calibration – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

August 20, 2023August 23, 2023

Germaine Thomas: Hurry up and Wait, or What to do when the Weather Sets In, August 16, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Germaine Thomas (she/her)

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

August 7 – August 21, 2023

Mission: Acoustic Trawl Survey (Leg 3 of 3)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean/ Gulf of Alaska
Date: Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Weather Data
Lat 59.47 N, Lon 144.1 W
Sky condition: Cloudy with Rain
Wind Speed: 22.62 knots
Wind Direction: 125.44°
Air Temp: 14 °C

Science and Technology Lab

While on the third leg of our cruise we have had a lot of weather delays, so when the going gets rough the Oscar Dyson science team calibrates! Plus they do not hesitate to work on a couple special projects. No time is wasted. In a secluded bay, waiting for the storm to pass, lots of work can be done to further science.

As I mentioned, this summer has been cold, dark, rainy, and windy. As a fisher person who works in this environment, I cannot overstate how important the internet has become with weather apps like Windy. They accumulate data from oceanic buoys, local weather stations, and satellite images to create a picture like the one you see below.

a screenshot showing simple political map of the Gulf of Alaska coastline. it has been colored with a scale to indicate wind speed. small white dashes are scattered through the image, showing the wind blowing up from the southwest, into the center of the coastline, curving counterclockwise toward Anchorage. A few major locations are labeled with air temperatures: Anchorage: 59 degrees, Homer: 57 degrees, Kodiak: 55 degrees, Juneau: 55 degrees, Whitehorse: 59 degrees. — This image is from the weather app Windy. The white lines indicate the wind direction and the warmer colors are higher wind speeds.

The crew and scientists were able to be proactive in their decision to find a safe place to harbor and then could set up a work plan through the weather day.

Calibration of the Ships Echosounders

The Oscar Dyson’s echo sounders get calibrated about four times a year, at the start and end of the winter and summer field seasons. Because this is the last leg of the cruise, and we are nearing the end of the summer, a weather day is a good day to make sure they are working well

The first step in calibration is to set up down riggers on the starboard, port and aft decks.

Abigail, Robert, and Matthew pose for a photo in the wet lab, each holding a downrigger. The downriggers look like heavy-duty black fishing poles that can be secured onto the deck railings. Abigail is wearing a red light headlamp. — From left to right Abigail McCarthy, Robert Levine and Matthew Phillips, part of the night crew, head outside to place the down riggers.

Once placed, the downrigger lines are very cleverly connected underneath the boat, so all three lines meet.

a downrigger, which looks like a heavy-duty black fishing pole, attached to a railing of the ship. a fishing line extends down from the end into the water, angled back toward the ship to meet up with the other lines. The water is a calm, gray-blue, with fog-shrouded mountains not far in the distance. — Downrigger mounted on a railing

Where all three lines meet, a single line is suspended directly down underneath the keel of the boat where the echo sounders are located. The down line has a tungsten carbide sphere suspended above a lead weight. The scientists use the known target of the sphere and the known properties of the water column to figure out the difference between expectations and reality in their calibration. The tungsten carbide sphere works extremely well for calibration because it is extremely dense when compared to water, has a known sound reflection, and allows calibration at multiple frequencies.

photo of a computer screen; on the left, many circles (most blue, some white, one red) within a larger circle; on the right, a table full of numbers. — Pictured above is a screen scientists see as they are moving the sphere around for calibration.

The picture is showing a black circle representing the transducer face as observed from above. The blue dots represent individual measurements of the reflected echo of the calibration sphere as it is moved around in the transducer beam. Using this calibration software the scientists can evaluate the measurement sensitivity and the beam characteristics of the echo sounders.

Calibrating the acoustics was not the only event that happened while weathered deep in a fjord arm of Nuka Bay.

The MiniCam

While waiting out the weather, other members of the science team had a chance to work with a new piece of equipment called a minicam.

small underwater camera apparatus sitting on deck — The MiniCam, pictured above, has two stereo cameras which can film marine organisms.

The purpose of this camera is to connect the images it records to the backscatter shown with the Oscar Dyson‘s echo sounders. Again, backscatter, as I mentioned in the previous blog, are images that are produced when the echosounders’ different frequencies are reflected back to the ship. The images created by sound are shown on a computer screen and can be used to identify different species of fish or other marine organisms. The images need to be verified by either the minicam or trawl sampling. Scientists want to make sure that the length and species of what they see in the camera can relate to the scaling of the backscatter. The minicam was deployed by scientists and the crew several times to look at the fish and euphausiids in the water column, while we waited out the bad weather.

