Before stepping aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, I assumed most of the crew would be scientists. While hydrography is certainly at the heart of the mission, I learned that it takes professionals from many different career fields to keep the ship operating safely and efficiently. In fact, many of the jobs on board connect directly to the career pathways offered where I teach, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center.
PRCTC’s list of programs (Credit: PRCTC)
The survey technicians are responsible for collecting and processing hydrographic data using multibeam sonar, side-scan sonar, GPS, and specialized computer software. Their work combines engineering technology, robotics, and cyber security & networking.
The deck department operates cranes and davits, launches and recovers the survey boats, performs maintenance, handles lines during docking, and ensures the safe operation of the vessel. These careers require technical skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and attention to safety which are qualities developed through career and technical education programs. Especially since we train our students in Lean Six Sigma.
Bosun Alex Bischoff helping 2904 crew aboard
Behind the scenes, the engineering department keeps the ship running 24 hours a day. Engineers maintain the propulsion systems, generators, pumps, electrical systems, and countless pieces of equipment that allow the Thomas Jefferson to complete its mission. Students pursuing careers in diesel technology, industrial maintenance, electrical trades, or advanced manufacturing would recognize many of the same hands-on skills used every day aboard ship.
The bridge is staffed by NOAA Corps officers, who are responsible for safely navigating the ship, supervising survey operations, managing personnel, and making operational decisions. Their careers combine leadership with navigation, meteorology, technology, project management and safety. These officers work very similarly to the students in the Public Safety course at PRCTC.
Officers working the bridge on NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
Even the steward department plays a vital role. Preparing three meals a day for a crew working long hours requires planning, organization, food safety knowledge, inventory management, and culinary skills. The galley keeps morale high and ensures everyone has the energy needed to perform demanding work much like our commercial foods program.
The Thomas Jefferson also relies on electronics, communications, information technology, logistics, administration, and medical support. Every member of the crew contributes specialized skills that allow the ship to operate as a single, coordinated team.
One of the biggest takeaways from this experience is that there isn’t just one pathway to working aboard a ship like the Thomas Jefferson. Whether your interests are welding, diesel technology, engineering, information technology, culinary arts, electronics, leadership, or science, there is a place where those skills can make a difference.
As a teacher at Pickaway-Ross CTC, this experience has given me real-world examples to bring back to my classroom. Now I can point to an entire ship where technical skills, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication are used every single day. Career and technical education doesn’t just prepare students for jobs, it also prepares them for opportunities they may have never imagined, including serving aboard a NOAA hydrographic survey vessel.
Clearing the Way
While the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson is best known for charting U.S. waters, the ship can also play a critical role in responding to natural disasters.
In 2017, after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Thomas Jefferson was deployed to help restore safe navigation to the region. Using its multibeam sonar and side-scan sonar systems, the crew surveyed ports and waterways to identify underwater hazards and ensure safe passage for the U.S. Coast Guard, relief vessels, and other emergency responders. Because so many essential supplies reach the islands through these ports, reopening them quickly was vital to the recovery effort.
Over the course of just three weeks, the Thomas Jefferson surveyed 13 areas, including more than 18 ports, helping authorities safely resume maritime traffic.
Areas surveyed by NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson after Huricane Maria in 2017 (Credit: NOAA)
One of the ship’s greatest strengths is its ability to operate independently. With a crew of 38, the Thomas Jefferson can remain at sea for several weeks without relying on outside support, making it an ideal platform for extended emergency response missions. Its two survey launches, 2903 and 2904, further enhance its capabilities by allowing crews to survey shallow waters and areas where storm debris may have accumulated.
Learning about the Thomas Jefferson‘s role after Hurricane Maria gave me a broader perspective on hydrography. Before this experience, I mainly associated nautical charting with supporting everyday navigation. Seeing how these same surveying skills and technologies can be used to assess storm damage, clear ports, and help restore critical shipping routes showed me just how important this work is. It is another example of how the crew’s expertise extends far beyond routine charting operations.
Personal Log
Unfortunately, I am on my way home. However, I want to share a few last memories from this experience.
The Crew’s Greatest Challenge
I had started to think the crew aboard the Thomas Jefferson was almost flawless, then game night happened.
Communication on the bridge during unfavorable conditions is exceptional. Navigating video games? Not so much.
Crew working on their communication skills during game night
The Commanding Officer remained calm, cool, and collected through two weeks of transiting the Welland Canal, changing weather, and demanding survey operations. Yet during game night, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a silent question in the CO’s eyes: “Is this really my crew?” as everyone demonstrated their less-than-stellar teamwork in a video game. I also learned that it is, in fact, possible to earn negative points.
The evening was filled with unforgettable comments like, “I have steak on the starboard quarter!” followed by, “Fish pasta, aye!” and “Who keeps putting the fire extinguisher on the stove?” Somehow, those made perfect sense in the middle of the chaos. And no game night would be complete without a few “passionate” debates over the official rules of Scrabble.
Crew demonstrating teamwork skills during game night
As entertaining as the games were, my favorite part was seeing this side of the crew. After watching them work with such precision and professionalism every day, it was refreshing to see the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer relax alongside everyone else. For a few hours, ranks took a back seat to friendly competition, laughter, and good-natured teasing. It was a wonderful reminder that the strong teamwork I had witnessed throughout the mission is built not only through hard work, but also through shared moments like these.
