and my expertise with my students!

A Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis) like the one I saw as a child. Photo courtesy of NOAA.

I grew up in Alabama, and like many families in Alabama, mine spent many spring breaks at the beach. We camped every year at state parks on the Florida panhandle. It was on these trips that I began to appreciate the ocean as a fun and interesting place. We enjoyed the dune trails and the peculiar dune ecosystems. We even went deep sea fishing one time, and I didn’t get seasick! (Hopefully, I will be able to say the same after this trip). I distinctly remember one time when a Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish (Physalia physalis) washed ashore. It was the highlight of my trip to see this strange creature I had never even heard of! Although I grew up enjoying the ocean and it’s bounty (crab and shrimp are my favorites), I didn’t start to understand its importance until I became a biology major in college (oddly enough in the landlocked state of Arkansas). No matter where you live, you are connected to the ocean through its role in our climate, our water cycle, and as the main source of oxygen on our planet among other things. The ocean intrigues me with its mystery, and that is the reason I applied to be a part of this NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Teacher at Sea Program. I am thrilled about this once in a lifetime opportunity to help with hydrographic research off of the coast of Alaska this fall. In fact, I learned the news of which cruise I would be on while at Dublin Airport after an amazing vacation with my husband in Ireland. I checked my e-mail and let out an audible shrill of excitement.

My mother-in-law and me at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland earlier this summer.

I have never been to Alaska, and I know very little about hydrographic research. This cruise excites me, because I will have the opportunity to learn something complete new, and after the cruise, I will be able to share what I learned with my students and colleagues! In case you were wondering, hydrographic research involves mapping the ocean floor which is particularly important for safe navigation in these waters. Also, hydrographic research can involve determining the composition of the seafloor. If you want to learn more about hydrographic surveys, click on the link. Of course, you can also learn more about our hydrographic survey by continuing to read my blog during my trip. To complete this hydrographic research, I will be working with the NOAA team aboard the NOAA Ship Rainier. It contains a lot of fancy equipment used to complete these surveys that I hope to gain a better understanding of on this trip. This is a large ship. It is 231 feet long and is equipped with a dining area and 8 smaller boats! To give you some perspective on its size, it would reach from the end goal line on a football field to the 23rd yard line on the opposite side of the field! To learn more about NOAA ship Rainier click the link. Stay tuned to my blog to hear firsthand what life aboard NOAA Ship Rainier is like.

*Rainier* through an iceberg. Photo courtesy of NOAA.

September 27, 2014August 21, 2021

Amy Orchard: Days 9-13 – Conch, NOAA Corps, Seining, & Mission Stats, September 27, 2014

NOAA Teacher At Sea
Amy Orchard
Aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster
September 14 – 27, 2014

Mission: Conchs Surveys and Fish Seining
Geographical area of cruise: Marquesas Keys Wildlife Management Area
Date: September 22-26, 2014

Weather: September 25, 2014 17:00 hours
Latitude 24° 27 N
Longitude 82° 14 W
Broken clouds, Lightening, Funnel Clouds
Wind speed 7 knots.
Air Temperature: 28° Celsius (82.4° Fahrenheit)
Sea Water Temperature: 29.9° Celsius (85.8°Fahrenheit)

MONDAY

Typical Day

Today started as it has every other day – up at 5:15 am, a trip to the gym, 30 minutes of yoga under the stars on the “Steel Beach” on the top deck of the ship, a sunrise and a delicious breakfast by Lito & Bob.

gym — The elliptical or the rowing machine are my normal choices for caloric burning.

sunrise — Be sure to notice the silver of a moon among all those gorgeous colors.

Then science begins at 7:30 am and usually goes till 7:30 pm or later if I am writing, studying fish identification books or asking a million questions of the scientists!

Conch

Today I began with small boat trip to assist the conch scientists Bob and Einat (pronounced A KNOT) Their surveys will be the same all week (in different locations) They drop a weight tied to a rope with a bouy and dive flag on top. They dive down the line and survey four transects, to the north, south, east then west. Each transect is 30 meters by 1 meter. They only count the Queen Conch within that defined area. Then they come back up the line and move to the next site. They have already made 270 dives this summer alone. Einat told me they may dive up to 11 times a day! I’m not sure Einat’s hair ever dries out.

measuring tool — This is the tool used to measure the lip (or the curled up front part of their shell) The largest slot would indicate a sexually mature adult, the middle; a young adult and the skinniest (TL stands for Thin Lip) for the youngest.

Einat on the transect line — Here you can see Einat as she glides along the measuring tape which marks the area of study. In her hand she holds a measuring caliper and her clipboard (which she can write on underwater!)

Einat measuring conch lip — Einat measuring a Queen Conch with her measuring tool.

NOAA Corps

While our coxswain ENS Conor Maginn and I waited for Bob and Einat, I asked lots of questions about the http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/about/about.html As I have mentioned before, I am impressed with the character, quality and kindness of everyone on board. I truly hope I am able adequately convey the experiences I have had to my Junior Docents and Earth Campers and perhaps inspire many of you to look into NOAA as a career option. It’s very possible my career would have taken a different direction if I had known about the NOAA Corps earlier in my life.

The NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. They are not trained for military action, but rather for positions of leadership and command in the operation of ships and aircraft which support scientific research. Conor told me about his training which included leadership, 1^st Aid and CPR, firefighting, navigation, seamanship and radar. In addition to the 320 officers in the Corps, there are 12,000 civilian employees; some of these positions do not require an advanced college degree.

Seems like a wonderful agency to work for with great benefits such as seeing the world and supporting scientific data collection which leads to making the world a better place.