Germaine and another crewmember, wearing life vests, hard hats, and boots, stand on deck in the evening. the minicam, attached to cables extending beyond the top of the image, sits on deck near the railing, awaiting deployment. In the background, we can just barely see dark blue water, and a darker blue mountain, hidden in fog. — Getting ready to suspend the MiniCam before it is lifted over the side of the boat from the Hero deck.

Recreational Fish Finders “Little Pingers” Project

This is a project by NOAA oceanographer Robert Levine. The echosounders that are suspended below the Oscar Dyson are extremely precise and expensive. Robert and a colleague want to compare the echosounder’s data/readout for recreational fish finders to the echosounders on the Oscar Dyson. There are situations where scientists would love to monitor fish and marine organisms’ populations, but may not need the accuracy and precision of the scientific Simrad echosounders.

Robert, wearing a life vest, works on a laptop inside a storage area with one door open to an outer deck. he appears to be sitting on an overturned bucket. in front of him, another overturned bucket props up equipment (probably fish finders). Behind Robert, we see other equipment, hoses, life preservers, a fire extinguisher, a ladder. — Robert Levine working with the ” Little Pingers.” Environments on board a ship can be challenging to work in, as seen here.

They also might not be able to recover the fish finders, so having them less expensive is very important.

At this point they are just collecting data and monitoring performance with the recreational fish finders, affectionately called “little pingers.” Later in the project they will do more of a data comparison to the Oscar Dyson‘s echo sounders.

Personal Log

On board a ship, one way to keep the crew’s spirits up in bad weather is excellent food. According to the people I have worked with so far on the cruise, the meals on this leg of the acoustic-trawl survey have been amazing.

Meet The Dream Galley Team

Rodney and Angelo pose for a photo against a wall in the mess. They are standing in front of a coffee machine. Rodney wears an Oscar Dyson trucker cap. Angelo is wearing a black chef's uniform. — From left to right, Rodney Bynum and Angelo Santos

Meet the Dream Galley Team. From left to right, Rodney Bynum and Angelo Santos. These men share a passion for food and see how it brings smiles to the faces of their customers, friends, and family. Both have fathers who worked on ships in the Steward Department. Rodney fondly remembers his father bringing home exotic food from all over the world. His father inspired him to open a Soul Food restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia. Years later, Rodney decided to take his culinary career in a different direction: cooking on a ship. The Oscar Dyson was his first time working on a ship and he has really enjoyed it thus far. The crew loves his congenial personality, mad cooking skills, and awe-inspiring work ethic.

Angelo started cooking at the age of 11, often helping his mom roll lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) and make other traditional Filipino food while religiously watching Giada de Laurentis, Emeril Lagasse, and Ina Garten on Food Network. Angelo grew up in San Francisco and rural Oregon, spent 3 years in San Diego, and is now based in Oregon once again while traveling the world for work. In Oregon, he decided to major in Culinary Arts and graduated with his associate’s degree after going through Linn-Benton Community College’s Culinary program. Angelo mentioned, “culinary school isn’t required, but it helps you gain a fundamental understanding of cooking to prepare you for the real world.” He recommends trying out a restaurant job before spending money on tuition for culinary school.

East Coast meets West Coast aboard the Oscar Dyson. Both men have solid fundamentals in cooking from their years of experience as restaurant chefs. Angelo is the Chief Steward while Rodney is the 2nd Cook. The Chief Steward is in charge of galley operations while the 2nd cook provides breakfast and assists as needed. Chief Steward is like an Executive Chef position on land while 2nd cook is like a breakfast cook/prep cook/dishwasher. Rodney and Angelo often collaborate for menu ideas and feed off each other’s passion for delicious food.

Both of them enjoyed high school and had lots of advice for students looking into a career in Culinary Arts. As I interviewed them, they’d often finish each others’ sentences in agreement.

Rodney: “If you’re looking to become a good chef, don’t be afraid to taste everything, including food that may not be familiar to you. Every job in the kitchen matters, whether it’s the prep cook, dishwasher, or executive chef. Learn every position and never stop learning.”

Angelo attended culinary school shortly after graduating high school, so he found it to be stressful and chaotic, but very rewarding. He mentioned, “Focus as much as possible on having a good work-life balance. Find the joy in simple pleasures, take care of your mental health, and make friends outside of work. Work on networking with peers who share your passion for food as well as people outside of your cohort. Connections can help a lot.” Angelo enjoys cooking on ships because the compensation was very good. The only chef jobs on land that compare to this salary are executive chefs at very high end venues and private/personal chefs. Being able to travel around the world on business was a cool perk of being a chef at sea.