Crew of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson at game night
Sharing the Mission
An exciting part of my journey home was getting the chance to share my experience aboard the Thomas Jefferson with people I met along the way. My Uber driver and the hotel front desk attendant were both curious about why I had been on a NOAA ship, which gave me the opportunity to explain the mission of the Thomas Jefferson and the important work the crew does to create accurate nautical charts and ensure safe navigation. They both had said they had lived here all their lives and never saw a boat like that in the port or knew that the lake was not surveyed. After spending time with the crew, I found myself proudly talking about their work and the dedication it takes to accomplish such an important mission.
Mission Complete
I want to extend my sincere thanks to Commanding Officer Kidd and Executive Officer Duffy for welcoming me aboard and giving me the opportunity to be part of this incredible experience.
I also want to thank the entire crew for making me feel at home from day one. Everyone was so welcoming, patient, and willing to answer my endless questions. A special thank you goes to the survey technicians, who took the time to explain everything to me slowly and more than once when needed. Their patience and enthusiasm for their work made it easy to appreciate the science and technology behind every survey.
Chief Scientist Sarah Thompson explaining the Sea-Bird CTD proceedures
I also want to thank my roommate, Junior Officer Bridget Ruiz, for making life aboard so enjoyable. Thank you for your friendship, the great conversations, and for making me feel at home while we were at sea. Sharing this adventure with you made the experience even more memorable.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have been assigned to NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. I have a much deeper appreciation for the important work this crew does. More importantly, I am returning home excited to share what I have learned with my students. I hope that through these stories, they will discover careers they may have never considered and see that science can lead to adventures far beyond the classroom.
Fair winds and following seas, Thomas Jefferson. Thank you for an unforgettable journey.
Alright, it’s time for global drifter buoy #2, a.k.a. THE BUOYS, I am ready for you, class of 2027! This one is for the juniors rising up like the sun on the horizon at first light. We have made our way further north and back into Southern New England waters. This drifter was deployed at 39° 02.684’ N, 072° 43.098’ W
Shout Out Class of 2027
The Buoys Going Overboard, Mrs. LaMontewith Nick Vang (Survey Tech)
Science and Technology Log
Research
1- Humpback whale lunge feeding 2- Great Shearwater (Photo courtesy of Chief Scientist Audy Peoples) 3- South Polar Skua (Photo courtesy of Chief Scientist Audy Peoples) 4 – Common dolphin playing in the ship’s wake 5 – A tagged Great White shark I’ve been following near our ship https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/
Animal monitoring is an exciting part of life aboard our research vessel. It doesn’t take much to spark enthusiasm; an alert comes over the radio (not the loudspeaker because we don’t want to wake the sleeping crew!) about animals sighted near the boat, and the crew pops up to the deck (no, it’s not just Mrs. LaMonte), eager for a glimpse of these charismatic marine visitors. Nick Metheny is the dedicated observer for the Pisces on this cruise survey. He is observing and documenting from sunrise to sunset; that’s some dedication! Meanwhile, NOAA Corps officers on the bridge keep a steady, watchful eye to ensure we safely share these waters with much larger neighbors, including whales.
Nick Metheny is the protected species observer on this cruise
humpback whale was feeding right next to our ship during a station stop!
Beyond these spontaneous moments of excitement, Seabird and Marine Mammal Observers play a critical, structured role within our science team. From their perch on the Flying Bridge, they scan the horizon, tracking everything. Each sighting, species, group size, behavior and any photograph is carefully recorded and cataloged.
These data feed into long-term monitoring efforts, including AMAPPS (the Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species). Through this work, NOAA scientists are building a clearer picture of how whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and seabirds move through and rely on these waters. It’s rewarding to know that those thrilling, real-time sightings of these incredible animals are also contributing to critical research, helping us better understand and protect the vibrant marine life that makes every watch on deck feel a little bit magical.
Artem Dzhulai a Ph.D. candidate in biological oceanography at URI
You are likely familiar with the satellites of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), although high-tech, the satellites must be carefully validated. During the NOAA EcoMon cruise, we’re helping to ground-truth NASA’s PACE satellite, which monitors phytoplankton. Artem Dzhulai and Rowan Cirivello are Ph.D. candidates in biological oceanography who study how light interacts with the ocean. When the NASA satellite passes over our ship at noon, they deploy a radiometer to measure how light decreases through the water column.
Rowan Cirivello a Ph.D. candidate in biological oceanography at URI
They also collect water samples, either from CTD Rosette casts or the ship’s continuous water line system (more about that in the next blog). In the lab, the samples are filtered to separate particulate matter (such as plankton) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). This is done repeatedly for validation or “triplicates for particulates,” as Rowan puts it. These are analyzed with a spectrophotometer to determine how light and color vary in the water, with some samples sent directly to NASA.
Filter columns for particulates
Advances in technology now allow us to deploy sophisticated instruments that can continuously track individual organisms in the ocean. Two Imaging FlowCytoBots (IFCB) are being used to confirm accuracy. Inside the cylinder tanks, images of individual plankton are taken with thresholds set based on backscattering & fluorescence; for example, lower the threshold for pelagic water with fewer organisms and increase it for neritic (coastal) water with a higher abundance of organisms.
