NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

May 26, 2008April 2, 2021

Sue White, May 26, 2008

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Terry Welch
Onboard NOAA Ship David Starr Jordan
May 27 – June 7, 2008

Mission: Juvenile Rockfish Assessment
Geographical Area: Central California Coast
Date: June 27, 2008

The wet lab's wind direction and wind speed instrumentation. Original to when the ship was built in the 1960's?? — The wet lab’s wind direction and wind speed instrumentation. Original to when the ship was built in the 1960’s??

Science and Technology Log

The DAVID STARR JORDAN (DSJ) departed from San Diego, CA this morning to begin Leg 3 of the Juvenile Rockfish Survey research cruise. The seas have been rough and Leg 2 of this cruise was cut short because of the weather conditions. Since weather has been such a huge influence in the last few weeks in this area of the Pacific and led to a loss of days at sea for the research scientists, here is some background for understanding the abbreviations and terms found in the “Weather Data from the Bridge” section above:

GMT = Greenwich Mean Time, international time which is the basis of time in each time zone around the world. Greenwich, England is located at Longitude 0° 0′ 0″, Latitude 51° 28′ 38″N (North of the Equator) or where the east meets the west. The DSJ is on Pacific Time which is 7 hours earlier.

Latitude is the distance the DSJ is north of the equator, expressed in degrees (or hours), minutes, and seconds.

Longitude is the distance the DSJ is west of the prime meridian which runs through Greenwich, England, expressed in degrees (or hours), minutes, and seconds.

(Ship) Speed / Wind Speed refers to how fast the ship is moving or how fast the wind is blowing. Speeds on water or in the air are measured in knots (kts). One knot is one nautical mile per hour. A nautical mile (6076 feet) is a little longer than a mile here on land (5280 feet). Use this conversion factor to change speed in the weather data to speeds on land: 1 knot = 1.16 mph. Here is a fun visual that connects wind speed in knots to our more familiar miles per hour. It also gives a more qualitative description of what different wind speeds are like.

(Ship’s) Course refers to the direction the ship is traveling to and is based on a 360^ocompass.

Wind Direction refers to the direction the wind is coming from. It is also based on a 60^o compass.

^oC = degree Celsius

The conversion factor to change metric temperature to our more familiar Fahrenheit scale is: [(°C X 9) / 5] + 32 = °F
An easy way to estimate, that you can do in your head, is to take °C and multiply it by 2 and then add 30 to get approximate °F: (°C X 2) + 30 = approx. °F
Want to do it the other way? Take your temperature at home, subtract 30 and divide by 2 to get the temperature in degree Celsius: (°F – 30) / 2 = approx. °C

Surface Water Salinity simply stated, describes how salty the ocean water is at the surface and can be referred to in PSUs (Practical Salinity Units). It is based on the understanding that the electrical conductivity of seawater is related to its salinity. A special conductivity meter is used at sea and the PSU value is calculated from the data. PSU is not a unit of measurement, but a calculated value. The average world ocean salinity is around 35 PSU.

Relative Humidity is a measure of the amount of water in the air compared with the amount of water the air can hold at the temperature it happens to be when you measure it. At the temperature given in the weather data above, the air has 71% of the moisture it can hold. If the temperature decreases while the number of molecules of water is the same, then the relative humidity would increase. The cooler air molecules are closer together and cannot hold as much water between them.

Barometric Pressure is the force the atmosphere is exerting on a given place, measured by an instrument called a barometer. Think of it as being the “weight of air”. Air pressure is recorded onboard using the unit mb, which stands for millibar. A millibar is 1/1000^th of a bar. A bar is a force equal to 100,000 Newtons pressing on a square meter. You can feel the change in pressure in your ears when you are flying in an airplane. High pressure usually means good weather and dropping pressure means the weather is changing. Low pressure often brings precipitation.

Vlad and Sam prepare to lift our link to land.

After being in port since Friday, the ship officers and crew are busy with a flurry of preparation to be at sea again. Bags of groceries were brought aboard this morning while a steady stream of people came aboard too. The ship went from being asleep to bustling in a matter of hours. Engines were started and soot flakes billowed. Deck crew began the tasks of taking up the walkway and casting off. Ship officers were stationed on the port side (left hand side if you are facing towards the front of the ship) to report ship positions as we began to move away from the pier. We headed out to sea, passing what looked like a series of empty boat slips. As we got closer I could see dolphins there and trainers were putting them through their paces. The ship’s electronics technician, Kim Belveal (U.S.Navy, ret.), explained that this was a Navy training facility and the dolphins were trained to do very specific tasks, often tasks that reduced risk to people. We passed a Coast Guard ship truly under sail, rigged with huge sails. The lead fisherman, Jose’ Coito, has a son who is in the Coast Guard. He proudly told about his son’s training on that grand ship.