Overall, both men agreed that some of the best moments of pursuing a career in the food industry have been about seeing the joy that good food brings to people. Life is too short to not eat well and this is especially appreciated when one works on a ship. It makes all the difference for the morale of a ship to know that while you’re away from your loved ones, you can still eat well.

Finally, I have to give Angel credit for helping me write the sections about the “Dream Galley Team,” not only is he a great cook but also a fantastic writer.

top down view of a purple mug on a red table containing a latte with foam designs — This beautiful latte was made by Angelo Santos on the *Oscar Dyson*

June 19, 2023June 19, 2023

Laura Guertin: Collecting Data: Acoustic Survey, June 19, 2023

What looks like a long fishing rod attached to a ship's rail on the ocean

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Laura Guertin

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

June 10 – June 22, 2023

Mission: 2023 Summer Acoustic-Trawl Survey of Walleye Pollock in the Gulf of Alaska

Geographic Area of Cruise: Islands of Four Mountains area, to Shumagin Islands area
Location (2PM (Alaska Time), June 18): 55^o 15.3391′ N, 160^o 17.8682′ W

Data from 2PM (Alaska Time), June 18, 2023
Air Temperature: 8.9 ^oC
Water Temperature (mid-hull): 7.7^oC
Wind Speed: 4 knots
Wind Direction: 182 degrees
Course Over Ground (COG): 356 degrees
Speed Over Ground (SOG): 12 knots

Date: June 19, 2023

Acoustic fisheries surveys seek to estimate the abundance and distribution of fish in a particular area of the ocean. In my case, this Summer Survey is looking at walleye pollock in the Gulf of Alaska. How is this accomplished? Well, it’s not through this method:

The Alaska walleye pollock is widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean with the largest concentrations in the eastern Bering Sea. For this expedition, Oscar Dyson is traveling to specific regions in the Gulf of Alaska and running transects perpendicular to the bathymetry/contours (which are not always perpendicular to the shore) to take measurements using acoustics and targeted trawling to determine the abundance and distribution of walleye pollock which informs stock assessment and management models. For this blog post, let’s focus on how and why we can use acoustics to locate fish.

A map of the distribution of walleye pollock in the waters around Alaska. Alaska is centered in this map, but not disconnected from adjacent portions of Canada, and portions of Russia are visible to the east. Colors representing topography are visible, emphasized on the land of Alaska and depicted faintly on Canada and Russia. The ocean is depicted as a solid blue. We see latitude and longitude lines at ten degree intervals. We can see labels for the Beaufort Sea (north of Alaska), Chukchi Sea (northwest), Bering Sea (west), Bristol Bay (southwest), Gulf of Alaska (south and southeast.) The polygon representing the distribution of pollock is shaded with diagonal red lines. It starts in the Chukchi Sea, extends southwest out to the Bering Sea, and curves around the Aleutian Islands, hugging the coastline around the Gulf of Alaska. — Walleye pollock (*Gadus chalcogrammus*) are distributed broadly in the North Pacific Ocean and eastern and western Bering Sea. In the Gulf of Alaska, pollock are considered as a single stock separate from those in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Image from Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

A screenshot of an electronic nautical chart of the area around the Alaska Peninsula. Overlain on the chart are straight blue lines connecting blue points in a boxy meandering path in and out from the coastline, west to east. A few segments are red instead of blue. — An snapshot of a nautical chart with transects plotted. The first transect was run during Leg 1 on June 14 at the furthest location to the west, then the ship worked its way back east with approximately 40 nautical miles between transects. Once *Oscar Dyson* reached the Shumagin Islands, survey work shifted into this area..

Our story starts with the fish itself. Alaska walleye pollock have a swim bladder. The swim bladder is an internal organ filled with gas that allows a fish to maintain its buoyancy and stability at depth.

One interesting effect of the swim bladder is that it also functions as a resonating chamber that can produce and receive sound through sonar technology. This connection was first discovered in the 1970s, when low-frequency sound waves in the ocean come in contact with swim bladders and they resonated much like a tuning fork and return a strong echo (see WHOI’s Listening for Telltale Echoes from Fish).

illlustrated diagram of the internal anatomy of a boney fish. The swim bladder is located in the middle of the fish, beneath the long, skinny kidney and behind the stomach. — *Internal anatomy of a boney fish. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).*

Illustration of a survey ship on the ocean surface, with the ocean cutaway so that we can see a cone of sound pulses extending out from the ship's hull to the ocean floor. A school of fish is depicted in the middle of the water column, in the cone of sound. — *The sound pulses travel down into the water column, illustrated by the white cones here, and bounce back when encountering resistance.* *(from NOAA Fisheries)*

NOAA Fisheries uses echo sounding, which works by emitting vertical pulses of sound (often referred to as pings), and measuring the return strength and recording the time for the signal to leave and then return. Anything having a different density from the surrounding water (in our case – fish, plankton, air bubbles, the seafloor) can return a signal, or “echo”.