Images being captured in real time
Pair of flow cytobots
Look at how cool it is to see the phytoplankton in real-time!
With these tools, we are not just observing ecosystems, we are witnessing them unfold in real time, opening the door to deeper insight, discovery and innovation in marine science. Ultimately, this work improves our understanding of ocean health and could help fisheries identify productive ecosystems by tracking phytoplankton, the foundation of the marine food web.
Scientific Concepts
Below are some terms you may have learned in a science class before, but are key to understanding why the measurements are being collected as data for the EcoMon survey samples. These parameters, along with nutrients and oxygen, determine the types and abundance of plankton.
Calanus – genus of copepod, from 20 m bongo – Right whales love these! The darker green sections are oil sacs that provide the lipids.
Plankton – Don’t doubt the drifters, plankton run the world. Despite their name, rooted in the Greek planktos, meaning “wanderer” because they cannot swim against the current, these tiny powerhouses are anything but passive. They are dynamic, influential forces that quietly orchestrate life on a global scale. From fueling marine food webs to regulating the carbon cycle and even shaping weather patterns, plankton prove that impact isn’t about size, it’s about significance.
Euphausia – genus of krill, from 60 m bongo, I waited a week to find some large ones! These are 6 cm
Temperature, salinity and density vary with depth – below is a general graph of how scientists might expect parameters to change with depth. In addition to this general trend, scientists will layer in information about a specific location to account for variables such as bathymetry (underwater topography) and latitude. By understanding these general trends, they can determine when changes occur and how they may impact plankton.
Students completing a salinity lab, the “old-fashioned” evaporation way to obtain the mass of the salt (photo courtesy of York High School)
Conductivity (salinity) – Pure water conducts electricity very poorly. However, when salts such as sodium chloride (NaCl) dissolve, they dissociate into free-moving, charged ions that readily conduct an electric current. As a result, increasing salinity corresponds to higher electrical conductivity. A CTD instrument captures this relationship using a conductivity sensor, which measures how effectively the water transmits an electrical current, a direct reflection of its dissolved salt and ion content.
Fluorescence – Oceanographers rely on chlorophyll (a) fluorescence as a primary biological proxy to estimate phytoplankton concentration and biomass. Phytoplankton cells absorb blue light and re-emit the absorbed energy as red fluorescence (at around 685 nm), which can be efficiently measured and graphed.
Methodology
The Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) is an instrument with several physical and chemical sensors: pH, temperature, salinity, oxygen, depth, and fluorescence that collects data at every station from which we collected fisheries data. On the ship, there are two CTDs: one is attached between the bongos and one is attached at the bottom of the Rosette (a circular instrument with bottles for collecting water samples). Depending on the station’s criteria, both are sometimes deployed.
Rosette with CTD beneath Bongos with CTD between
For this instrument, the ship must be diligent in following protocol; one important job for the Able Body Deck Crew is getting the instrument into the water and maintaining the guidelines for the cable lines’ angle and depth. The NOAA Corps officers radio from the bridge, “10 minutes until bongo” (I have heard this 100’s of times) and the crew begins operations.
AB Fisherman Abe Sims & Junior Cornell (Chief Boatswain)
Deployment
Lift CTD into water.
Hold at Surface, to allow the CTD to stabilize, the crew receives instructions from the watch scientist for the depths.
Send CTD down to just above the sea floor.
The lab says “fire” to open the bottles.
Lab completes data collection before bringing it to the surface.
Collecting water samples from the cyclinders
In addition to deployment, there are two tasks for this instrument to be completed by the science team: monitoring its deployment in the lab as some data is transmitted instantly and retrieving the water samples that will be processed for additional lab data.
Open valves for the cylinder
Rinse sample bottle 3x
Filter water into the sample bottle for chlorophyll
Collect water in glassware for nutrient testing
This data is used alongside catch data collected from the bongos, allowing scientists to make connections between water quality and fish caught. While the relationship is complex, water quality and marine life abundance are directly related. Water quality and the survivability of marine species contribute to our economic, cultural and public health. This data can help identify potential threats and inform management plans for both water quality and targeted species.
Careers
For this post, I’ll highlight the possible certifications you would need to receive to be hired for these positions.
Boatswain AB-F Todd Fatkin
Boatswain – If you want to sail our oceans, getting to travel while you work and receive room & board. A typical pathway to becoming a boatswain with NOAA begins by entering the Professional Mariner workforce and building foundational maritime experience. Candidates are required to secure a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC). NOAA’s online job portal.
Assisting our dedicated observer
Protected Species Observer – If you love marine organisms! To serve as a steward of marine ecosystems, monitoring whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other protected species during NOAA operations. Provides real-time guidance to ship crews, to minimize environmental impact. You can travel the world, receive room & board then check out NOAA’s requirements.
First Light Over Atlantic Ocean
Personal Log
The science team on the bulletin board
My office view
The NOAA Ship Pisces has been so welcoming to me as I have become fully immersed in the ship’s daily routine. There is a bulletin board with pictures of the people currently onboard, you can see I am part of the science team, most of whom I have written about or will write about. They even posted a QR to my blog and some of the crew have read along and learned the details of some of the science being conducted onboard. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the FIRST LIGHT of the day! Just breathtaking. I feel like I am working and on vacation at the same time. For work, I bounce back and forth between washing bongo nets, writing the blog, posting student challenges on Instagram and watching for wildlife. Getting to see so many marine organisms, having delicious choices for breakfast/lunch (also good choices for dinner, but 3 am-3 pm shift, I am already in bed) ready for me and getting to do laundry while I work definitely feels like vacay mode.
