Volunteer Jade Salis poses during the safety drill.
This suit is so big on me! My fingers look swollen!
I will see Jade before she goes to bed since our work schedules are opposite (12am-12pm vs 12pm-12am)
Fisheries Biologist Jim Patterson answers questions from students at McNair High.
Senior Research Associate Heather Moncrief-Cox shares her experiences with the students at McNair High School.
Amazing sunrises & sunsets every day!
Maronda’s silhouette at sunset.
Now that we have departed Cape Canaveral, I’m enjoying the Florida coastline! It didn’t take long for Fisherman Josh Cooper to catch a Wahoo. He must have read my mind about plans for dinner.
Science Log
On Wednesday, August 31, 2022, NOAA Ship Oregon II departed Cape Canaveral and started a path along the Florida coastline headed to the Gulf of Mexico. All of us took another Covid-19 test before departure to keep everyone safe. We had to wait for 17,000 gallons of diesel fuel to load the vessel. I was surprised about the amount of fuel needed for our journey! Although my shift begins at 12pm, I have time to get adjusted since we haven’t made it to the 1st location. I included my students in the interviews with several shipmates. Heather Moncrief-Cox, Senior Research Associate, and Jim Patterson, Fisheries Biologist, sat with me while I logged into Google Meet during my 9th grade Algebra Math class. They seemed happy to answer the questions shown below and were patient with the students. Mrs. Ashanti Raymond, teacher at McNair High School, did an excellent job monitoring the students working while they took their turn asking questions in front of the screen.
On Thursday, September 1, 2022, the students from my Coordinate Algebra & Pre-Calculus classes interviewed Chuck Godwin, Lead Fisherman, and Collin Lynch, Chief Electronics Technician. Their careers & lives are quite interesting! We found out more information about the logistics of fisheries surveys, different careers, education & certifications. I appreciate them taking the time to talk to us! This experience helps me and others understand the purpose of research, safety rules, and how everyone’s part is important!
Interview Question suggestions for the students at McNair High School
The carousel of pictures was taken while students logged into Google Meet to interview my shipmates. Many of the students took notes & emailed me their summary.
McNair High Students Interview Jim Patterson, NOAA Fisheries Biologist aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II:
What was your most memorable moment at sea?
While I was doing my job a sperm whale came up from the water! It rolled over to the point where you could see its eye and we just stared at each other. It was so remarkable to me that I forgot to turn on my camera.
How does being at sea affect your family life?
I don’t have my own family so therefore that’s not a problem for me. I talk to and meet new amazing people all the time.
What advice can you give students?
Do whatever you are interested in and the work you do in the end will all be worth it! You’ll be happy that you did it.
What is rewarding about your job?
There’s so much that I’ve discovered over the years and new things that I’ve learned. The experience also is something that’s worth it, along with the view of the ocean and sights of the creatures.
How are environmental issues related to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math)?
STEAM applies to just about everything in life.
McNair High Students of Dekalb County, Georgia, interview Chuck Godwin, NOAA Lead Fisherman:
What certificates or degrees do you have?
I have a Wildlife Management Ecology degree and Multi-Management Certification.
How does your job affect your family?
When my kids were younger this would affect them because I would be gone 2 weeks to 2 months. They are grown now so not so much.
What was your most memorable moment at sea?
We caught a 27 foot basking shark.
What are some of the rewards with your job?
I like the long-lasting friendships and my shipmates are like a second family to me.
What are you looking forward to aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II?
I’m hoping to catch a record-winning great white shark.
Why is your research important?
I protect species and keep them going. I make sure they are okay.
Heather Moncrief-Cox: Senior Research Associate
McNair High Students of Dekalb County, Georgia, Interview Heather Moncrief-Cox, NOAA Senior Research Associate:
When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in science or ocean care?
I’ve always wanted to do this ever since 3rd grade when I dressed up as a Marine Biologist. At 13, I started shark diving.
Why is your research important?
It’s important to do research because it allows you to learn information you might not have known before. You can also gather evidence or proof to contribute to the information you learned.
Heather makes sure data is recorded and tissue samples are stored properly for later research.
On Friday, September 2nd, 2022, the students in my Analytic Geometry class interviewed Fisherman Josh Cooper. He was very helpful with different positions on the deck. He explained his life at sea & talked about some of the fish he recently caught. Later during the week, he prepared ceviche for everyone with the fresh catch of the day.
Josh Cooper: Fisherman
Colin Lynch: Chief Electronics Technician
McNair High Students of Dekalb County, Georgia, interview Josh Cooper: NOAA Fisherman
What are your normal duties?
I maintain the deck, catch fish, and work where I’m needed.
McNair High Students of Dekalb County, Georgia, interview Colin Lynch: NOAA Chief Electronics Technician
How does your job affect your social life?
You have to know what you are getting into. I’ve been on the vessel for about 2 months. It’s a challenge and it’s all about knowing how to manage your time. NOAA is really good about giving time off.
On Thursday, September 8th, 2022, I interviewed my supervisor Trey Driggers & Fisherman Chris Love. I was able to use a Voice Recorder APP & my phone to capture the moments. Trey was very detailed with explaining the purpose of collecting the data & helped me increase my marine life vocabulary. Chris shared lots of sunrise pictures & we often compared photos between shifts.
Trey Driggers: Research Fishery Biologist
Chris Love: Seaman/Fisherman
Chris Love: Seaman/Fisherman
McNair High Math Teacher of Dekalb County, Georgia, Interviews Trey Driggers: Supervisor and Chief Scientist:
“We collect otoliths (inner ear bones) from bony fish species that help the fish navigate near reefs. Then we send the samples to the Panama City Lab to determine the age of the fish. They compare the age & length to see how fast they grow.”
How do you keep the bait organized?
You have to go in order so the lines don’t get crossed. We put a total of 50 hooks with bait in each barrel. The last one in is the first one out. Make sure you put the hooks in the Mackerel bait twice to be more secure. Sometimes you’ll get pieces of the bait back or none at all. If we’re lucky, then we’ll catch a few fish. The numbers on the hooks help us stay organized too.
McNair High Math Teacher of Dekalb County, Georgia, Interviews Chris Love: NOAA Able-Bodied Seaman/Fisherman:
What challenges do you face?
Being away from home. Sometimes you miss out on things. If you play around and don’t pay attention, then you can get seriously hurt.
Do you have any memorable moments?
You get to go to different places and experience things away from home. You meet new people on the ships and ports you visit.
On Friday, September 9th, 2022, my students interviewed Lieutenant Commander, Aaron Colohan. He has a lot of responsibilities & made sure we were safe on the ship. He has a large budget of 1.2 million dollars with many factors to consider.
Aaron Colohan: Lieutenant Commander
Aaron Colohan: Lieutenant Commander
McNair High Students of Dekalb County, Georgia, interview Aaron Colohan, NOAA Lieutenant Commander:
What are some rewards you get from your job?
I believe in what I’m doing. My reward is doing something for my country, the world, and the planet. This is an opportunity to work outside of the military for public good.
I have to work with 23-30 people a day and make sure they are happy in their environment along with me. I make sure they are well fed and safe with a $1.2 million budget.
On Monday, September 12th, 2022, I interviewed James McDade, Junior Engineer. I had to use ear plugs because the noise level is very loud on the bottom of the ship where the engine & equipment is located. It was very hot & the space was tight.
James McDade: Junior Engineer
James McDade: Junior Engineer
McNair High Math Teacher of Dekalb County, Georgia, Interviews James McDade: NOAA Junior Engineer:
What made you choose this career?
I got lucky because I was supposed to only work for 60 days, but I was offered a permanent position over 20 years ago. I had no idea. I’ve been able to travel and see beautiful places all around the Hawaiian Islands.
What challenges do you face?
What I do is maintenance. If anything breaks down, I repair it. I check the refrigeration, water leaks, engines, change filters, and pipe system. Before, it was easy to save money while at sea, but now due to online services I spend more.
Can you describe a memorable moment?
When I worked in Hawaii it was fun going to all the different islands and meeting new people. I also visited Taipan China & Guam. I enjoyed having fun in those places. The atmosphere is nice with everyone getting along.
Do you need a degree or certification for your career?
Yes, I went to training at SIU Piney Point Maryland. That’s where I picked up my last endorsement. I need one more license to be an official engineer. I have to study on my own & take the test.
What advice would you give students?
Check out the different careers. Keep a clean record because you are dealing with the government. You want to make sure you can travel, get a passport so you can see the world. I would also say learn how to work with people. You don’t have to like everybody but be respectful & know how to work together.
Personal Log
I am glad we are on our way to the Gulf of Mexico! The shoreline is gorgeous & the skyline is ever changing into patterns of colorful art. Soon I will no longer see land & view the ever-changing skyline. I’m excited that I get to share this experience with my students & colleagues while sailing. My shipmates work well together & are willing to pitch in wherever they are needed.
As a teacher, I am constantly involved in professional development activities which could take the form of a presentation, workshop, seminar, book study or immersive educator experiences such as NOAA Teacher at Sea. At the end of each offering, whether I am required to or not, I take it upon myself to consider its impact on me as an educator and reflect upon how the take-home messages will impact my students. Because of the wide-ranging facets and extensive learning opportunities provided by the Teacher at Sea cruise, I took particular interest in drafting my reflections. It was an experience that I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about and an activity that I looked forward to reflecting upon. However, just to be clear, reflections in my definition is not a concise and cogent summary of the activities that occurred while on cruise. This is what was presented in each prior post of my blog. Rather, my reflection represents a “30,000-foot overview” of my interpretation and evaluation of the experience.