Personal Log

It has been a whirlwind time in the last week for me. I gave my last final exam for the school year on Friday morning, wrapped up the last details for school that afternoon, and headed home to pack. Since the last leg of the cruise was cut short, my travel plans changed within the last few days as well, meaning that I was going to be a NOAA Teacher at Sea one day earlier than planned and flying to a new destination as well. I flew to San Diego on Sunday and got to the ship Sunday evening. After settling into my stateroom, I felt a little like Goldilocks walking around the ship and making myself at home. It was very quiet, but eventually I met the ship’s electronics technician and Sam Brandal, an able fisherman, who had also just arrived on the DAVID STARR JORDAN to fill in for someone on vacation. It has been nice to have some down time to make the transition from school to my time as a Teacher at Sea. I spent today on the fly bridge with my binoculars. Chico Gomez, the chief bosun (also spelled boatswain), and Jose’ helped me spot whales on the horizon. I also saw seals and dolphins closer in to the ship. Sea jellies which ranged in size from about 2” to 10” floated by from time to time. Work starts tomorrow when we pick up the scientists at Avila and do the first transect schedule for this leg of the cruise at Point Sal, CA . . .

Challenge Yourself

Can you compile your own weather data from your home or school? Use measuring instruments you already have, or research in your local newspaper or online. Fill in the table below, converting your data to match the units and values from the DAVID STARR JORDAN bridge:

Here’s a quote from Rachel Carson that pretty much sums up what it’s like to look off the side of the ship: “We can only sense that in the deep and turbulent recesses of the sea are hidden mysteries far greater than any we have solved.” What mysteries will I see?

Sue

May 23, 2008April 2, 2021

Patricia Kassis, May 23, 2008

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Patricia Kassis
Onboard Research Vessel Kilo Moana
October 23 – June 10, 2009

Mission: Woods Hole and Hawaii Ocean Time Series
Geographic Region: Hawaiian Islands
Date: May 23, 2008

Science Log

Aloha. I’m Patricia Kassis, a teacher at Parker School on Hawaii’s big island. I’m preparing to board an oceanographic research vessel, the Kilo Moana, pictured, for a science cruise from the 3rd to the 11th of June. For those with a technical interest, the ship’s statistics are located at this SEOST site. The research is part of the WHOTS project, a collaboration between my alma mater Woods Hole (WHOI) and the University of Hawaii. I got involved in this through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has a program, Teacher at Sea, to send teachers out on research cruises. I’ll be working under chief scientist Bob Weller from WHOI, and I understand that the goal of the trip involves maintaining and gathering data from a buoy loaded with instruments (picture at WHOTS). I’m being deliberately vague because I’m clueless, really.

I hope to be able to update this blog regularly from the ship (as I become more clueful, perhaps), but that will depend upon the internet connection quality, so I’ll just wait and see. Check back beginning around the 4th or 5th of June to see if I’ve updated it. If you have questions for me while I’m out there, you can email me at mrskassis@hotmail.com or leave a comment on the blog.

April 27, 2008April 2, 2021

Scott Donnelly, April 27, 2008

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Scott Donnelly
Onboard NOAA Ship McArthur II
April 20-27, 2008

Mission: Assembly of Science Team and Movement of Science Gear/Equipment
Geographical Area: Coos Bay to Astoria, Oregon
Date: April 27, 2008

Weather Data from the Bridge
Sunrise: 0620 Sunset: 2010
Wind: 10-15 kts
Seas: 2-3 ft
Light rain showers, dense fog, in port.

Science and Technology Log

Coordinates for today’s measurements (two sampling stations) are 43^O30’N, 124^O23’W and 125^O40’W, six and twenty miles from the coast at depths of 100m (330ft) and 400m (1,315ft) respectively in addition to measurements (three sampling stations) for coordinates 43^O40’N, 124^O16’W to 125^O25’W, three to ten miles from the coast at depths of 80m (265ft) to 120m (395ft). Bob and I have become efficient pros at deploying and retrieving the four biological sampling nets. It takes us no more than 35 minutes to complete all the biological sampling and that includes the ten minute tow required for the Manta net to sample the surface.