The strength or loudness of the echo is affected by how strongly different ocean elements reflect sound and how far away the source of the element is. The seafloor usually makes the strongest echo because it is composed of rock which has a density different than the density of water. In fish, the swim bladder provides a contrast from the water. In addition, each fish species has a unique target strength or amount of sound reflected to the receiver. The size and shape of the swim bladder influence the target strength. There is a different target strength to length relationship for each species of fish – the larger the fish, the greater the strength of the returning echo.

It’s important to note that echo sounders cannot identify fish species, directly or indirectly. The only way we know which fish species is causing a signal is based on trawl catch composition. There is nothing within the acoustic data that lets us identify fish species, even with the catch data. This is a subtle, but important, distinction. Acoustic data, particularly calibrated acoustic data, in tandem with the information from the trawl, definitely allows us to count fish.

Where is the echo sounder on Oscar Dyson? Look at the figure in the next section of this post – it’s a sketch of NOAA Ship Rainier, but the placement of the echo sounder is the same for Dyson. You can see a rectangular “board” that is extended down from the center of the ship. This is called – what else – the center board! Attached to the bottom of the center board are the echo sounders. When lowered, the echo sounders sit at 9 meters below the level of the sea (~4 meters below the bottom hull of the ship).

Did you know… Southern Resident killer whales use their own echolocation clicks to recognize the size and orientation of a Chinook’s swim bladder? Researchers report that the echo structure of the swim bladders from similar length but different species of salmon were different and probably recognizable by foraging killer whales. (reported in Au et al., 2010)

It starts with a calibration

*Typical setup of the standard target and weight beneath the echo sounder.* *(from NOAA Fisheries)*

Before we can begin collecting data, we need to calibrate the echo sounder. The calibration involves a standard target (a tungsten carbide sphere) with a known target strength. The calibration needs to be completed in waters that are calm and without significant marine life for the best results.

The sphere is suspended below the ship’s hull using monofilament lines fed through downriggers attached to ship railings. One downrigger is in line with the echo sounder on the starboard side, and the other two on the port side. This creates a triangle that suspends the sphere in the center of the echo sounder’s sound beam. By tightening and loosening the lines, the sphere can be positioned under the center of the sound beam and can also be moved throughout the beam. By doing an equipment calibration at the beginning and end of a survey, we can ensure the accuracy of our data.

One of the port side downriggers
A weight that goes at the bottom of the filament to ensure the calibration sphere remains below the echo sounder
The tungsten carbide sphere attached to the line, being lowered over the side

For further exploration

NOAA Ocean Service – Ocean Facts – How do scientists locate schools of fish?

Discovery of Sound in the Sea – How is sound used to locate fish?

NOAA Fisheries – Acoustic Echosounders–Essential Survey Equipment and Acoustic Hake Survey Methods on the West Coast

NOAA Ocean Service – Ocean Facts – What is sonar?

Science – Sounds like my favorite fish – killer whales differentiate salmon species by their sonar echoes

NOAA Fisheries – Sound Strategy: Hunting with the Southern Residents, Part 2

The Pew Charitable Trusts – Advanced Sonar Technology Helps NOAA Count Anchovy

August 7, 2019

Jessica Cobley: Recalibrating, August 6, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Jessica Cobley

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

July 19 – August 8, 2019

Mission: Midwater Trawl Acoustic Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak to Yakutat Bay)

Date: 8/6/2019

Weather Data from the Gulf of Alaska: Lat: 58º 44.3 N Long: 145º 23.51 W

Air Temp: 15.9º C

Personal Log

Currently we are sailing back across the Gulf of Alaska to the boat’s home port, Kodiak. I think the last few days have gone by quickly with the change of daily routine as we start to get all the last minute things finished and gear packed away.

Since my last post, the definite highlight was sailing up to see the Hubbard Glacier in Disenchantment Bay (near Yakutat). WOW. The glacier is so wide (~6miles) that we couldn’t see the entire face. In addition to watching the glacier calve, we also saw multiple seals sunbathing on icebergs as we sailed up to about a mile from the glacier.

We spent a few hours with everyone enjoying the sunshine and perfect view of the mountains behind the glacier, which form the border between the U.S. and Canada. We also had a BBQ lunch! Here are a few photos from our afternoon.