As I prepared the text for the reflections of my Teacher at Sea cruise, I opted to adapt the words to photos of scenic views taken from onboard the R/V Tommy Munro and threaded the images together in a video presentation.
Reflections of my Teacher at Sea Experience
Reflections of a Teacher at Sea George Hademenos SEAMAP Groundfish Survey
As I gaze in any direction at the seemingly endless volumes of ocean, I see questions… questions to be answered and answers to be questioned, questions to be formed and questions to be researched, questions that will inspire one to learn beyond imagination… with answers that will foster an understanding deep within… of the unexplored frontier of marine life below the water’s surface. Questions to me present an opportunity… to celebrate what we know and to stimulate our quest to discover what we don’t. As a NOAA Teacher at Sea, I will return to the classroom with… questions waiting to be answered, answers waiting to be investigated, and hopefully career paths in ocean sciences waiting to be pursued.
I hope you enjoy the video and for my educator colleagues, please consider taking advantage of this “once in a lifetime” opportunity for you and your students.
In wrapping up the final post for this blog, I would like to continue with the final installment of my exercise of the Ocean Literacy Framework and ask you to respond to three questions about the seventh essential principle (The ocean is largely unexplored), presented in a Padlet accessed by the following link:
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers – the questions serve not as an opportunity to answer yes or no, or to get answers right or wrong; rather, these questions serve as an opportunity not only to assess what you know or think about the scope of the principle but also to learn, explore, and investigate the demonstrated principle. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please indicate so in the blog and I would be glad to answer your questions and initiate a discussion.
Greetings from Atlanta, Georgia. Join me during my research on the NOAA Ship Oregon II in an expedition studying shark and red snapper. I am excited to board the ship in Cape Canaveral, Florida and head to the Gulf of Mexico for about 14 days. Be a part of my journey and interact through my blog.
I first learned about NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program while at the Georgia Aquarium for a workshop two years ago. I immediately looked up more information & started the application process. Although I was accepted & thrilled to participate, Covid-19 delayed my departure. Please understand how frustrated I was as the world’s plans changed before my eyes! Normally I delete spam emails, but I did several searches to make sure I didn’t miss out on the email contacting me back to the original plan. I was so excited to finally get the news I’ve been waiting for that I did a happy dance.
In 2017 I was fortunate to participate in the Georgia Aquarium “Rivers to Reefs” program where educators spent one week testing water in the Altamaha River Watershed. We started in Atlanta and worked our way to Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Our field experiences included a behind the scenes tour of the Georgia Aquarium, testing water in Shoals Creek on Glenwood Avenue, High Falls State Park in Jackson Georgia, canoe the Ocmulgee River where it meets the Oconee River, Sapelo Island Marine Institute, and Skidaway Island Marine Science Center. This experience opened my eyes to more opportunities for my students and enlightened me on how humans effect the environment. I immediately worked on developing student project presentations and fieldtrips the next school year. I love seeing the “Aha” moments and taking my students to Skidaway Island and other places around the world. I get just as excited as them when they figure out things work.
Georgia Aquarium Rivers to Reefs Program in 2017 Shoals CreekGA Aquarium Rivers to Reefs Program 2017 High Falls ParkGeorgia Aquarium Rivers to Reefs Program 2017 Sapelo IslandGeorgia Aquarium Rivers to Reefs Program 2017 Gray’s Reef
While studying Math & Computer Science at Savannah State University, I spent a lot of time in the Marine Biology building working on projects, catching small crabs at the school’s dock, walking to the docks at Thunderbolt, and Tybee Island collecting samples. This allowed me to relax, rejuvenate, learn about the environment and be creative. Now I challenge my students and people around me to do the same. Currently I teach Algebra, Geometry & Pre-Calculus and would like to incorporate more cross-curricular projects with my students.
Field trip with McNair High Students 2022
Mariah was all smiles while she examined the fish at Skidaway Island Marine Science Center 2019
Students Examine Samples at Skidaway Island Marine Science Center 2019
Upcoming Surveys in the Gulf of Mexico
My work hours will be from 12pm – 12am leaving from Cape Canaveral & headed to the Gulf of Mexico aboard the NOAA Ship OregonII. I am excited to work with all types of sharks & red snapper along the way. Listen, if I pull a shark from the tail will it try to bite me? How close do I need to be? How long can the fish be out of water while I carefully examine it & put back in the ocean? What will I use all this information for? Are you trying to make me shark meat? Which statistic will I increase? What if a hurricane approaches, do I need to record that too or leave town? Soon I will find out. Let’s get started!
What did the faculty & students have to say before I depart?
Last week students & faculty members had something to say about this exciting journey I will participate in with NOAA. I am honored to carry the torch for the Teacher at Sea Program this year and proudly immerse myself in the entire experience. Check out what a few people had to say.
Student Da’Vaughn T. : “I would like field trips such as helping the marine life and be able to visit underwater animals.”
Math Instructional Coach Eboni Arnold: “Science research can help students at McNair High School by enhancing their critical thinking skills, mathematical competency as well as gain an in-depth knowledge of science based real life practical skills to enhance their learning. Environmental issues are related to STEAM because the more students and educators know about the environment, they are able to raise awareness of the importance of being environmentally safe and protecting our society through learned experiences. Everyone can benefit from this amazing experience through Ms. Hastie sharing her blogs, notes, her own experiences, and the connections she will make with her students, colleagues, and within McNair High School. Ms. Hastie is an excellent choice for this opportunity because she always connects real-life opportunities to her classroom instruction. She provides opportunities for students to experience life outside the classroom through field trips and project-based learning.”
Principal Dr. Loukisha Walker:
Principal Dr. Loukisha Walker
“Hello, my name is Dr. Loukisha Walker and I am a proud principal of Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School in Atlanta, Georgia. I would like to speak on why Ms. Hastie is the perfect choice for the Teacher at Sea Program.
“For Ms. Hastie, this opportunity is simply an extension of prior and current activities that she has used to expose students to opportunities and programs that would otherwise be out of reach for our students. This allows students to broaden their scope of possibilities for careers and even travel. Ms. Hastie, in addition to all of these things, is an avid blogger, project creator, and loves to communicate what she has learned to students to give them wisdom and insight, though they did not experience it first hand. For this reason and others, Ms. Hastie is simply the perfect choice for the Teacher at Sea Program. I know that Ms. Hastie, and her work ethic, and the way she pays attention to detail, she will take all of that information and bring it back to our students and make sure that she relays that information to them. She’s gonna talk about how exciting it is for them. She’s going to even speak on just her experience for being at sea for so many days. So with all of those things in mind, Ms. Hastie is going to not only do an amazing job while she’s at sea for 15 days, but she’s going to record, she’s going to continue to blog while she’s there, she’s gonna take a ton of photos and she’s going to come back and make sure our students experience it as if they were there with her.
“This is Ms. Hastie, this is her work ethic, and we’re so proud of her and we know she’s going to do an amazing job with the Teacher at Sea Program. Congratulations once again, Go Mustangs, and we are proud of you.“
Assistant Principal of Attendance & Testing, Dr. Barbara Long:
Assistant Principal of Attendance & Testing, Dr. Barbara Long
“Good afternoon, my name is Dr. Barbara Long. I serve as the assistant principal of attendance and testing at the fantastic Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School. We are so proud of Ms. Maronda Hastie and all that she is going to learn, do, and share when she returns from this amazing adventure. Science research can benefit our students at Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School in multiple ways. Number 1, it will surely help to develop our students’ problem solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills. Hopefully students will engage in actionable research projects following this pursuit and partner and collaborate with others to devise solutions to these real life problems and ultimately benefit the communities in which we live. So I’m looking forward to the engagement, activities, and application of the real science for our students. Proud to be a leader here.”
Art Teacher Debra Jeter:
Art Teacher Debra Jeter
“There’s something that’s universal about science research that could not only benefit the students at McNair, but benefit anyone to know what’s going on around us. How else can we, you know, contribute or help or even understand and live in this world if we don’t have some understanding of, you know, what’s going on around us. And the ocean is so important to us. And I think Ms. Hastie is a great choice for this, because not only has she been well traveled, but she has a great interest in science research and the environment.
“And not only that, but she does the most, you know? Like, she’ll be in there, following them and asking questions and writing it down and making sure she bring it back and share with McNair. And so many of these environmental issues are related to STEAM, too, which is a big concern for all the teachers at McNair, because environmental issues, as global warming continues, is gonna be vital for us all to understand how we can contribute to making our environment more peaceful. And not so hostile, and, you know, so many species are going extinct, if we just let this continue, we might be extinct too. And I’m sure that she’s gonna benefit… We’ll all benefit from her experience of being out there. I can’t wait to hear her stories and see her photos. I’ve been on journeys with her before she’s a marvelous… She know how to find places and go places and do things, she’s very capable. It’s gonna be fascinating just to hear her second-hand stories of what she found and how we can help make the world a better place.”