Personal Log

Today is the last day of the cruise. My final 4-hour early morning shift of the cruise went well. The last sampling station for the cruise was completed at ~0930. I spent the morning downloading data, adding information to my NOAA TAS logs, packing my personal gear, cleaning my sleeping area, and enjoying the last few hours on the open ocean from atop the flying bridge philosophically pondering its future and perhaps humanity’s future. In the meantime the NOAA crew was busy making preparations for docking in Coos Bay. For the last leg of the cruise into Coos Bay the science team assembled on the McARTHUR II flying bridge to enjoy the Oregon coastal scenery, relax, and take photos. Lots and lots of photos! I overheard one science team member say that he took 1.7 gigabits of photos during the cruise! Another took over 200 photos in one day alone. Wow! Thank goodness for digital cameras or else that would have been quite expensive to process if film had been used.

The cruise’s end was bittersweet. For ten days I had been away from my wife and two young children. I missed them even though I emailed them everyday from the ship. I can’t wait to see them. At the same time though the cruise was so enjoyable in so many ways it’s hard to pinpoint one or two that stand out head and shoulders above the rest. It was hard work no doubt about it and at times I thought I’d never get a decent sleep. But the science team assembled by Chief Scientist Steve Rumrill was from the beginning and to the end a well-oiled machine that understood the mission’s objectives and dealt with problems that came to light in a timely and professional manner. I’m not aware of any issues that arose during the cruise between the science team members themselves or between the science team and NOAA crew. If they existed, then they must have been dealt with and worked out immediately. To me it’s a testament to the professionalism shown by all- science team and NOAA crew- on the cruise and the leadership of those chosen to lead.

Over time I’ll likely forget most of the names of those I met on this cruise. Time and age tend to do that as I’ve already experienced even in my relatively young age. But it’s less likely that I’ll forget the faces, the natural scenes observed, and the conversations had. How could I forget the graceful albatross gliding without effort and with such skill inches above the water without ever flapping its wings? Or the bioluminescence of krill? Or the first time while on the bridge the bow of the ship sunk low in the trough of a wave, the horizon and sky disappearing.

And what’s to become of the world’s oceans? What’s for sure is that for the next twenty years humanity will continue to exert more pressure on the world’s oceans to feed its relentless population growth, satisfy its rapacious appetite for resources, and serve as the transportation conduit to keep the world’s consumer economies afloat (no pun intended). Throughout human history the marine world has always delivered but there are signs that it may be in trouble, too tired to keep up with the maddening pace that the modern world has set, too exhausted to give freely as its finite resources are an ever alarming rate. I’m reminded of two small, unassuming but prophetic (and hence controversial) children’s books written by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein almost forty years ago, The Lorax and The Giving Tree respectively. I’ve read them to my two children numerous times. After this cruise they make even more sense.

Without complaint the oceans have given much to humanity. In many ways the oceans are liquid gold. The history of human achievement is defined in large measure by our historical relationship with the marine world. It’s teeming with an abundance of life struggling to survive in the oceans’ harsh salt water environment. The current plight of the marine world represents a defining challenge humans must confront when planning for the future of our troubled planet. The historical narrative of the oceans is written in its sediments, water, and the genetic database of the million of organisms that call the ocean home. The future narrative is being written right now. What is its fate?

In conclusion, this cruise has given me a rarefied, first-hand look at the ocean world in which I live. To be sure our planet is misnamed. Rather than Earth, instead it should be named Oceanus, for our world is a water world that gives so much pleasure and asks for so little in return. What is its fate?

April 27, 2008April 2, 2021

Tara Treichel, April 27, 2008

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Tara Treichel
Onboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster
April 15-27, 2008

Mission: Lionfish Survey
Geographical Area: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina
Date: April 27, 2008

Weather data from the bridge
Visibility: 10 n.m.
Wind: 11 knots
Waves: 1-2 feet
Ocean swells: 3-4 feet
Sea temperature: 23.0
Air temperature: 23.0

At 120 feet, the water has absorbed red, yellow and green wavelengths of light, muting the brilliant colors of these Lionfish and other reef organisms (the Lionfish in the foreground is partially illuminated by the video camera)

Science and Technology Log

I wanted to explain a little more about the purpose of the Lionfish study. The technical name of the study is Assessment of Lionfish Ecosystem and Fisheries Impacts. The Principal Investigator/Chief Scientist is Paula Whitfield, who works out of the NOAA Lab in Beaufort, North Carolina. Several years ago, Paula had heard reports of Lionfish seen off the coast of North Carolina. A recreational diver, Paula visited these sites to see for herself; what began as a casual observation turned into the guiding question for a complex Lionfish ecosystem study that is now in its seventh year. As I understand, the guiding questions framing the study are:

Initially the scientists needed to understand, to what extent Lionfish have invaded the coastal waters of the eastern US. Under this broad question fall many sub-questions: Are they successfully reproducing? How large is their population? Are they expanding their geographic range, and is their population growing? Finally, what biological and physical factors may limit their survival (i.e. what environmental conditions do they need to survive)?
After the initial research results revealed a widespread and well-established presence of Lionfish, researchers refined their objectives to better understand the fisheries and ecosystem impact of Lionfish. This is a very broad question and includes many sub-questions such as: What species are they eating? Is the number of “conspicuous fish” species (large and easy to see and count) decreasing in areas where Lionfish are present? Are the number of “cryptic fish” species (small typically prey species that hide within the habitat) decreasing in areas where Lionfish are present?
The scientists also seek to better understand how Lionfish impacts may be further complicated by other variables such as overfishing and climate change. Examining this question requires looking at many other aspects of the marine ecosystem as indicators of ecological health. Sub-questions are: How are the physical and chemical ocean parameters changing over time (e.g. sea temperature, ocean currents, chemical composition)? How are algal populations changing over time? How are invertebrate and soft-bottom communities changing over time?

Initial results of the study were eye-opening. Everywhere the research team went, they found Lionfish. From 20042007, the data across the sampling sites showed an increase in population of well over 300%. Considering that these fish have no known predators, and females release 30,000 eggs at a time, it is not hard to imagine the severe impact that these fish could potentially have on the marine food web and ecosystem. In addition, Lionfish are tropical reef fish, which require warm water to survive and reproduce. As climate change occurs, it is conceivable that Lionfish could expand their range in response to rising sea temperatures or a shift in Gulf Stream currents.

Paula Whitfield (right), Chief Scientist of the study, and I enjoy the sunshine.

April 26, 2008April 2, 2021

Scott Donnelly, April 26, 2008

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Scott Donnelly
Onboard NOAA Ship McArthur II
April 20-27, 2008

Mission: Assembly of Science Team and Movement of Science Gear/Equipment
Geographical Area: Coos Bay to Astoria, Oregon
Date: April 26, 2008

Weather Data from the Bridge
Sunrise: 0620 Sunset: 2010
Wind: 10-15 kts
Seas: 2 ft
Light rain showers, reduced visibility

NOAA TAS Scott Donnelly ready to deploy a bongo net

Science and Technology Log

Both the morning and afternoon shifts went off without any problems. Coordinates of the seven sites for the longitudinal sampling along the Coquille Estuary Line are 43^O07’N, 124^O29’W to 125^O15’W extending 2 to 40 miles from shore and from depths of 44m (145ft) to 2,300m (7,550ft). My tenth 4-hour shift was spent traveling north to the first sampling site along the Umpqua Estuary Line. Coordinates for the longitudinal measurements are 43^O40’N, 124^O16’W to 125^O02’W extending 3 to 40 miles from shore and from depths of 80m (265ft) to 1,300m (4,265ft). See map below.

Personal Log

Coordinates for the longitudinal measurements of the first sampling site of my shift

In preparing for Saturday’s early morning shift, I noticed when I walked onto the ship’s fantail that the night sky was clear and stars dotted the dark night heavens. I made my way to the flying bridge to observe the cloudless night sky lit up with millions of stars. All the major constellations visible in the northern hemisphere at this time of year just after midnight were easily seen in all their brilliance and mystery. The cool, crisp salty air added to the beauty of the moment. It made for a peaceful, philosophical moment. But as I have found in my brief stay in Oregon such celestial opportunities do not present themselves often and when they do it’s not for long. Clouds soon appeared, blocking the view and ending any chance to identify and name all the major constellations. After finishing the early morning shift I stayed up until after sunrise to take advantage again of photographing the sun rising above the eastern horizon through a thin layer of clouds.

Such meteorological conditions created a sky painted with various shades and hues of red, orange, and yellow. It was if a giant painter had a brush and painted the sky- his canvas- a riot of colors pleasing to the eye and emotions. The science of immaterial light from the sun interacting with the material gaseous atmosphere and clouds and the timing made for a time of quiet reflection and contemplation of the vastness of the universe and the relative insignificance of the Milky Way galaxy and our blue ocean planet. Tomorrow is the last day of the cruise. I have one more early morning shift. We are scheduled to dock in Coos Bay sometime in the early afternoon.

Sunrise off the southern Oregon coast as seen from NOAA ship McARTHUR II