*Group photo of the science crew! Photo by Danielle Power*

Another surprise was showing up for dinner the other night to find King Crab on the menu. What a treat! Most people are now trying to get back on a normal sleeping schedule and so mealtimes are busier than usual.

king crab legs — *Our Chief Steward, Judie, sure does spoil us!*

Lastly, the engineering department was working on a welding project and invited me down to see how it works. On the first day of the trip I had asked if I could learn how to weld and this was my chance! They let me try it out on a scrap piece of metal after walking me through the safety precautions and letting me watch them demonstrate. It works by connecting a circuit of energy created by the generator/welding machine. When the end you hold (the melting rod) touches the surface that the other end of the conductor is connected to (the table) it completes the circuit.

Jessica welding — Wearing a protective jacket, gloves and helmet while welding are a must. The helmet automatically goes dark when sparks are made so your eyes aren’t damaged from the bright light. Photo by Evan Brooks.

Scientific Log

Before making it to Yakutat we fished a few more times and took our last otolith samples and fish measurements. Otoliths are the inner ear bones of fish and have rings on them just like a tree. The number and width of the rings help scientists calculate how old the fish is, as well as how well it grew each year based on the thickness of the rings. In the wet lab, we take samples and put them in little individual vials to be taken back to the Seattle lab for processing. Abigail did a great job teaching where to cut in order to find the otoliths, which can be tough since they are so small.

Jessica and pollock otoliths — *Our last time taking otolith samples from pollock. Photo by Troy Buckley*

Another important piece of the survey is calibrating all of the equipment they use. Calibration occurs at the start and end of each survey to make sure the acoustic equipment is working consistently throughout the survey. The main piece of equipment being calibrated is the echosounder, which sends out sound waves which reflect off of different densities of objects in the water. In order to test the different frequencies, a tungsten carbide and a copper metal ball are individually hung below the boat and centered underneath the transducer (the part that pings out the sound and then listens for the return sound). Scientists know what the readings should be when the sound/energy bounces off of the metal balls. Therefore, the known results are compared with the actual results collected and any deviation is accounted for in the data accumulated on the survey.

After calibration, we cleaned the entire wet lab where all of the fish have been processed on the trip. It is important to do a thorough cleaning because a new survey team comes on board once we leave, and any fish bits left behind will quickly begin to rot and smell terrible. Most of the scales, plastic bins, dissection tools, nets, and computers are packed up and sent back to Seattle.

Gear packed — *All packed up and ready to go! The rain gear also gets scrubbed inside and out to combat any lingering fish smell.*

Did You Know?

Remember when you were a kid counting the time between a lightning strike and thunder? Well, the ship does something similar to estimate the distance of objects from the ship. If it is foggy, the ship can blow its fog horn and count how many seconds it takes for the sound to be heard again (or come back to the boat). Let’s say they counted 10 seconds. Since sound travels at approximately 5 seconds per mile, they could estimate that the ship was 1 mile away from shore. We were using this method to estimate how close Oscar Dyson was from the glacier yesterday. While watching the glacier calve we counted how many seconds between seeing the ice fall and actually hearing it. We ended up being about 1 mile away.

Cheers, Jess

September 6, 2018September 9, 2018

Justin Garritt: Precision in Science is Key. Calibrating Day and Ship Tour, September 5, 2018

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Justin Garritt
NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada
September 5, 2018

Topic Today: Calibrating the Equipment and ship tour

Geographical area of cruise: Seattle, Washington to Newport, Oregon

Today’s Location and Weather: Beautiful sunny skies calibrating in Elliot Bay, Seattle, Washington

Date: September 5, 2018

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Today’s blog will focus on calibration and a tour of the beautiful ship.

Calibration is the act of evaluating and adjusting the precision and accuracy of measurement equipment. It is intended to eliminate or reduce bias in an instrument’s readings. It compares the standard measurement with the measurement being made by the equipment. The accuracy of all measurements degrade over time by normal wear and tear. The purpose of calibration is to check the accuracy of the instrument and with this information, adjustments can be made if it is out of calibration. The bottom line is that calibration improves the accuracy of the measurement device which improves quality.

We calibrate many things in life. For an example, many teachers at my school have smart bo images ards or promethean boards. These boards are interactive white boards that allow teachers to teach using more interactive tools. As a math teacher, I have had a promethean board in my classroom which acts like a large touch screen computer that I take notes on, teach lectures on, give student feedback on, and play math games on.