Business & Technology Teacher Wanda Charles-Henley
Business & Technology Teacher Wanda Charles-Henley
“Hello, my name is Wanda Charles-Henley and I’m a business teacher here at McNair High School. And I’d like to answer question number two: how and why is Ms. Hastie a good choice for this opportunity? I think Ms. Hastie is a perfect candidate for this opportunity because she’s always willing to go above and beyond for not only the students here at McNair, but also the staff members. She’s always willing to lend a helping hand. As a new teacher here, she was the first one to come and say she would teach me some of the new programs ’cause I’d been out of education for a while. She’s always one of the last teachers to leave the building. So she has a number of programs that she has coordinated for the students, exposing them to a lot of the opportunities outside of school. She also has the Chick-fil-A Leadership Program. She’ll coordinate activities for the students such as skating, coordinate activities such as environmentally cleaning up the Chattahoochee River. She’s always coming up with innovative ways to get the students involved. And I just think she will be an excellent candidate, and she is an outstanding teacher, and I can’t wait to see what she brings back to McNair High School and all the information she’s gonna share with us. Go Ms. Hastie!”
Culinary Arts Teacher Chef Leslie Gordon-Hudson:
Culinary Arts Teacher Chef Leslie Gordon-Hudson
“Okay, my question that I will be answering is how and why is Ms. Hastie a good choice for this opportunity… Ms. Hastie is a good choice for this opportunity, ’cause she is one teacher, I know, that will go out and get the resources and the information and bring it back not just to her math class, but in the entire school and engage the entire school, and whatever the idea is or the project or the learn resource or whatever the systems that she learned, that’s why I think she’s a great choice for this program.”
Student Dieynabou D.:
Student Dieynabou D.
“I believe that everyone can benefit from this great experience because it will provide excellent exposure into many things, including careers into oceanography. As a student leader, and a member of the National Beta Club here at McNair High School, I’m looking forward to creating community service activities that are involved with the environment.”
And here’s what I have to say:
Teacher at Sea Maronda Hastie
“Hi, my name is Maronda Hastie. I am a representative of McNair High School in DeKalb County, Georgia. I am so excited to have been selected to be a part of the Teacher at Sea Program. I first heard about it at the Georgia Aquarium, and it is a program from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. So I’m excited that I’m gonna be studying shark and red snapper (hope the shark doesn’t eat me!) but I’m excited about studying the shark, because once I do all of my research for a few weeks, I get to bring it all back and I will share it with my colleagues, I will share it with my students, and I will share it with the community. So I feel like my job is to just spread the information about oceanic opportunities, as well as opportunities for the students to know about more careers, more field trips, more hands-on activities in the classroom. So I’ll develop a few lessons, so although I teach math, we can do interdisciplinary projects, so I’ll be working with, say, the science teacher, I work with the art teacher, I work with any teacher who would like to create lessons with me, so that we can, you know, expose our children. So I’m excited.“
When I received my assigned schedule for my time at sea aboard the R/V Tommy Munro, I was participating in Leg 1 of the Summer SEAMAP Groundfish Survey that departed Biloxi, MS on July 18 and returned to Biloxi, MS on July 27. In a previous post, I highlighted the changes that have occurred since its original planned journey (departing from Galveston, TX instead of Biloxi, MS; change in ships from Oregon II to Tommy Munro; and change in dates from 6/20 – 7/3 to 7/18 – 7/27). With all of these changes, the cruise was delayed by one day because of logistical concerns. Once everyone boarded the vessel on the evening of July 19 and we left dock, it truly felt like this experience was actually happening… and it was. But as they say, especially among scientists, one should always expect the unexpected.
On early Sunday morning while asleep following my shift, I was awoken by one of my bunkmates that we would by stopping the survey and heading to port early because of an emergency issue with a crew member. We were expected to arrive in Biloxi on Monday, July 25 by 6:00 am.
As Sunday evening came around, the estimated time of arrival was moved up to 4:30 am so I simply stayed up so I would be packed and ready to go once we reached port. My immediate worry turned to my flight from Biloxi to Dallas but the NOAA Teacher at Sea staff were on it and I was confronted with a good news/bad news scenario. The good news? I was able to get on a flight for Monday. The bad news? The flight was scheduled for 7:00 pm. So I stayed aboard the ship until 12 Noon and then called for a taxi. I decided to contact the driver who took me from the airport in Biloxi upon arrival. He was honest, friendly and personable so I decided to see if he was available for a ride to the airport. This turned out to be another good news/bad news scenario. The good news? Yes, the taxi cab driver was available to pick me up and take me to the airport. The bad news? He would be able to pick me up until 3:00 pm, leaving me with a 3-hour wait but I felt good knowing I had a ride to the airport.
As luck would have it, the driver showed up about 15 minutes early and I was off to the airport. Following check in at the counter, I went through security and on to my gate to await the flight. There were several changes in the departure time but in the end it turned out to be delayed approximately 30 minutes. The flight was short in duration (about 90 minutes) and smooth. The flight is detailed in the attached figure below.
Information Regarding my Homeward Bound Flight
After a short wait at baggage claim to retrieve my luggage and a 30-minute taxi ride home, it was the end of a very tiring day, and the beginning of a period of reflection and processing of a very exciting experience. In the next and final blog post, I will share my reflections from my time as a NOAA Teacher at Sea.
In this installment of my exercise of the Ocean Literacy Framework, I would like to ask you
to respond to three questions about the sixth essential principle (The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.), presented in a Padlet accessed by the following link:
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers – the questions serve not as an opportunity to answer yes or no, or to get answers right or wrong; rather, these questions serve as an opportunity not only to assess what you know or think about the scope of the principle but also to learn, explore, and investigate the demonstrated principle. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please indicate so in the blog and I would be glad to answer your questions and initiate a discussion.
In this post, I would like to walk you through my interactions and observations with the science research being conducted aboard the R/V Tommy Munro, in particular, the steps that were taken during a trawling process. The entire process involved three stages: Preparing for Sampling, Conducting the Sampling, and Analyzing the Sampling with each stage consisting of six distinct steps.
Step 1: The ship travels to designated coordinates for sampling sites as determined for the particular leg of the Survey by SEAMAP (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program).
Ship Transport to Sampling Site
Step 2: Once the ship reaches the site, a Secchi disk is attached to a cable and lowered into the water off the side of the ship to determine visibility. When the disk can no longer be seen, the depth is recorded and the disk is raised and secured on ship.
Deployment of Secchi Disk
Step 3: A CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) unit is then prepared for deployment. It is a rectangular chamber with sensors designed to measure physical properties of the water below including dissolved oxygen, conductivity, transmissivity, and depth.
Preparation of CTD Unit
Step 4: The CTD unit is powered on and first is submerged just below the surface of the water and left there for three minutes for sensors to calibrate. It is then lowered to a specified depth which is 2 meters above the floor of the body of water to protect the sensors from damage.
Deployment of CTD Unit
Step 5: Once the CTD unit has reached the designated depth, it remains there only for seconds until it is raised up and secured on board the ship.
Recovery of CTD Unit
Step 6: The CTD unit is then turned off and the unit is connected through a cable to a computer in the dry lab for data upload. Once the data upload is completed, the CTD unit is flushed with deionized water using a syringe and plastic tubing and then secured on the side of the ship.
Data Upload from CTD Unit
II. Conducting the Sampling
Step 1: The trawling process now begins with the trawl nets thrown off the back of the ship. The nets are connected to two planks, each weighing about 350 lbs, which not only submerges the nets but also provide an angled resistance which keeps the nets open in the form of a cone – optimal for sampling while the ship is in motion.
Preparation of the Trawling Process Part 1
Preparation of the Trawling Process Part 2
Step 2: Once the trawl nets have been released into the water from the ship, the ship starts up and continues on its path for 30 minutes as the nets are trapping marine life it encounters.
Onset of the Trawling Process
Step 3: After 30 minutes has transpired, a siren sounds and the ship comes to a stop. The two weighted planks are pulled upon the ship followed by the trawl nets.
Conclusion of the Trawling Process Part 1
Conclusion of the Trawling Process Part 2
Step 4: The trawl nets are raised and hoisted above buckets for all specimens to be collected. Then begins the process of separation. In the first separation, the marine life is separated from seaweed, kelp and other debris. The buckets with marine life and debris are then weighed and recorded.
Content Collection from the Trawl Part 1
Content Collection from the Trawl Part 2
Step 5: The bucket(s) with marine life are emptied upon a large table on the ship’s stern for separation according to species.
Separation Based on Species Part 1
Separation Based on Species Part 2
Step 6: Each species of marine life is placed in their own tray for identification, examination, and measurements inside the wet lab.
Species Sorted in Trays Part 1
Species Sorted in Trays Part 2
III. Analyzing the Sampling
Step 1: After all species were grouped in their trays, all trays were taken into the wet lab for analysis. Each species was positively identified, counted, and recorded.
Tray Transport to Wet Lab
Step 2: Once each species was identified and counted, the total number of species was weighed while in the tray (accounting for the mass of the tray) and recorded on a spreadsheet to a connected computer display system.
Total Weight Measurements
Step 3: For each species, the length of each specimen was recorded using a magnetic wand with a sensor that facilitated the electronic recording of the value into a spreadsheet.
Individual Length Measurements
Step 4: Weights of the collected species were recorded for the first sample and every fifth one that followed.