ENS Conor Maginn

ENS Carmen DeFazio

Stowaway

TUESDAY

More on Conch

Einat was happy to have me out on the boat with them again. She claims I am a lucky charm because the only time they have found conch on their surveys has been while I am aboard. Perhaps I should become a conch whisperer.

really pink conch — I took this photo last week of a Queen Conch at Fort Jefferson. Bob was surprised how pink & purple it was. They get their color from the algae they eat.

Queen Conch have an average life span of 8-11 years, although some in the Bahamas have been aged up to 40 years old. About the only way to age them is to date the corals which grow on their backs. They are herbivores which graze mostly on red algae. They are docile and Bob says “very sweet animals”. Bob and Einat are surveying to collect more information about their population densities as they will not reproduce unless there are enough numbers in one location. The Queen Conch is a candidate for the Endangered Species Act. Harvesting of conch has been illegal in Florida and its adjoining waters since 1986. This is a big deal because collecting conch for meat, fishing bait and their beautiful shells has been an important part of the Florida Keys since the early 19^th century.

Conch harvesting 1959

Mural which welcomed me to the Key West airport

When all conditions are just right, a Queen Conch will lay 400,000 eggs at once, called an egg mass. Only 1 in 8 million of these eggs will survive to adulthood. Many efforts are being made to help their populations increase including raising for release into the wild. Bob told me that they have even taught these captive-raised conch how to avoid predation so when they are released they can survive.

conch with egg mass — Bob and Einat were very excited to see Queen Conch laying egg masses. Understandably so since the eggs hatch 5 days after being laid, there is a very short time frame in which to see this in the wild.

I try to be as helpful on the small boats as I can be. Here is a slide show of me working really hard to pull the weight dive flag back to the boat.

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WEDNESDAY

Receiver Data Retrieval

Today the divers retrieved acoustic receivers from the ocean floor which have been out for a year in order to bring the data top side for analysis.

Dani seems pleased with the retrieved data.

Each color represents an individual fish. Each small dash indicates one “ping” or one transmission from that particular fish’s tag.

The work the FWC has been doing in this area has been vital to providing the data necessary to show that these reserves act as connected highways essential to numerous species of fish and to justify the creation of these large ecological reserves which closed 150 square miles to commercial and private fishing. Their data shows an increase in both the abundance and size of at least 4 species of fish in the protected areas where there was a decrease or no change at all in the non-protected areas in the same region.

It has been fulfilling to give a hand in collecting this critical data.

THURSDAY

Seining

The small boat took us to the Marquesas Islands today for some seine netting. The fish biologists were not sure what to find since they don’t have opportunities to get this far out. They were especially pleased to see Lane Snapper since they rarely find them. We also saw 17 other fish species. These mangrove islands are crucial habitat for juvenile fish. Many species will spend the beginning of their lives in the sea grass beds near the islands, seek refuge as they grow within the mangroves and then head out to deep waters to live their lives as large adults.

Amy snorkeling off shore of the mangroves

Best thing to happen today – I finally saw a sea turtle! They surface only occasionally but then dive back down so quickly that it is really hard to get a photograph of them, therefore no photo to share, but it is certainly a wonderful memory I will keep with me forever.

Dominoes King

The game was on again at the end of the second week. The science team lost its crown. The Commanding Officer of our ship LCDR Jeff Shoup won the championship and thus the crown stays on the Nancy Foster – right where it is meant to be.

FRIDAY

We pulled into Key West a day early, giving me plenty of time to finish up my writing and collect some statistics from our 13 day scientific cruise:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission personnel – 10
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Personnel – 7
University of North Carolina at Wilmington Remotely Operated Vehicle Operators – 2
Nancy Foster Officers – 9
Nancy Foster Crew – 14
Teacher at Sea – 1
Media Reporter at Sea – 1
ROV Operations – 14 hours and 20 minutes underwater
ROV digital stills – 957
ROV longest dive – 4 hours and 10 minutes
ROV deepest dive – 128 meters (420 feet)
Multibeam seafloor mapping distance – 787.9 linear nautical miles
Dives – 167
Fish surgeries performed- 8
Acoustic Receivers exchanged – 6
New Acoustic Receivers Installed – 5
Reef Fish Visual Census (or fish counts) – 40 dives on 11 stations
Seine Net pulls – 5
Number of species of fish counted in seines – 18 species
Total fish counted during seining – 290
Conch surveys- 14
Conch measured – 57
Conch females laying eggs – 2
Egg masses – 1
Facebook Reach on the FKNMS Account with Cruise Posts as of 8:15 on 9/26/2014: 528,584
Laughs – lots!
Fun had – tons!
Days/Nights of sea sickness for Amy – 0
Number of accidents- 0

Mission was a success!

Challenge Your Observational Skills

Can you find the fish in this photo? Hint, it is NOT yellow!

hide and seek — You will have to zoom in to find this itty, bitty fish. Good luck finding it!

NOTE: Scott Donahue, Chief Scientist for this cruise, actually found TWO fish in this photo! Can you find them both? He has a good eye!

BONUS QUESTION: Can you identify the fish in the photo once you find them?

Answer to the last blog’s question: Goliath Grouper is no longer being considered for Endangered listing because their populations have recovered due to a fishing ban.

Definition of the word EXTIRPATED: Completely removed from an area.

Sunset at port - Key West — Sunset at port – Key West

The sun has set on my adventure, now it’s back to Arizona. I leave better educated, but with plenty of questions to still find answers to. I leave more inspired. I am a better scientist, educator and a better person because of my Teacher At Sea experience.

A heart-felt “Thank You!” goes out to each and every person who made it possible for me.