Yummy dinner (stayed up past my bedtime)Washing laundryMy closet for the next couple of weeks
Did You Know?
That beautiful Caribbean blue water could be seen from the NASA satellites and it was caused by microscopic phytoplankton. Plankton, specifically phytoplankton, really are in charge! I actually pranked several students into thinking the ship was down in the islands.
Coccolithophore bloom
Coccolithophore bloom seen from satellite (screenshot of NASA Worldview)
Coccolithophores span a broad range of surface environments, from nutrient-rich (eutrophic) waters in temperate and subpolar regions to persistently nutrient-poor (oligotrophic) subtropical gyres. They contribute about 1–10% of primary production and phytoplankton biomass, with their share rising to ~40% during bloom conditions.
Coccolithophores are among the most significant pelagic calcifiers, producing large quantities of calcium carbonate. The shedding drives a sustained flux of carbonate to the deep ocean, supporting vertical gradients in seawater alkalinity and playing a key role in the carbonate pump. In addition, coccoliths enhance the sinking rate of organic matter and improve the efficiency of carbon export to depth. Over long timescales, this has contributed to the formation of a carbon sink; feedbacks between seafloor carbonate accumulation and the carbon cycle help stabilize Earth’s climate.
Not sweater weather, but fall is in the air, at least for now.
Final Blog and Reflection
This will be my last blog reflecting on and drifting in the Gulf. Due to getting caught up in the final moments at sea and reacclimatizing to land in Brooklyn, I’ve kept this blog at home. I had several colleagues and students asking about it.
By the time this is published, I will be behind the porthole of room 201 at New York Harbor School, a few weeks into the chaos.
Group photo of the day watch science team.
After my watch finished fishing, collecting data in the late evening hours of the 27th, I did some laundry and packed my bags. Yes, a whole day early; we still had more than 24 hours to get to Gulfport, Mississippi. Most people who were my shipmates didn’t live in the urban culture or environment. They were baffled by my intent on staying up late to do laundry, due to the desire not to bring home dirty clothes and take them to the laundromat.
Never got old, no filter. Taken with iPhone 16 Pro
Throughout my journey, I’ve mostly caught beautiful sunsets each evening during my shift, which didn’t get old.
I waited until the last day to wear my “Teacher at Sea” swag. Little do people know, I am superstitious. Even when I go to see my favorite bands, if I buy a t-shirt, I wait to wear it until after the three-day run or the tour is over, so I can’t ruin the vibes. Can’t represent until it’s over, and can’t sabotage the vibes.
Although I haven’t made it to the dock yet and stepped foot on land, the swag broke loose; fieldwork is over. So I thought. I didn’t expect to get dirty again on the 28th. However, the night crew was gracious enough to give me one more chance to collect and survey the Gulf. Photo op achieved, trying to study a tilefish that goes a little squirrelly. We also had an opportunity to see a shark – this survey hasn’t seen one in five years –roughskin spurdog, Cirrhigaleus asper.
Tossed the shirt on, last morning at sea. I have it under control, I promise.
My last two blogs were directly related to my own learning and gathering information to enhance the curriculum of the marine affairs program.
I untangle threads I’ve felt I was deficient in, traveling from a park ranger to the Marine Affairs instructor at New York Harbor School. The experience and the people I worked with, talked with, and learned from added a level to what I attempt to facilitate yearly. Like a puzzle, I had lost pieces too. More accurately, I never fully opened this puzzle. Glad I found the pieces.
As you can see from my last blog, I facilitate a fairly complex course for high school students. The content of the previous blog is what I try to reduce to 11th and 12th graders in some shape or form. It’s about to become more complicated due to this experience; more precise and methodical at the same time. More organized chaos coming your way.
I’ve seen every program offered at New York Harbor School on this ship. Most high school students have a hard time seeing several feet or years in front of them, and what these careers look like. I had no idea what I was doing when I went to college at 18, with aspirations to be a lawyer.
Crew on “Day Watch”
The projects on the ship I’ve been engaged in and the people I’ve been working with to do them, I can see our students at Harbor School pursuing. These insights help support them in following their passions and achieving them, including how to find them, how they evolve, and the resilience needed to try new things.
Often, pathways aren’t a straight line.
I know mine wasn’t. Like, what am I even doing on this ship in the Gulf of America, going back to teach Marine Affairs, Sustainability, and Urban Agriscience? It unfolded that way. Who knows what happens next with all the materials and networks I came back to New York City with? School starts on Sept. 2nd.
Science and TechnologyLog
The goal of the New York Harbor School Adopted drifters is to follow the Gulf Stream up to and around the Hudson Canyon. Can they make it?
The Gulf Stream is a powerful ocean current that transports water from the Gulf of Mexico up the U.S. coast, past North Carolina, and then heads northeast across the Atlantic. It carries an incredible amount of water—about 100 times more than all the world’s rivers combined!