Individual Weight Measurements
Step 5: If time permitted between samplings, the sex of selected specimens for a species was determined and recorded.
Individual Species Sex Identification
Step 6:Once the entire sampling was analyzed, selected samples of specimens were placed in a baggie and stored in a freezer for further analysis with the remaining specimens returned to a larger bucket and thrown overboard into the waters. The separation table was cleaned with a hose and buckets were piled in preparation for the next sampling.
Finalize Process and Prepare for Next
In this installment of my exercise of the Ocean Literacy Framework, I would like to ask you
to respond to three questions about the fifth essential principle (The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.), presented in a Padlet accessed by the following link:
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers – the questions serve not as an opportunity to answer yes or no, or to get answers right or wrong; rather, these questions serve as an opportunity not only to assess what you know or think about the scope of the principle but also to learn, explore, and investigate the demonstrated principle. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please indicate so in the blog and I would be glad to answer your questions and initiate a discussion.
In the prior blog post, I focused my attention on the ship that I would be sailing on during Leg 1 of the Summer SEAMAP Groundfish Survey and then took you on a virtual tour of the various compartments and areas of the R/V Tommy Munro. The ship is an enclosed, confined space and thus I found myself spending much of my time in most of the compartments and areas of the ship during my time on the cruise. In this post, I would like to describe what life was like on the ship as a member of the science team.
Work schedule
My primary role as a Teacher at Sea was to participate in the research process for this cruise – Summer Groundfish Survey. The detailed step-by-step description of the preparation, collecting, measuring, and analysis of sampling specimens of marine life will be covered in the following blog post. However, regarding the work conducted on the ship, research is ongoing continuously on a 24-hour schedule. The science research team was grouped into two teams with each team working a 12-hour shift. The two teams worked either the AM shift (12:00 am Midnight – 12:00 pm Noon) or the PM shift (12:00 pm Noon – 12:00 am Midnight), seven days a week. I was assigned the PM shift, which took a little getting used to but after the first full shift, the schedule became a routine schedule.
Small living quarters
One of things I should have packed prior to the cruise was a football helmet. Why you might ask? In the prior post as I took you on a tour of the R/V Tommy Munro, I showed pictures of my living quarters on the ship and my bed which provided limited space. If you will recall, my bed was the bottom bunk to the left in the photo below.
My living quarters aboard the R/V Tommy Munro.
In fact, as I retired to my bed on the first night, I bumped my head. I then got up to go to the bathroom and I bumped my head. Returning to the bed and positioning myself under the covers, I bumped my head yet again. After bumping my head an additional 1,374 times (not really but it seemed like an accurate enough number), I wish I had thought to pack a football helmet but I was not the only one having trouble moving in my bed without bumping my head. My bunkmates experienced the same thing – apparently a normal occurrence in life at sea.
Meals
One thing to note that while aboard the ship, I never… and I mean never… found myself hungry. There were all sorts of food to accommodate all tastes for all workers at all hours of the day and night. The cook on board the R/V Tommy Munro, John Z., was an amazing cook and continuously worked his magic in the kitchen to prepare three square meals for the crew and research staff. The three meals were breakfast at 5:30 am, lunch at 11:30 am, and dinner at 5:30 pm. One of my many pleasant memories after working one of my shifts and getting to bed by 1:30 am was being awoken by the smell of bacon wafting through the ship. Although I was going on 4 hours of sleep and was dead tired, the bacon was calling… no, scratch that… screaming my name and I was dressed and had a seat at the dining table within 15 minutes. Because of the long shifts often involving hard, strenuous work, many of the crew would sleep through a meal or two. However, leftovers of the prior meal were always available to those sleeping in to be heated up and enjoyed later. Lunch was the one meal that could be enjoyed by the PM crew before starting their shift and be the AM crew as they completed their shift on their way to bed. Some examples of meals that I enjoyed during my time on the R/V Tommy Munro is shown in the collage below.
Meals that I enjoyed during my time aboard the R/V Tommy Munro.
DO NOT Touch that Fish but… Bon Appétit!
As an educator interested in any and all things science, I would always look forward to the end of the sampling process and the emptying of the nets to survey our catch – a grab bag of a variety of different types of marine life and species. I had seen images of several types of marine life contained within the nets and recognized even fewer numbers by their name, but again this was an opportunity to learn and every sampling increased my library of marine science knowledge. During one such sampling (as shown in the photo below), I noted a multitude of one species of fish that were unique in their presence and I quickly understood them to be a species of lionfish.
The collection of fish from a sampling.
I was somewhat familiar with lionfish and knew them to be an invasive species, detrimental to marine ecosystems. For those interested in learning more about lionfish, please review the two graphics below:
An infographic describing the features and habitat of the lionfish. Credit: Hiram Henriquez / H2H Graphics & Design Inc.
Lionfish adversely impact coral reefs by feeding on herbivores which in turn feed on and keep a check of algae growth as well as pose a danger to any organism that comes in direct contact with them. They carry venomous spines which contain a deadly poison that can initiate a severe and painful allergic reaction in humans and can be fatal when in contact with other marine species. This is exactly why I was warned several times to avoid touching the lionfish… orders I followed to a T. When the sampling was brought into the wet lab for analysis, I asked Andre D. and my team members Kyle A. and Jacob G. questions about lionfish to find out more information about this interesting species of fish. We were discussing its detrimental impact to marine ecosystems, and the efforts currently underway to curtail the population of lionfish, when the ship’s cook, John Z., mentioned that they are very delicious and often served in seafood dishes like fish tacos. He went on to explain that one strategy to control the population of lionfish was to see if they could be eaten and if people would find it palatable. It turned out that this was the case for lionfish. I did not know that lionfish could be eaten and expressed surprise. He waited until the analysis of the sampling was over and then took two lionfish to the kitchen, cooked them, and brought the prepared fish to us in the wet lab to taste. I did and John Z. was right – it was very delicious!
Lionfish captured…and consumed!
Seasickness
During the Orientation webinar for all Teacher at Sea educators who would be sailing this season, the topic of seasickness came up and it was strongly suggested to have Dramamine on hand to relieve the unpleasant symptoms of motion sickness. Nawww, I’ll be OK. It would be one less thing to worry about during packing. My wife thought differently and urged me to take some with me…just to have on hand. So, I did pack some Dramamine just in case I need it. Well, on the first night of my cruise, it turned out that I needed it. As much as I thought I would be OK once the ship set sail, my stomach thought otherwise and experienced a mild case of nausea. I did take some Dramamine and allowed me to get some restful sleep and everything was fine. Dramamine did come in handy a couple of other times, particularly when the waters became more choppier than usual, but for the most part, I feel that I adjusted to life at sea quite well. Nevertheless, I was glad I had Dramamine with me.
No Wi-Fi
As a science teacher engaged in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like Teacher at Sea, I am particularly excited about sharing my experiences…as they happen in real time. However, updating blog posts, uploading photos to Facebook, or engaging followers through social media can only happen if Wi-Fi is available. The NOAA fleet of research vessels are equipped with Wi-Fi which as I was reminded on frequent occasions can be weak and intermittent. However, the R/V Tommy Munro was not part of NOAA and had no Wi-Fi. It was not possible for me to communicate my observations, my photos, and my narratives as a Teacher at Sea while it was happening. It just meant I would have to wait until the end of the cruise to begin sharing my experience.
On Deck scenic views
Although many might think that the lack of Wi-Fi would be a major inconvenience, I actually found it to be refreshing, offering me opportunities to simply relax. After a long shift and getting some rest, I would often go up to the top deck and just look gaze all around. At what you are probably wondering? Enjoy a sample of the breathtaking views I enjoyed from my perch atop the deck of the R/V Tommy Munro.
Scenic views from aboard the R/V Tommy Munro.
In this installment of my exercise of the Ocean Literacy Framework, I would like to ask you to respond to three questions about the fourth essential principle:
The ocean made Earth habitable.
presented in a Padlet accessed by the following link:
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers – the questions serve not as an opportunity to answer yes or no, or to get answers right or wrong; rather, these questions serve as an opportunity not only to assess what you know or think about the scope of the principle but also to learn, explore, and investigate the demonstrated principle. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please indicate so in the blog and I would be glad to answer your questions and initiate a discussion.
La línea hidrográfica de newport es un estudio de investigación oceanográfica realizado por científicos del Centro de Ciencias Pesqueras del Noroeste de NOAA y de la Universidad Estatal de Oregón en las aguas costeras de Newport, Oregón .
Los investigadores han recopilado métricas oceanográficas físicas, químicas y biológicas a lo largo de Newport Line cada dos semanas durante más de 20 años. Este conjunto de datos de más de veinte años nos ayuda a comprender las conexiones entre los cambios en el clima oceánico y la estructura y función del ecosistema en la corriente de California1,2,3.
Los datos de Newport Line se destilan en indicadores de ecosistemas oceánicos , que se utilizan para caracterizar el hábitat y la supervivencia de los salmónidos juveniles, y que también se han mostrado prometedores para otras poblaciones como el bacalao negro, el róbalo y la sardina4. Estos datos también brindan información crítica del ecosistema sobre problemas emergentes, como las olas de calor marinas3, la acidificación de los océanos, la hipoxia6 y la proliferación de algas nocivas7.