A teacher calibrating their smart board in a classroom

They have improved the learning experience for students in my class and across the globe. In order for the screen to work most accurately, we must perform routine calibrations on the board. If we don’t, there is often errors and where we touch the screen is not what actually shows up on the board. When these errors begin to occur, we must calibrate the board or else we won’t be as accurate when writing on the board.

cal2

Police officers and military personnel must also use calibration in their work. Officers must routinely calibrate their weapons for accuracy. When at a safe and secure range, officers will “site-in” their weapons to determine if their scope is accurate. They will then make modifications to their weapons based on the calibration tests. This is another form of calibrating that improves the quality and accuracy of the equipment.

On board the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, calibration typically happens at the start and end of most legs. Sometimes the Chief Scientist will also make the decision to calibrate mid-leg. For the past two days we have been spending 12 to 15 hours per day calibrating the equipment to ensure the most accurate research can be completed and we can meet the goals of the leg.

All of the scientists aboard

Me using a down rigger during calibration

Calibrating the equipment is an interesting process that involves the teamwork of all the scientists on board. The process begins with three scientists setting up down riggers on the outside of the boat. Two are set up on starboard side (right side of the ship) and one is set up on port side (left side of the ship). This creates a triangle which will allow the calibration sphere or what I like to call, “the magic sphere” to move in whatever direction needed. This same triangle shaped design is used to move cameras that fly above players in the Superbowl.

This same triangle shaped design is used to move cameras that fly above players in the Superbowl.

Another image of camera that flies above Superbowl

dafonbjedkjjpicd — The picture above shows how three lines suspended from down riggers that are attached to the sphere.

The pictures (with captions) show the process step by step.

Scientist Steve de Blois setting up one of the down riggers

Scientist Dezhang Chu prepares the “magic sphere” before dropping it in the water for calibration

Scientist Dezhang Chu drops the “magic sphere” in the water

Dropping the sphere in the water for calibration

Chief Scientist Rebecca Thomas checking in with her team

The three-line triangle shape is used to maneuver the “magic sphere” below the boat during calibration

Scientist Dezhang Chu leads the calibration from the acoustics lab

Scientist Dezhang Chu communicates with the team at the down riggers on where to move the “magic sphere” for calibration

This screen monitors where the sphere is under the ship. The goal during calibration is to move the sphere is all four quadrants of the screen.

We calibrated for two full days. It was surprising how long the process took. After explanations from the many scientists on board I learned that the process is so long because we are assessing numerous acoustic transducers under the ship. Then, for each transducer, we are calibrating the old acoustic system and the new acoustic system.

All smiles at the end of calibration as we head out to continue our mission at sea:-) In this photo: NOAA TAS Justin Garritt, Scientist Volunteer Heather Rippman, and Future Scientist Charlie Donahue (and roommate)

______________________________________________________________________________________

A Tour of the ship

NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada is an incredible vessel that sails for months at a time. It has a crew of over 40 people (who I will be discussing in future blogs). The ship is a science lab with most state of the art equipment and also home for the crew on board that make the boat run 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. Here is a quick behind the scenes look at this remarkable vessel.

The Deck: When you embark the ship, the first thing you see is a huge deck with massive pieces of equipment. Each item has a different purpose based on what scientific study is taking place throughout the leg of the journey.

Two of the nets we will be using to catch hake and other organisms. Each net has different size liners which we will be testing.

A view of the back deck and all the equipment

Another view of the back deck

A view looking up from the deck at the top vessel

The Bridge: This is where the captain and his crew spend most of their day. The bridge has all of the most up-to-date technology to ensure we are all safe while on board. Operations occur 24 hours a day, so the ship never sleeps. Officers on the bridge must know what is happening on the ship, what the weather and traffic is like around the ship. The bridge has highly advanced radar to spot obstacles and other vessels. It also is the center of communication for all units on board the ship.

The officers of NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.

The bridge of NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada

The Galley and Mess Hall: I expected to come on board and lose weight. Then I met Arnold. He is our incredible galley master who makes some of the best meals I have had on a ship. Yes, this better than food on a buffet line on a cruise. Arnold works his magic in a small kitchen and has to plan, order, and organize food two weeks out. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served at the same time everyday. The food is prepared and everyone eats in the mess hall. Beverages, cereal, salad, and most importantly, ice cream are available 24 hours a day, so there is no need to ever be hungry. Every meal has a large menu posted on the television monitor and you can eat whatever you want. Every meal so far has been amazing.

Master Chef Arnold showing me his organized refrigerator

In the food storage closet

The mess hall

An amazing buffet is served three times a day at 7am, 11am, and 5pm.