This animation shows the Gulf Stream sending warm water to the North Atlantic Ocean, forcing colder water to sink and travel southward. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
A map of the Atlantic Ocean depicts the flow of the Gulf Stream current
This current plays a massive role in shaping the climate and the ocean, affecting our lives on land culturally, economically, and environmentally.
It keeps Florida’s east coast warm and even helps places like England stay milder than they would be otherwise. The Gulf Stream also supports marine life by moving fish species that people rely on for food and the fishing industry. For example, some highly migratory species I mentioned in my last blog travel all the way to the Hudson Canyon from the southeast.
The Hudson Canyon is a massive underwater valley and the biggest submarine canyon along the U.S. Atlantic coast. The Gulf Stream’s warm, salty water can flow into the Hudson Canyon, affecting its temperature, salinity, and the marine life that lives there.
Surface Temp by Month and Submarine Canyons Credit – Mid-Atlantic Data Portal
Another essential process associated with all this movement of water is ocean upwelling. When surface water gets pushed, for example, by wind action, deeper water rises to replace it. This deeper water is colder and packed with nutrients, which act like adding nutrients to a hydroponics tower, but for the ocean. Because of that, areas where upwelling occurs are usually some of the best fishing spots.
Diagram of ocean upwelling. Credit: oceanservice.noaa.gov.
Drifter Buoy
The Adopt-a-Drifter Program has been around since 2004 and offers teachers ways to engage students in ocean observations from their classroom. I was lucky enough to deploy two of these data-collecting drifter buoys. The first I deployed as we steamed out of Miami and around the Keys—the other I deployed in the Gulf, near the Eastern Loop Current. The drifters transmit real-time data on ocean observations. This piece of scientific equipment measures the surface temperature of the ocean and is designed to measure other variables on the open ocean.
Harbor School adopts two drifters
Fingers-crossed, our drifter buoys follow this stream from the southeast, into the Atlantic, and as far as it can go before washing up on a shore or becoming part of a marine habitat. They can last up to 450 days. We are about one to two weeks into this journey. Where will it go? Below is how Harbor School and Marine Affairs students can track.
Students are creating ArcGIS maps that predict its trajectory and data collection points. We will publish those at a late date.
The drifter is drifting.
This map shows the locations of each drifter buoy deployment and the Gulf Stream Credit: ArcGIS Online made by Rob
As the drifter moves around, guided by ocean currents, measurements of atmospheric pressure, winds, wave height, and salinity can be taken. This data is collected by sensors in the drifter and transmitted to overhead satellites. The tracking of the location of these drifters over time can aid scientists in profiling ocean currents and allow students to engage in this work as well. Students can follow the drifter through its currents, watching for variables that move its course and monitoring surface temperature.
Tagged and ready to deployGetting Ready to deploy
The design of the drifter is super important.
The instructions were rather hilarious, and they made me feel like one of my students. They were precise and instructed me not to touch anything or start fiddling with anything. They are delicately packed, ensuring safe deployment. A drifter’s drogue – a device that’s shaped in a sort of cone shape, also known as a sea anchor- extends 20 meters (or 65 feet) deep and is designed to move with the near-surface ocean currents. The drogue and surface float move together, connected by a long tether.
Unfortunately, Drifter One has not yet made contact with the satellite….
Psych, it just linked up late Monday evening, August 25th, 2025, after our second drifter linked. This shows that patience, experimentation, trial and error, and science are held in high regard. I had a fear; I just tossed this instrument into the ocean and missed the mark on collecting data. It is quickly moving up the Gulf Stream along the eastern Florida coast, and the temperature has been chiefly constant.
The info below is correct to when the drifter linked up for us to track it.
Drifter ID card for Drifter 1
Closer view of additional data in drifter ID card
Trajectory of Drifter 1 as of August 26
Drifting buoy location data is transmitted once per hour.
Sea Surface Temperature by location
Since my landing to shore and being back at school, the drifter has moved quite a bit.
This came online within a few days of launching it off the stern. It’s doing as we intended. Toss it near the Eastern Loop Current. Let it swirl around, and hopefully, it ends up in the loop and shoots back around the Keys and then shoots northward.
Info below is right when the drifter links up for us to track it.
Drifter ID card for Drifter 2
Closer view of additional data in drifter ID card
Trajectory of Drifter 2 as of August 26
Drifting buoy location data is transmitted once per hour
Sea Surface Temperature by location
Although this is still in the gulf, it seems to be doing as intended; joining the Gulf stream out of the loop.
Refer to this link to see real time data from our drifter at sea.
Students have already been tracking and have predicted where it’s going. They have done some lessons on currents, wind, and climate. The drifters are adding in that delivery. A prize will be awarded for the closest prediction.
Stations fisheries and CTD data collect in the first 2/3rds of the leg.
I want to preface this by saying that this instrument stressed me out. First, I kept saying “CDT”; that’s not what it’s called. In addition, it’s always good to put the watertight lid on the underwater camera.
The CTD instrument is a giant depth finder with several physical and chemical sensors – pH, temperature, salinity, oxygen, depth, fluorescence – that collects data at every station we collected fisheries data at throughout the Gulf. There are two main jobs to deploy this instrument: monitoring its deployment and retrieval, and then lab data collecting. However, in order for those tasks to be completed during stations, there is another widely important job done by the survey tech on board the Oregon II.