Newport line
Barómetro de la acidificación e hipoxia de los océanos en un clima cambiante
Los modelos climáticos globales sugieren que los cambios futuros en el afloramiento costero conducirán a una mayor incidencia de hipoxia y exacerbarán aún más los efectos de la acidificación de los océanos. La serie temporal de Newport Line proporciona una línea base de parámetros biogeoquímicos, como el estado de saturación de aragonito, un indicador de condiciones ácidas (Fig. 4). Los investigadores pueden comparar esta línea de base con posibles cambios futuros en la abundancia de organismos (p. ej., pterópodos, copépodos y krill) sensibles a la acidificación del océano y la hipoxia.
Equipo utilizado
Red vertical
Colocando la red vertical en el agua
red vertical desplegada verticalmente en el agua desde un buque de investigación
Una red vertical es una red de anillos con un ancho de malla pequeño y una forma de embudo largo. Al final, la red se cierra con un cilindro (copo) que recoge el plancton. Se despliega verticalmente en el agua desde un buque de investigación. Se utiliza principalmente para investigar la estratificación vertical/diagonal del plancton. Esto permite determinar la abundancia y distribución del mesozooplancton.
Red de bongó
Lavado de la muestra por la red bongó
Un barco de investigación tira horizontalmente de una red de bongo a través de la columna de agua.
Una red bongó consta de dos redes de plancton montadas una al lado de la otra. Estas redes de plancton son redes de anillos con un ancho de malla pequeño y una forma de embudo largo. Ambas redes están encerradas por un copo que se utiliza para recolectar plancton. Un barco de investigación tira horizontalmente de la red bongo a través de la columna de agua. Usando una red bongo, un científico puede trabajar con dos anchos de malla diferentes simultáneamente.
Asistiendo a Toby con la red Isaacs-Kidd
Red Isaacs-Kidd
Dimensiones de la red Isaacs-Kidd
La red de arrastre de media agua Isaacs-Kidd recolecta especímenes biológicos batipelágicos más grandes que los capturados por las redes de plancton estándar. La red de arrastre consiste en una red específicamente diseñada unida a una amplia paleta de buceo rígida en forma de V. La veleta mantiene abierta la boca de la red y ejerce una fuerza de presión, manteniendo la red de arrastre en profundidad durante períodos prolongados a velocidades de remolque de hasta 5 nudos. La abertura de entrada no está obstruida por el cable de remolque.
Muestras recolectadas
Muestras de red verticalMuestras de red bongó
Muestasas de Isaacs-Kidd
Kril recolectado de Isaacs-Kidd
Registro personal
¡ATAQUE DE TIBURÓN!
Así es, nuestro uCTD fue atacado por un tiburón.
Q.D.P.
En un día brillante y soleado, el equipo científico decidió lanzar el CTD en curso, ¡pero las cosas no salieron según lo planeado! Al recuperar el uCTD de regreso al barco, vimos una gran aleta dorsal zigzagueando cerca del uCTD, hasta que notamos que el uCTD ya no estaba conectado a la línea, por lo que no tuvimos más remedio que cancelar el uCTD. Deberías haber visto todas nuestras caras; no podíamos creer lo que vimos. Creemos que podría haber sido un:
Tiburón BlancoTiburón Salmon
uCTD (lo que se comió el tiburón)
CTD significa conductividad (salinidad), temperatura y (Depth) profundidad y permite a los investigadores recopilar perfiles de temperatura y salinidad de la parte superior del océano a velocidades en curso, a profundidades de hasta 500 m. Los exploradores oceánicos a menudo usan mediciones CTD para detectar evidencia de volcanes, respiraderos hidrotermales y otras características de aguas profundas que causan cambios en las propiedades físicas y químicas del agua de mar.
One way scientists assess the health of our ocean’s ecosystems is to take samples of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton (fish eggs and larvae), both on the surface of the water and at depth. Observations of these plankton can inform us greatly about productivity at the bottom of the food chain, spawning location and stock size of adults, dispersal of larval fish and crabs to and away from nursery areas, and transport of ocean currents.
The Newport Hydrographic (Newport Line) is an oceanographic research survey conducted by NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Oregon State University scientists in the coastal waters off Newport, Oregon.
Researchers have collected physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic metrics along the Newport Line every two weeks for over 20 years. This twenty-plus year dataset helps us to understand the connections between changes in ocean-climate and ecosystem structure and function in the California Current.
Data from the Newport Line are distilled into ocean ecosystem indicators, used to characterize the habitat and survival of juvenile salmonids, and which have also shown promise for other stocks such as sablefish, rockfish, and sardine. These data also provide critical ecosystem information on emerging issues such as marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, hypoxia, and harmful algal blooms.
Newport line
Barometer of ocean acidification and hypoxia in a changing climate
Global climate models suggest future changes in coastal upwelling will lead to increased incidence of hypoxia and further exacerbate the effects of ocean acidification. The Newport Line time-series provides a baseline of biogeochemical parameters, such as Aragonite saturation state—an indicator of acidic conditions. Researchers can compare this baseline against possible future changes in the abundance of organisms (e.g., pteropods, copepods and krill) sensitive to ocean acidification and hypoxia.
Equipment used
Vertical/half meter net
Getting the vertical net in the water
Vertical net deployed vertically in the water from a research vessel
A vertical net is a ring net with a small mesh width and a long funnel shape. At the end, the net is closed off with a cylinder (cod-end) that collects the plankton. It is deployed vertically in the water from a research vessel. It is mostly used to investigate the vertical/diagonal stratification of plankton. This allows the abundance and distribution of mesozooplankton to be determined.
Bongo net
Washing the sample down the bongo net
A bongo net is drawn horizontally through the water column by a research vessel
A bongo net consists of two plankton nets mounted next to each other. These plankton nets are ring nets with a small mesh width and a long funnel shape. Both nets are enclosed by a cod-end that is used for collecting plankton. The bongo net is pulled horizontally through the water column by a research vessel. Using a bongo net, a scientist can work with two different mesh widths simultaneously.
Assisting Toby with Isaacs-Kidd net
Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl
Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl dimension
Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl collects bathypelagic biological specimens larger than those taken by standard plankton nets. The trawl consists of the specifically designed net attached to a wide, V-shaped, rigid diving vane. The vane keeps the mouth of the net open and exerts a depressing force, maintaining the trawl at depth for extended periods at towing speeds up to 5 knots. The inlet opening is unobstructed by the towing cable.
What we got?
Samples from vertical netSamples from bongo net
Isaacs-Kidd sample
Krill from the Isaacs-Kidd
Personal Log
SHARK ATTACK!
That’s right, our underway CTD was attacked by a shark.
R.I.P.
On a bright and sunny day, the science team decided to launch the underway CTD, but things didn’t go as planned! Retrieving the uCTD back to the ship we saw a big dorsal fin zigzagging close to the uCTD, until we noticed that the uCTD was no longer attached to the line, therefore we had no choice that to cancel the uCTD. You should have seen all of our faces; we couldn’t believe what we saw. We think it could have been a:
White sharkSalmon shark
underway CTD (what the shark ate)
CTD stands for conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth and it enables researchers to collect temperature and salinity profiles of the upper ocean at underway speeds, to depths of up to 500 m. Ocean explorers often use CTD measurements to detect evidence of volcanoes, hydrothermal vents, and other deep-sea features that cause changes to the physical and chemical properties of seawater.
NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada fue construido por VT Halter Marine, Inc. en Moss Point, Mississippi. El barco se puso en servicio el 25 de agosto de 2010 y actualmente tiene su puerto base en el Centro de Operaciones Marinas de la NOAA—Pacífico en Newport, Oregón. El barco estudia principalmente una amplia gama de vida marina y condiciones del océano a lo largo de la costa oeste de EE. UU., desde el estado de Washington hasta el sur de California.
El diseño del barco permite una operación y un movimiento más silenciosos a través del agua, lo que brinda a los científicos la capacidad de estudiar peces y mamíferos marinos sin alterar significativamente su comportamiento.
Bell M. Shimada realiza estudios acústicos y de arrastre. Para los estudios acústicos, el barco utiliza una ecosonda multihaz (MBES) que proyecta un haz de sonido en forma de abanico que rebota hacia el barco. El MBES del barco, uno de los tres únicos sistemas de este tipo en todo el mundo, adquiere datos tanto de la columna de agua como del fondo marino. Los científicos pueden detectar peces cuando el barco pasa sobre ellos, midiendo la señal reflejada por los peces para estimar su tamaño y número. El sistema también puede crear un mapa y caracterizar el fondo del mar.
MBES
Equipo de Ciencia Trabajando en el Laboratorio Acústico
fuente hidrotermal?
El barco lleva a cabo muestreos de arrastre con una red de reconocimiento de fondo estandarizada, de tres bridas y cuatro costuras, equipada con un barrido de roca saltadora: barridos con grandes discos de goma que permiten remolcar las redes sobre fondos marinos rocosos e irregulares. Las redes de arrastre muestrean la biomasa de peces en un área de estudio determinada. Esto ayuda a los científicos a saber qué especies se encuentran en los bancos de peces observados y recopilar otros datos biológicos.