The menu is posted for every meal

Salad is available 24 hours a day

Ice cream and snacks available 24 hours a day

Drinks are always available

Staterooms: Sleeping quarters are called staterooms and most commonly sleep two people. Each stateroom has its own television and a bathroom, which is called a head. As The bunks have these neat curtains that keep out the light just in case you and your roommate are working different shifts.

My stateroom which I share with Charlie, a volunteer college student

Names on our door

Laundry Room: There are three washer machines and three dryers that crew can use to clean their clothes during off-duty hours

The laundry room

The Entertainment Room: The living room of the ship. This room has a large screen TV, comfy recliners, and hundreds of movies, including new releases.

The gym

The entertainment room

The Acoustics Lab: The acoustics lab is like the situation room for the scientists. There are large computer screens every where that can monitor all of the things the scientists are doing. For the past two days, Rebecca, our Chief Scientist, along with other scientists, lead the calibration from that room.

Scientist Steve de Blois hard at work in the acoustics lab

Scientist Dezhang Chu hard at work in the acoustics lab

A look at the entire acoustics lab

The Wet Lab: The wet lab will be used to inspect and survey the hake when we start fishing later this week.

The wet lab which will be used when we start fishing later this week

A random look in the freezer in the wet lab:-)

I only just began my exploration of the ship. I will have so many more places to share throughout the journey. Later this week I will be asking our Chief Engineer to take me on a behind the scenes tour of “below deck” which is where they turn salt water to freshwater, handle all trash on board, etc. I will also be asking a member of captain’s officers to teach me a little about the navigation equipment up in the bridge. I will be sure to write about all I learn in future blogs.

Thank you for continuing to join me on this epic adventure.

Justin

Calibrating with the Seattle skyline in the distance

An early morning sunset workout on the bow

June 11, 2018

Lacee Sherman: Teacher Getting Her Sea Legs! June 8, 2018

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Lacee Sherman

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

June 6, 2018 – June 28, 2018

Mission: Eastern Bering Sea Pollock Acoustic Trawl Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Eastern Bering Sea

Date: June 8, 2018

Weather Data from the Bridge on 6/9/18 at 17:00

Latitude: 55° 34.3 N

Longitude: 162° 39.0 W

Sea Wave Height: 2-3 ft

Wind Speed: 12 knots

Wind Direction: 335° NW

Visibility: 8 knots

Air Temperature: 7.1° C

Water Temperature: 8.6° C

Sky: Blue with scattered clouds

What have you done to protect the oceans lately? Picture of Lacee with finger pointing at camera — World Oceans Day! June 8th, 2018. What have YOU done to protect the oceans today?

Science and Technology Log

On Wednesday, June 6th 2018, NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson left port from Dutch Harbor Alaska at 08:00 to go and fuel up for the upcoming voyage. Fueling the ship takes hours and during that time, NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson took on over 50,000 gallons of fuel. After the ship was fueled, it searched for a spot in Captain’s Bay to calibrate the acoustic equipment. In order to calibrate the equipment, a metal ball made of tungsten carbide was suspended beneath the boat under the center board. The ball has known acoustic return values based on density and purity of the metal. It is attached at three points to the boat so that it can be moved under the center board to calibrate each transducer.. The location of the ball is adjusted under each transducer one at a time to the center of each beam. Adjustments to the equipment will be made if the return from the ball at each transducer is not as it is expected to be. The scientists had to change the depth of the ball in the water in order to avoid the fish to get an accurate reading. The calibration can be different depending on the temperature of the water and the salinity (saltiness) of the ocean. A second calibration will be taken at the end of the research cruise and the average will be used in the necessary calculations. Once calibration was complete and the equipment was retrieved, the ship started heading to the beginning location of the first transect line.

The journey from our calibration point to the start of the first transect line took approximately 23 hours, traveling at 12-13 knots. The ship reached the northern end of the first transect line at approximately 21:00 (9 pm) on June 7th. The first trawl sample was taken shortly after at sunset, which was approximately 23:30 (11:30 pm). This is not an ideal time to collect a trawl sample though since the fish move and behave differently at night. The first trawl sample of the survey that I participated in was on 6/8/18 at approximately 15:30.

Operations on the ship run 24 hours a day, so some members of each team onboard need to be awake and working at all times. Shifts for the science team are 12 hours long and the day shift runs from 04:00 (4 am) to 16:00 (4 pm) and the night shift is from 16:00 (4 pm) to 04:00 (4 am). I am assigned to the day shift along with Chief Scientist Denise McKelvey and Fisheries Biologists Sarah Stienessen, Mike Levine, and Scott Furnish. On the night shift for the science team are Nate Lauffenburger, Darin Jones and Matthew Phillips.