Preparing
Remove caps to sensors
Hook up camera
Hook up light
Remove pH sensor’s protective buffer solution
Make sure all water pathways are open
Preparing CTD
Deployment
Lift CTD into water.
Hold at Surface, to allow the CTD to stabilize.
Send CTD down to just above the sea floor.
Reach just above the sea floor.
Bring the unit back up to the surface.
Wait for the lab to complete data collection before bringing it to the surface.
Deploying the CTD
Cleaning CTD
Clean with Fresh water thoroughly
Take Camera and Light Off
Put caps on instruments and sensors
Put pH sensor in buffer solution
Cleaning the CTD
Data Collection & Review
Data Collected from CTD Deployment
This data is used alongside catch data collected on the fisheries surveys, allowing scientists to make connections between water quality and fish caught. This data can be used in stock assessments.
Water quality and marine life abundance is directly related; complexly I might add. Water quality and the survivability of marine species contributes to our economic, cultural, and public health.
Monitoring water quality at the stations that fisheries data is collected, aids in determining the complex factors of species abundance and health. Moreover, these data points can help determine potential threats and aid in management plans for both water quality and targeted species.
Career Pathways Blog
I just want to preface that I didn’t speak to everyone on the ship for an extended interview on career paths in these fields. The goal of outlining the people below is to offer insight into what deck, below deck and science teams do on a research vessel supported by NOAA. As they call them, the “white ships.” This aspect of the trip is invaluable information for students at New York Harbor School. There were so many people I won’t get to highlight in this final blog that are part of the team.
James, the junior engineer, shared a stateroom with me.
Due to our shift times and structure, often I wouldn’t see some people. Sort of like two ships passing in the night. For example, near the end of my journey, was the first time I spoke to my roommate for more than two minutes at 12am. I had all intentions of getting up earlier to chat with people, but to be honest, I was waking up at 10am each day. Unlike my usual 4 am wake up in Brooklyn.
James – my roommate – is a junior engineer on the ship. Engineers have a variety of roles on a vessel at sea. Long story short, they keep it moving and operational. I was nervous to bother James, even though he was one the most approachable people I’ve met. Didn’t wanna be the Teacher at Sea that kept the ship from being monitored.
James had the most fascinating story and traveled from New Orleans to Seattle, to Hawaii and now Mississippi; working on several different ships in the NOAA fleet. I am so grateful for him welcoming me into his space – a space that he and another NOAA fleet member share, James is regular on the Oregon II – being so kind, helpful, supportive, and considerate to me being foreign to this whole experience. We gave each other space, respected our shifts, our sleep, in passing had a laugh or two, and got to know each other in the time we had. He found out I danced, and we had a love for famous tap dancers from the 90s.
He liked the room warm, I liked it cold. Which is funny, because generally I don’t like the AC, but it was a hot one on the Gulf for sure while pulling up those longlines. I froze him out, and he sweated me out. This is a joke, it was a funny occurrence between us, and got us talking. Mainly, because I didn’t know how to change the temp, nor wanted to touch anything and break anything. Always good to ask for help when needed.
I wish I had more time to chat it up, but from what I gather, engineers on shift got some things to do. But glad we got some time near the end of the mission to get to know each-other. We are now facebook friends and look forward to staying connected.
Part of living on a ship with people, particularly strangers, is empathetic communication. Advice to young people, you never know who you are similar too, and share interests with until you talk to them, and give them time to tell their story.
Below are people who took 45 minutes or more to chat with me on their pathway to Oregon II. We sat and had a conversation, it wasn’t formal, and I took notes. I wanted our conversations to be organic, and I had a hard time not relating to everyone I talked to. I had to keep myself from chiming in and telling my story. Below is what they do, how they got there, the greatest part of the job, toughest part of the job and what they do in their off time. You will see some differences and similarities among them all.
Anyone seeking careers on and for the ocean, these are good perspectives to consider.
Gretchen – Senior Survey Technician
Gretchen hanging with a remora fish
Gretchen manages all weather and oceanographic sensors on the ship, ensuring data accuracy across the board. It sounds simple, but as I learned, it takes specialized skills. She holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a Certificate in Environmental Science from Florida Atlantic University.
Gretchen’s journey in marine biology began at community college, with aspirations to work on white sharks. She interned in South Africa and studied in Florida, returning to Africa for shark ecotourism. She volunteered on sea turtle nesting and worked with the American Shark Conservancy, later studying blacktip shark migration. After COVID disrupted her master’s plans, she worked in the Everglades and pursued water quality initiatives, eventually becoming a survey technician at NOAA after multiple applications.
I first met Gretchen right after checking into my stateroom. Before we even left the dock, she was walking me through the CTD instrument.
We share a common thread—school wasn’t easy, and people told us to pick an easier path. Well, she made it to sea, and I made it as a teacher.
Advice? Compete with yourself, that’s what matters.
Her most important tool? A multimeter—she does a lot of electrical work to keep instruments running. She also blends her love for sharks with water quality research.
The hardest part of her job? Is balancing time at sea with a social life.
Off duty? She’s a beach bum, into arts and crafts, and a big fan of death metal.
Will Tilley – Earth and Resources Technology Contractor on Fisheries Surveys
Will doing what he loves
Will assists with running longline surveys as a contractor for NOAA through Earth and Resources Technology. His role covers everything from prepping gear, coordinating volunteers, and collecting data during surveys, to processing the results afterward.