Sistema de Arrastre
El laboratorio húmedo del barco permite a los científicos clasificar, pesar, medir y examinar los peces. Los datos se introducen directamente en la red informática científica del barco. Las estaciones de observación de aves y mamíferos marinos de Bell M. Shimada están equipadas con sensores para ayudar a los investigadores a identificar y rastrear especies protegidas.
Laboratorio Húmedo
Equipo para usar en laboratorio húmedo
Bell M. Shimada fue nombrado por un equipo de estudiantes de Marina High School en Monterey, California, quienes ganaron un concurso regional de NOAA para nombrar el barco. El homónimo del barco sirvió en la Oficina de Pesca y la Comisión Interamericana del Atún Tropical. Era conocido por sus contribuciones al estudio de las poblaciones de túnidos del Pacífico tropical, que fueron importantes para el desarrollo de las pesquerías comerciales de la costa oeste después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El hijo de Bell M. Shimada, Allen, es científico pesquero en NOAA Fisheries.
Registro Personal
Esto ha sido una experiencia que jamás imaginé, el jueves 11 de agosto cuando entré al puerto y vi a lo lejos el barco, se me hizo un nudo en la garganta, es mucho más grande e imponente de lo que imaginaba. Me recibió al barco la científica a cargo de la expedición Beth Philips, sumamente jovial y agradable me dio un recorrido por el barco lo cual déjenme decirles esto es un laberinto. Por otra parte, la tripulación ha sido excelente, todos con un trato amable y respetuoso hacia mi persona. Espero poder soltarme un poco más con todos en el barco ya que estoy un poco cohibido por mi inglés.
Les quiero presentar al excelente equipo de científicos
Equipo de Ciencia: John Paul, Ethan Beyer, Toby Auth, Steve de Blois, Michael Gutiérrez (yo) and Beth Phillips
¡Celebrando el Cumpleaños de Beth!
En pocos días de haberlos conocido, me han enseñado muchísimo. Todos han tenido paciencia y me han explicado y contestado preguntas respecto al trabajo que realizan en alta mar. Sus conocimientos y experiencias me han llevado a crear gran admiración hacia ellos. ¡En los próximos blogs conocerán más de cada uno de ellos y los verás en acción!
Boricua en alta mar, no. Boricuas* en alta mar.
LT Erick Estela
Eso es correcto no soy el único puertorriqueño en el NOAA Bell M. Shimada, les presento al Teniente Erick Estella de Ciales, Puerto Rico. Erick es uno de los oficiales de NOAA Corps que sirven en mar, tierra y aire para apoyar la misión de administración y ciencias ambientales de la NOAA. Erick, lleva sirviendo en NOAA Corps nueve años y medio. En medio de los driles nos conocimos y fue muy emocionante saber que hay otro puertorriqueño a bordo. ¡Es un orgullo para Puerto Rico tener a Erick en tan importante roll dentro de la NOAA!
Teniente Erick Conduciendo el Barco
¡Bienvenidos al Puente!
Sistema de Control Central
Alrededor de la Flota Pesquera (barcos verdes)
Imagenes del Radar
Imagen en Vivo Alrededor del Barco
Antes de irme, les quiero compartir unas fotos tomadas por Teacher at Sea Alumni Association Manager Britta Culbertson, que nos esperó en la Isla Whidbey para decirnos adiós desde la costa. Gracias por las hermosas fotos y por todo tu apoyo. Gracias también a Denise Harrington, alumna de TAS por tus mensajes de apoyo, ¡muy agradecido!
NOAA Bell M. Shimada from Whidbey IslandNice view of the mountains and seabird NOAA Bell M. Shimada
Pendientes a mis próximos blogs donde les estaré hablando mas a fondo de nuestro estudio de poblaciones de merluza y los datos recibidos de la ecosonda. ¡Me voy a pescar, nos vemos en la próxima!
NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada was built by VT Halter Marine, Inc. in Moss Point, Mississippi. The ship was commissioned on August 25, 2010 and is currently homeported at NOAA’s Marine Operations Center—Pacific in Newport, Oregon. The ship primarily studies a wide range of marine life and ocean conditions along the US West Coast, from Washington state to southern California.
The ship’s design allows for quieter operation and movement through the water, giving scientists the ability to study fish and marine mammals without significantly altering their behavior.
Bell M. Shimada conducts acoustic and trawl surveys. For acoustic studies, the ship uses a multibeam echo sounder (MBES) that projects a fan-shaped beam of sound that bounces back towards the ship. The ship’s MBES, one of only three such systems in the world, acquires data from both the water column and the seafloor. Scientists can detect fish when the boat passes over them, measuring the signal reflected by the fish to estimate their size and number. The system can also create a map and characterize the sea floor.
MBES
Science team working in the acoustic lab
Hydrovents?
The ship conducts trawl sampling with a standardized, three-flange, four-seam bottom survey net equipped with a skipping rock sweep: sweeps with large rubber discs that allow the nets to be towed over rocky and uneven seabeds. Trawls sample fish biomass in a given study area. This helps scientists learn what species are in observed schools of fish and collect other biological data.
Trawl system
The ship’s wet lab allows scientists to sort, weigh, measure and examine fish. Data is entered directly into the ship’s scientific computer network. The Bell M. Shimada Bird and Marine Mammal Observation Stations are equipped with sensors to help researchers identify and track protected species.
Wet Lab
Gear to use in wet lab
Bell M. Shimada was named by a team of students from Marina High School in Monterey, California, who won a regional NOAA contest to name the ship. The ship’s namesake served in the Bureau of Fisheries and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. He was known for his contributions to the study of tropical Pacific tuna populations, which were important to the development of West Coast commercial fisheries after World War II. Bell M. Shimada’s son, Allen, is a fisheries scientist with NOAA Fisheries.
Personal Log
This has been an experience that I never imagined, on Thursday, August 11, when I entered the port and saw the ship in the distance, I felt a lump in my throat, it is much larger and more imposing than I imagined. The scientist in charge of the expedition, Beth Philips, welcomed me to the ship. She was extremely jovial and pleasant and gave me a tour of the ship, which let me tell you, this is a labyrinth. The crew has been excellent, all with a kind and respectful treatment towards me. On the other hand, I hope I can loosen up a bit more with everyone on the ship since I’m a bit in my head because of my English speaking.
I want to introduce you to the excellent team of scientists
Science Team: John Paul, Ethan Beyer, Toby Auth, Steve de Blois, Michael Gutiérrez (me) and Beth Phillips
Celebrating Beth’s Birthday!
In just a few days of meeting them, they have taught me a lot. They have all been patient and have explained and answered questions regarding the work they do on the high seas. Their knowledge and experiences have led me to create great admiration for them. In the next blogs you will learn more about each of them and you will see them in action!
Not Just One, But Two Puerto Ricans on the High Sea!
LT Erick Estela
That’s right I’m not the only Puerto Rican on NOAA Bell M. Shimada, this is LT Erick Estela from Ciales, Puerto Rico. Erick is one of the NOAA Corps officers serving at sea, on land and in the air to support NOAA’s environmental science and management mission. Erick have been serving with NOAA Corps nine and a half years. We met in the middle of a drill and it was very exciting to know that there’s another Puerto Rican on board. Puerto Rico is proud to have Erick in such an important role within NOAA!
LT Erick driving the ship
Welcome to the Bridge
Central Control System
Around fishing fleet (green boats)
Radar image
Live images around the ship
Before I go, I want to share some photos taken by Teacher at Sea Alumni Association Manager Britta Culbertson, who met us at Whidbey Island to wave goodbye from shore. Thank you for the beautiful photos and for all your support. Thanks also to TAS Alumni Denise Harrington for your messages of support, much appreciated!
NOAA Bell M. Shimada from Whidbey IslandNice view of the mountains and seabird NOAA Bell M. Shimada
See you in my next blogs where I will be talking about our study of hake populations and the data received from the echo sounder. I’m gone fishing, see you next time!
There was no doubt about my excitement of being named as a NOAA Teacher at Sea and the opportunity to immerse myself in marine science and participate in scientific research. But the one aspect of this experience that I particularly looked forward to was being able to do this on a ship at sea. The ship would serve as a classroom like no other…a classroom where I could learn as a student and yet serve as a basis for me to develop instructional activities and projects for my students as a teacher. The classroom, as I described in the prior post, was originally scheduled to be NOAA Ship Oregon II but eventually turned out to be the R/V Tommy Munro.
While both ships were equipped with the facilities, resources and infrastructure required to conduct the samplings necessary for the survey, the main difference was that the Oregon II was part of the NOAA fleet of research vessels while the R/V Tommy Munro was not. Rather, the R/V Tommy Munro is operated under the management of the University of Southern Mississippi. Of course, when a ship is named after a person, there is always a sense of interest about the individual and what background, experience, and contributions to ocean sciences warranted such an honor. Tommy Munro has a compelling biography and can be read by accessing the following link:
It was a thrill seeing the R/V Tommy Munro for the first time on Tuesday, July 19 in preparation of my upcoming cruise.
The ship exterior and a life preserver aboard the R/V Tommy Munro.
As I arrived at the docked ship, I was first met by John Z., the ship’s cook, who treated me to a tour of the vessel. I know you are just as anxious to see the various spaces inside the ship so come on aboard and let me take you on a tour. The first stop was my living quarters.
My living quarters while aboard the ship.