Scientists

NOAA Corps Officers

Deck Crew

ET, Stewards, Survey Techs

Engineers

In order to collect a trawl sample, members of basically every department on the ship are involved. The NOAA Corps officers are on the Bridge driving the ship, charting the course that the ship will be traveling on as it collects it’s samples, as well as keeping track of the net, and all of the other duties that they regularly hold. The stewards keep us all fed and happy. The deck crew are in charge of making sure that all of the nets are hooked up properly and are put into the water correctly as well as controlling the winches that release the nets. The engineers make sure that all equipment is functioning properly. The survey technicians ensure that all of the scientific instruments used for making any type of measurements are attached to the net at different points, mainly on the kite. The “kite” is a section of the net primarily used for holding scientific instruments. Some of the scientists are preparing the fish lab and getting dressed in waterproof gear, while the Chief Scientist is on the Bridge with the officers giving direction about where and when to start and stop trawling and exactly how deep the nets should be set. Adjustments to the net are regularly made during the sample collection.

Waterproof gear hanging in the “ready room”.

Gloves hanging to dry in the fish lab.

The locations for when trawl samples will be collected is not pre-determined before the start of the research cruise. The sites for samples are determined in real time by looking at the data collected from the acoustic pings being sent out by the transducers. There are 5 different frequencies( measured in kilohertz) sent out by the ship’s transducers: 18 kHz, 38kHz, 70 kHz, 120 kHz, and 200 kHz. The acoustic frequency that may best indicate the presence of pollock is 38 kHz. The chief scientist decides when she wants to “go fishing” based off of looking at the results coming back as echoes to the ship.

Acoustic data points collected at 5 wavelengths — This is what the acoustic data points look like as the ship is moving on the water. All 5 different frequencies are depicted in this image. The top left is 18kHz, bottom left is 38kHz (best for pollock), top right is 70kHz, middle right is 120kHz and the bottom right is 200kHz. Each dot represents an echo received by the ship’s transducers after the sound hits something in the water. The solid red band near the top of each window is the depth of the sonar transducer sending the acoustic pings, while the heavier red band at the bottom of each window is the sea floor.

On this leg of the research cruise thus far, 3 trawl samples have been collected from the transect lines. I will include more detailed information and photos of the fish processing protocol in my next blog. In the next three pictures, there are temperature and depth profiles of our sample collection. The depth (in meters) is shown by the shape of the line as it rises and falls, and the color shows the temperature (in degrees Celsius) that goes with the scale on the right of each figure. More specific details are underneath each image.

Personal Log

Now that the ship is in the middle of the Bering Sea and is moving, I have learned an important lesson: You can’t trust the floor. I know that sounds weird, but usually you know exactly where the floor is going to be when you are walking, but when the ship is moving in the water, the floor may be higher or lower than expected, causing a lot of wobbling. This is especially challenging for someone who is as naturally clumsy as I am. There are times when I feel like a toddler learning to walk again, but I am getting more and more used to it already. At night it feels like being gently rocked to sleep.

I’m learning my way around the ship and I am starting to not walk right past the doors that I need to go into a few times before I remember that it’s the right place. I am also getting more familiar with the people onboard as well as the schedule. Since my shift that I am working on is from 04:00 (4 am) to 16:00 (4 pm), it took a few days for me to adjust and everyone was very patient with me. Coffee definitely helps! The meal times are as follows: Breakfast 07:00, Lunch 11:00, Dinner 17:00 and there are always some snacks available in the Galley.

Ocean Selfie! 6/7/18 — Photo of TAS Lacee Sherman aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson in the Eastern Bering Sea.

In my downtime on the ship, I have found a new favorite location; the flying bridge! The flying bridge is located above the Bridge (where the Ship is controlled). There is a chair up there that makes the perfect spot on a nice day to sit and read for a little while. It is windy and cold, but worth it! The view from up there is pretty amazing!

Image taken off of the Alaskan Peninsula taken from the Flying Bridge on 6/9/18 in the morning.

Image taken off of the Alaskan Peninsula taken from the Flying Bridge on 6/9/18 in the afternoon from a closer location.

The bow of NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson taken from the Flying Bridge.

The Stern of NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson taken from the Flying Bridge.

Did You Know?

The NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps is one of the 7 uniformed services in the United States. The other 6 include: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Airforce, Coast Guard, and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

Math Challenges!!!!

If the Dyson regularly travels at 12.5 knots, how many miles per hour is it going? (Hint: you may want to look at my previous blog before you try this.)

Currently 9 of the people aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson are women. If there are 31 total people on the ship, what percentage of them are women?