His passion for the ocean began at a young age when he visited NOAA’s lab in Pascagoula during a marine biology class. Inspired by the experience, he volunteered and demonstrated persistence in pursuing his goals, highlighting the importance of first impressions and networking. After joining a summer longline survey as a volunteer, he was invited back for more roles while still in school. Following some life changes, he returned to education and completed his B.S. in Marine Biology at the University of Southern Mississippi during the COVID pandemic. He gained valuable experience at the Gulf Coast Research Lab, working his way up from a research tech to positions in gillnetting, trawling, and plankton research, ultimately developing a love for juvenile fish studies and genetics projects.
His advice? Keep an open mind. Tunnel vision won’t get you far in this competitive field. Passion matters more than money, and persistence pays off.
His most important tools? Identification guides and fish ID charts—essential for accurate data collection.
The best part of the job? Is getting paid to do what he loves.
The hardest part of his job? Working in the heat and being away from family and the farm for months at a time.
Off duty? When he’s not at sea, he’s on the farm in Mississippi—a place he grew up and now manages. He loves fishing, hunting, and being outdoors. And if marine biology hadn’t worked out, teaching would have been his next path—sharing his love for the ocean with others.
Josh – Chief Bosun
Josh is the Chief Bosun on the Oregon II. Josh was somebody I talked with frequently on the trip. He was a wealth of information, and experience, and never turned down an opportunity to teach the Teacher at Sea.
Never misses a sunset in the Gulf.
Josh earned a degree in Marine Biology and started his career as a fishery observer in Alaska and the Gulf of America. “He started his career with NOAA as a contractor, collecting biological data on commercial fishing vessels. This job eventually led him to the Oregon II, where he was involved in a project that taught AI to identify fish caught on the NOAA SEAMAP groundfish survey.” As a fishery observer, he collected data on commercial boats, often spending up to 45 days at sea. Inspired by fellow NOAA staff who transitioned from observation to careers within NOAA, he pursued this path. Eventually, he became chief bosun, managing operations, overseeing the deck department, handling inventory, and serving as a liaison to maintain the chain of command.
His advice? He emphasizes the importance of being specific about your goals and pursuing them fully. Combining passion, skill, and opportunity can make a dream job a reality.
Favorite part of his job? Josh loves being on the water—the sunsets, the freedom, and the chance to fish whenever possible. Ideally, he’d like to sail and fish without working for anyone, but NOAA offered a way to combine his passion for the ocean with his science degree, even when not directly on the science team.
Toughest part of the job? His role required both planning and flexibility, because life on the water is full of unexpected challenges.
If it moves and shouldn’t? duct tape, if it doesn’t move and it should? PB Blaster
Off duty? Fishing on his off time gives him a sense of peace and escape from the world. He literally gets right on his boat after he gets back on land from the surveys.
Amy – Rotating Engineer
Amy was given a shot at the hook.
Amy is a Junior Unlicensed QMED who took the “hawsepiper” route—a non-maritime path into the work. She manages and maintains the ship’s engineering systems, including propulsion, electricity, potable water, toilets, lighting, and hydraulic equipment, ensuring the vessel can operate and the mission can happen. On NOAA diving ships, she’s also involved in hull husbandry and underwater maintenance.
Amy has a degree in Marine Biology and enhanced her skills through scuba diving. She obtained a captain’s license and has a strong connection to boats from her upbringing in the Outer Banks and New Hampshire. Recognizing vessels as vital for marine education, she gained experience working on yachts and leading expeditions before joining research vessels at NOAA, where there is a high demand for QMED positions.
Her Advice? Take the fantasy out of the idea and pursue the idea.
Her most important tool? A flashlight—for scanning and emergencies.
The most challenging part of the job? Understanding that machines have their own ways of working, and humans influence them. Balancing that dynamic requires clear communication and patience.
Off duty? Amy loves Frisbee, sailing, and swimming, and she encourages everyone to sail at least once. Her advice: never say no to opportunities. Research vessel work isn’t always glamorous—some tasks are more fun than others—but everything contributes toward the mission. She emphasizes removing fantasy from expectations and focusing on the experience itself.
Kristin – Fisheries Biologist and Survey Party ( Acting) Chief
Kristin measuring length of shark
Kristin is currently serving as the Field Party Chief (FPC) on this survey leg, coordinating logistics and ensuring the science team has everything needed to run the survey. She organizes the crew, manages tools, and liaises between operations and deck teams, adjusting stations as sampling dynamics require, and acts as the day watch lead. On other legs, she has also led night watches.
Offshore, Kristin manages the year-round logistics of the longline survey, reviewing and merging data to ensure accuracy after long days at sea. She contributes to SEDAR stock assessments for the Southeast, collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure that survey operations run smoothly.
Kristin’s early fascination with marine life was sparked by watching Jaws, which led her to extensively read about sharks and cultivate a passion for the ocean. Inspired by a high school biology teacher, she pursued a degree in biology and a chemistry minor at Virginia Tech. Her practical experience includes work at a biological field station, various tech roles in marine mammal research, internships focused on sharks in Panama City, volunteering on the Oregon II, and contributing to NOAA projects during the oil spill response. These experiences enhanced her appreciation for applied science and NOAA’s mission-driven initiatives.