I was assigned to State Quarters 2 which consisted of 4 bunks. My bunk was on the bottom to the left as you can see my belongings on the bed. Interestingly enough, it would turn out that 3 individuals were assigned to the quarters which meant that the upper bunk above mine was open. This was important because if the upper bunk was occupied, that would mean that I would have no other place to store my luggage than with me on the bed. So the upper bunk served as storage for the luggage from all three of us, giving us much need space to rest comfortably in our bunks.
The next stop on our tour involves meals on the cruise. The dining room is a table where all formal meals were served and offered an opportunity for those around the table to engage in conversation and watch television. It was not required for anyone wanting a meal to eat at the dining room table but it did offer a unique and comforting diversion from the long hours and hard work exerted while collecting samples for the survey.
The dining room table where all formal meals were served.
Of course, the dining room would not have much of a purpose were it not for a kitchen to prepare the meals.
This is the kitchen where all formal meals are prepared (right) and the storage area/table space where meals are prepared.
The picture on the left is the cooking station with the stove and oven where the meals are cooked and the picture on the right is where the meals are prepared. These two spaces appear to be very small areas and they are but there was enough room for the vast amount of groceries purchased prior to each cruise. I remember speaking to John Z. the cook about the grocery shopping for an upcoming cruise and he relayed to me that when he returns from shopping, it takes him approximately 3 hours to put up all of the groceries!
The tour continues with the areas of the ship dedicated to the research conducted during the cruise.
The first area is referred to as the wet lab – the space where the samples collected from each sampling are processed, and measurements are recorded and uploaded to a database.
The work area of the wet lab is depicted in the photo to the left while the samples storage area is shown on the right photo.
Just located across the hallway from the wet lab is the dry lab, the area with several computers allowing the scientists to track the motion of the ship, confirm its arrival at each sampling site, and store data acquired by the Secchi disk, the CTD array of sensors unique to each sampling site, and the species analysis of marine life species collected during each sampling.
This is the dry lab is where the computational analysis from each sampling is conducted.
As we near the end of the tour of the R/V Tommy Munro, let’s proceed from the wet and dry lab to a flight of stairs to the upper deck of the vessel to the captain’s deck.
This is the captain’s deck of the R/V Tommy Munro.
The captain’s deck is equivalent to the cockpit of an airplane where the captain and his crew navigate the vessel to the assortment of sampling sites in coordination with the science team.
We wrap up our tour of the R/V Tommy Munro from atop the upper deck with the view from the stern of the ship. This was a spot that I found myself many times, particularly in the evening, as I took in the scenic views of the surrounding seas.
Views from the upper deck toward the stern of the ship.
In this installment of my exercise of the Ocean Literacy Framework, I would like to ask you to respond to three questions about the third essential principle:
The ocean is a major influence of weather and climate,
presented in a Padlet accessed by the following link:
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers – the questions serve not as an opportunity to answer yes or no, or to get answers right or wrong; rather, these questions serve as an opportunity not only to assess what you know or think about the scope of the principle but also to learn, explore, and investigate the demonstrated principle. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please indicate so in the blog and I would be glad to answer your questions and initiate a discussion.
Long time no hear from, right? The explanation is quite simple…there was no Wifi on my research vessel. I was definitely writing about my experience and taking pictures of my observations but I had no way to share the information with you in a blog post. Now that I have been home for several weeks, I have been working hard to complete my blog (6 posts in particular) which are in the process of being completed and am now ready to begin posting.
In a prior post, I described my participation in the Teacher at Sea program and how I plan to translate my experience and observations into classroom activities and projects for my students. In fact. As I prepared for my upcoming cruise assignment, I developed a Google Site that not only provides more detail about my upcoming experience as a Teacher at Sea educator, but also instructional resources and project ideas related to ocean sciences. What I would like to do in this post is talk about the opportunity presented to me and all other educators in the Teacher at Sea program.
Teacher at Sea Program
The Teacher at Sea program is a unique Teacher Research Experience (TRE) opportunity managed by NOAA that allows teachers to learn by doing rather than by reading about it. In these types of experiences, the teacher is placed with a team of research scientists and immersed into their scientific work, serving as an honorary member of the team. The TRE provides the teacher with an opportunity to not only conduct the research, but to also ask questions, engage in detailed investigations about aspects of the research, and most importantly, distill these experiences into lessons, activities and projects for classroom implementation to the benefit of my students. I would strongly encourage my educator colleagues to explore the Teacher at Sea program
and should you qualify, please consider applying for this unique educator experience.
SEAMAP
I would like to now speak about the research I would be involved in during my assigned cruise. I was assigned to participate in Leg 1 of the Summer Groundfish Survey conducted in the Gulf of Mexico in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries as part of SEAMAP (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program)
The survey consists of a series of collected samples of marine life at positions determined by SEAMAP to make decisions about damaged marine ecosystems, depleted populations and destruction of habitats. Exactly what was entailed in the collected samplings will be described in an upcoming post.
Assigned Cruise
Cruises designed to engage in SEAMAP Surveys are seasonal (generally occurring in the Summer and Fall from April to November) and are typically executed aboard NOAA vessels in legs or segments consisting of 2 – 3 weeks with cruises occurring over 3 – 4 legs per survey. My assigned cruise underwent a change in schedule and vessel from my initial assignment. My original assigned cruise was scheduled as Leg 2 of the Summer Groundfish Survey aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II from June 20, 2022 departing from Galveston, TX to July 3, 2022 arriving in Pascagoula, MS for a 15-day cruise. However, due to maintenance issues, the Oregon II was not seaworthy for the scheduled cruise which required a replacement vessel. The replacement vessel was the R/V Tommy Munro. There is a lot to say and pictures to show about the R/V Tommy Munro which will be the subject of the next blog post.
In this installment of my exercise of the Ocean Literacy Framework, I would like to ask you to respond to three questions about the second essential principle:
The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth.
presented in a Padlet accessed by the following link:
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers – the questions serve not as an opportunity to answer yes or no, or to get answers right or wrong; rather, these questions serve as an opportunity not only to assess what you know or think about the scope of the principle but also to learn, explore, and investigate the demonstrated principle. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please indicate so in the blog and I would be glad to answer your questions and initiate a discussion.
“65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist (World Economic Forum).”
I can’t help but wonder what types of careers and jobs will be available for our students. However, I can speculate that marine science would have a huge piece on this “never-before-existed” future job pool when you consider seventy percent of our Earth’s surface is covered with ocean and among it eighty percent of it unmapped, unobserved and unexplored, according to NOAA. There are many different careers available within NOAA and I believe there will be many more new careers available for the future generations.
You may wonder and ask why oceans are still unexplored. One answer comes from Dr. Gene Carl Feldman, an oceanographer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He states that one of the biggest challenges of ocean exploration comes down to physics. In the depth of the ocean, there is zero visibility, extremely cold temperatures, and crushing amounts of pressure. He also states that “ In some ways, it’s a lot easier to send people into space than it is to send people to the bottom of the ocean”. It is hard to fathom what it looks, and feels like under the water, at least for me as a non-swimmer.
With technological advancements, who knows what mysteries will be solved in the world of oceans in the future? I think it is important to show our students to know the unknown world of oceans and inspire them to take careers related to marine science so that we can know more about our blue planet. Without knowing our oceans, there would be no future for our own existence.
Personal Log
Last Day at the NOAA’s Ship Thomas Jefferson
It’s been a great learning experience while at sea for 12 days. I have learned so much, met incredible women and men, and made awesome friends.
As a STEM educator, the reason I wanted to apply for this opportunity is because I wanted to bring marine science into my school and community. By training, most of the time I spent time in various labs focusing on genetic studies using many biotechnological tools during my graduate study. But, it wasn’t until my NOAA experience to involve marine science research in the field. Much of my marine science knowledge comes from theory, reading books/ articles, or watching documentaries. This lack of experiential knowledge put me in a position where my students are also learning it from textbooks. However, now thanks to the NOAA Teacher at Sea program, I am confidently bringing any resources or tools related to the ocean, and atmosphere to my students. My plan is to create interdisciplinary project-based learning opportunities that involve challenging questions related to marine science.
Thank you NOAA Teacher at Sea Program for allowing me to participate once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and thank you NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson crew for hosting me with great hospitality, and allowing me to learn more about marine science.
Did you know?
Sometimes NOAA’s ships are open to the public for tours. In fact, I am planning to take my students to NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson sometime in September while it is still in Great Lakes.
Área Geográfica de Expedición: Costa de Washington
Fecha: 4 de agosto de 2022
Introducción
¡Saludos desde Puerto Rico!
¡Saludos a todos desde Isabela, Puerto Rico! estoy muy contento de que te unas a esta travesía conmigo en alta mar. Mi nombre es Michael Gutiérrez Santiago y en una semana estaré a bordo de la embarcación NOAA Bell M. Shimada participando de una expedición junto a los científicos de la NOAA realizando un sondeo de merluza del pacífico. Viajaré a Washington, lo cual son 10 horas aproximadamente para comenzar esta travesía. Espero que te unas y seas parte de esta expedición conmigo.
Estoy muy contento y agradecido de formar parte de esta experiencia. Recuerdo la mañana del 2019 que conocí sobre el programa de Teacher at Sea, estaba asombrado que educadores podían tener la oportunidad de estar en una expedición en alta mar con científicos y tripulantes de la NOAA. Sin dudar solicité y fui aceptado en el 2020. Como todos saben, el COVID-19 puso una pausa en el mundo, pero luego de dos años aquí estamos, ¡listos para abordar!
El vivir en Puerto Rico me ha hecho enamorarme de las playas, los bosques, cuevas, ríos junto a su flora y fauna. Es por esto que decidí realizar un Bachillerato en Ciencias Ambientales, para poder conocer más sobre lo que nos rodea y como poder conservarlo. Esta pasión al medio ambiente me ha llevado a compartir mis conocimientos a personas que me rodean y me di cuenta de que no hay mejor manera de conservar nuestros recursos ambientales que a través de la educación. Así que decidí certificarme como maestro de ciencias a nivel secundario.
Bosque Cambalache , Arecibo P.R.Rio La Planta, Arecibo P.R.Cueva Quintin Rivera, Bosque Guajataca, Isabela P.R.Estrella de mar en Puerto Mosquito, Vieques P.R.
El Comienzo de Grandes Cosas
A comienzos del 2017 me uní al EcoExploratorio: Museos de Ciencias de Puerto Rico, donde logré llevar la educación científica y la conservación ambiental a todo la Isla. Fue aquí mi escuela, donde aprendí a como ser un educador, tuve la oportunidad de llevar charlas educativas a diversas partes de la Isla, realizar talleres, webinars y ser parte de otras exhibiciones. El EcoExploratorio recibe una visita anual de 300,000 personas, teniendo la oportunidad de conozcan sobre que nos rodea y como conservarlo. Por otra parte, el EcoExploratorio se enfoca en la preparación de eventos atmosféricos como huracanes y eventos naturales como terremotos.
Que bien se siente educar a la nueva generaciónEducando sobre la Vida en el MarExplicando la importancia de la radiosonda
Actualmente soy profesor de Ciencias Ambientales a 12mo grado en la Escuela Abelardo Martínez Otero en Arecibo Puerto Rico. Logramos este año realizar diversas actividades, laboratorios y experimentos gracias a la excelente calidad de estudiantes que tuve. A pesar de que las limitaciones por el COVID-19, esos estudiantes dieron el máximo, teniendo así una excelente clase de Ciencias Ambientales.
Laboratorio: Energía Solar
Ciencia en Alta Mar
Mi tiempo en el mar será en el océano pacífico, a bordo de la embarcación NOAA Bell M. Shimada en la segunda etapa del sondeo de merluza del pacífico, donde estaré trabajando y aprendiendo de Beth Phillips Chief Scientist y bióloga de NOAA Fisheries Service y el equipo de científicos. Algunos de mis objetivos en esta expedición es compartir lo aprendido en esta expedición con ustedes a través de los blogs, proporcionar datos vitales para ayudar a gestionar la población costera migratoria de merluza del Pacifico, llevar a cabo una calibración entre embarcaciones con el barco de la Guardia Costera canadiense Sir John Franklin en coordinación con los científicos del DFO para garantizar que los datos sean comparables para el 2023 y puedan combinarse para la evaluación de la población, recoger muestras de agua y plancton en la Línea Hidrográfica de Newport, muestreo de eufáusidos, la recopilación de datos oceanográficos y la recopilación de datos acústicos de banda ancha.
Para mí es un honor y un privilegio poder ser parte del programa Teacher at Sea. El poder ser parte de esta expedición es un sueño hecho realidad. Pondré todos mis esfuerzos para hacer orgulloso a Puerto Rico, a mi familia, maestros, estudiantes y al programa de Teacher at Sea. Me encantaría que fueran parte de esta expedición, mis blogs serán en inglés y español para poder llegar a todos ustedes. En confianza me encantaría que me hagan llegar sus preguntas o me dejen saber que ha sido lo más que le ha llamado la atención.
Greetings to all from Isabela, Puerto Rico! I am so glad you are joining me on this journey on the high seas. My name is Michael Gutiérrez Santiago and, in a week, I will be aboard the NOAA Bell M. Shimada in an expedition with NOAA scientists on the Pacific Hake Survey. I will travel to Washington, which is approximately 10 hours to begin this journey. I hope you will join and be a part of this expedition with me.
I am very happy and grateful to be part of this experience. I remember in 2019 that I learned about the Teacher at Sea program, I was amazed that educators could have the opportunity to be on an expedition on the high seas with NOAA scientists and crew members. Without hesitation I applied and was accepted in 2020. As you all know COVID-19 put the world on pause, but after two years here we are, ready to board!
Living in Puerto Rico made me fall in love with the beaches, forests, caves, rivers along with its flora and fauna. That is why I decided to do a Bachelor Degree on Environmental Sciences, to learn more about what surrounds us and how to conserve it. This passion for the environment has led me to share my knowledge with people around me and I realized that there is no better way to conserve our environmental resources than through education. Therefore, I decided to get certified as a high school science teacher.
Cambalche Forest, Arecibo P.R.Rio Grande of AreciboQuintin Rivera Cave in Guajataca Forest, Isabela P.R.
Starfish in Mosquito Pier, Vieques P.R.
My early beginnings
At the beginning of 2017 I joined the EcoExploratorio: Science Museums of Puerto Rico, where I was an informal educator teaching science and and environmental conservation to the entire Island. It was here that I learned how to be an educator, I had the opportunity host workshops, webinars and be part of other exhibitions. The EcoExploratorio receives an annual visit of 300,000 people, having the opportunity to educate about what surrounds us and how to conserve it. On the other hand, the EcoExploratorio focuses on preparing for atmospheric events such as hurricanes and natural events such as earthquakes.
I enjoy teaching the new generationWhat we can find on the beach?Explaining the importance of a radiosonde
I am currently a 12th grade Environmental Science teacher at the Abelardo Martínez Otero School in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. This year we managed to carry out various activities, laboratories, and experiments thanks to the excellent quality of students I had. Despite the limitations we had due to COVID-19, these students gave their best, thus having an excellent Environmental Science class.
Solar energy laboratory with solar balloon
Science on the high seas
My time at sea will be in the Pacific Ocean, aboard the NOAA Bell M. Shimada in the second leg of the Pacific Hake Survey where I will be working and learning from chief scientist Beth Phillips, biologist at NOAA Fisheries, and rest of the research team. Some of my goals on this expedition are to share what I am going to learn on this expedition with you via blogs, provide vital data to help manage the migratory coastal population of Pacific hake, conduct an Inter-Vessel Calibration with Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir John Franklin in coordination with DFO scientists to ensure data is comparable in 2023 and can be combined for population assessment, collect water and plankton samples at the Newport Hydrographic Line, euphausiid sampling , collecting oceanographic data, and collecting broadband acoustic data.
For me it is an honor and a privilege to be part of the Teacher at Sea program. Being able to be part of this expedition is a dream come true. I will put all my efforts to make Puerto Rico, my family, teachers, students, and the Teacher at Sea program proud. I would love for you to be part of this expedition; my blogs will be in English and Spanish to reach all of you. It would be great to send your questions or let me know what has caught your attention the most.
Have you ever wondered what the seabed (lakebed) made of? This information is important for several reasons: knowing where to anchor, pipeline &/or structure construction, habitat, dredging, etc. Information about the sediments can be found on navigational charts. Periodically, hydrographers need to take bottom samples to update these charts. To do this, they bring the ship to a halt and drop a spring-loaded sampler to the seafloor. The sampler snaps shut, capturing a sample of the bottom substrate. The sediments that are brought aboard are analyzed according to grain size which range from clay (< 0.002 mm) to stones (4.0 mm and larger).
Spring-loaded bottom sampler
Physical Scientist Abebe and Chief Hydrographic Survey Technician Cziraki get ready to deploy a bottom sampler.
Teacher at Sea Grimm practices retrieving the bottom sampler.
This chart is used to measure grain size of the bottom sample.
This chart is used to classify the bottom sediment according to grain size.
What is it called to drive a ship? The action of driving a ship is probably most often called piloting the ship. You may also hear people use the words steer, navigate, guide, maneuver, control, direct, captain, or shepherd. Whatever you want to call it – I was super excited to pilot the ship. I was also a bit nervous because it is so big! Maneuvering a 208’ vessel seemed a bit daunting.
I first got some excellent tutoring by Helmsman AB Kinnett and Conning Officer ENS Brostowski. All I needed to do was to make a 180ᵒ turn. How difficult could it be? I needed to take the ship out of the navigation system (commonly called, Nav Nav), go from autopilot to manual steering, follow the Conning Officer’s rudder directions, do some fine tuning, switch from manual steering to autopilot, and turn on the Nav Nav system. Easy shmeezy!
My legs were shaking just a bit. I guess I did okay. Someone did call up from the plot room and ask, “Just who is driving the ship?” Haha. They calmed down once they learned it was just “the teacher”.
After some fine tuning, Helmsman AB Kinnett makes sure that I return the ship to autopilot! (He looks a little worried!)
I am not sure which turn is mine, however, I was comforted to know that they were not all the same. 😊
Parallel Parking
We came into the Port of Cleveland on July 22. The crew did a super job of parking! (I am sure “parking” is not the correct term.) They used the windlass and ropes to secure the ship to the port (on the starboard side) and then put the gangway in place. Don’t forget to take out the garbage!