Her Advice? Cooperation, patience, and interpersonal skills are essential for navigating life at sea and on land.
Best part of the job? She enjoys the excitement of surveys—there’s always the chance to encounter something new at sea.
Most important tools? Zip ties and duct tape, plus a positive attitude.
The toughest part of the job? Is being away for extended periods at sea and navigating the many stakeholders in the world of fisheries surveys.
Umbrellas for Mardi Gras made by Kristin
Off duty? Kristin enjoys Mardi Gras, crafting glittery projects, baking (including sourdough), and attending live music events. She’s honest about the competitive nature of the field, emphasizing that pursuing a career in marine science requires determination, flexibility, and the willingness to accept that things don’t always go as expected.
Personal Log
This will probably be one of my last blogs floating and rolling in the Gulf. Moreover, it’s also in part reflecting a week after I returned. School has started, and I’ve already started using things I’ve gained – both professionally and personally – while being a Teacher at Sea.
Students are predicting buoy movementDay two of class already. by the water.
I was pampered with bright skies and calm seas 90% of the time. It got a little rocky for a few days but I was able to utilize my sea legs. As this journey unfolded it reminded me of living in New York City. Although it’s a vast city, we are kind of all on top of each other trying to make it through the day with a mission ahead of us. Being at sea taught me to be humble, and grateful. Not that I wasn’t before, but it made me cherish it. There was a calmness at sea, despite the short stint of the rolling waves and the ship swaying. I know what people meant, when they said they loved doing what they do. Although being at sea, away from people on land, the work of this ship has an organized chaos that brings peace to one’s soul.
We can learn a lot from the white ships.
Especially with those that are doing it because of NOAA’s mission and goals. Its been interesting describing my experience. I feel people want me to complain or describe how hard it was to be in the Gulf; in the heat, on a ship, doing something I never did before, with strangers, fishing for sharks, handling sharks, and the list can go on. But to be honest, it wasn’t hard at all. It is, but it isn’t.
One last sunset, and still learning.
Yes all those things are hard but it all makes sense why they have teachers go on these missions. We have a growth mindset, or most of us do, to keep learning and challenging ourselves to evolve with the times. I’ve been teaching for 13 years. If I don’t change, my students will suffer. Just like communities at sea on Oregon II, we need to work together and communicate. Especially, when a larger mission is at stake like NOAA’s.
Not a Real Shark
This experience at sea reminds me of teaching; you need to be able to change, adapt, and be teachable. To be honest, my observation is, being on the ship in the middle of the Gulf, everyone needs to be like that. As I said in one of my earlier blogs, we can learn lots of things from people who work on the NOAA “white ships.” That mindset can translate. Nothing says, flexible, compassionate and approachable like people on a ship together for a couple of weeks monitoring our natural resources. Anything can happen and you need to be prepared for it. This experience reminded me of commuting by bike to work. You can get comfortable, but the world says, slow down and pay attention. Anything can happen at sea, anything can happen on land. Pays to be kind, teachable and adaptable. This experience reminded me of that motto.
It’s been a challenge. A challenge well expected, welcomed and enjoyable. I think that’s one thing I would like to impart from my blogs, to my colleagues and students. Never turn down opportunities to learn, we don’t know it all, and you don’t know where experiences could take you. This was hard but an open-mind and humility made it easier.
Final Station of Fishing
This journey has continued my route I’ve been engaged in for the last few years. I was asked to start a course at New York Harbor School, and experiences like these enhance myself as an educator and the community I serve. Hopefully, this journey hooks some folks – colleagues and students – to be inspired like I have throughout this journey. Moreover, I’m looking forward to reading next year’s Teacher at Sea blogs.
Hooking experiences and the longline
I welcome any chance to do this again. I wonder if my students would jump at the chance?
Full transparency and sort of tells the whole story of these blogs; trying to reach students with valuable information for their future and interests. Moreover, this experience strengthened my knowledge and skills to do so. The video has been edited. I missed catching the long line with the grappling hook a few times. Don’t believe all the pictures and videos. Beyond the photos are people trying and often failing. The best way to learn something is by doing and learning from others. We all make mistakes, and it’s not the end of the world. However, at sea, although mistakes happen, it’s a time of reflection because sometimes when doing science on a ship at sea, it is best not to make mistakes. I made mistakes while on the trip, I asked for help and guidance.
Final words for students:
Fear isn’t always a bad thing if its coupled with an attitude of open-mindedness and a teachable attitude. Like Amy said, take the fantasy out of the idea.
You are asking great questions. Answers are in the blogs; if I missed them, I will answer in class.
Teacher at Sea; on land and on bike with students mapping climate issues and solutions. Photo courtesy of New York Harbor School.
Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 2)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast
Date: July 3, 2025
Weather Data from the Bridge
7 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time
Currently, the air temperature is 14.3°C (57.7°F). The wind speed is 8.2 knots.
Science and Technology Log
These are some of the people in my new neighborhood! There are many different jobs and career titles on board NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada. It is an interesting learning experience investigating the human work that goes on at sea. The ship occupations are broken down into the following categories: science, engineering, ship management, NOAA Corps, survey technology, electronics, and stewarding. Today, I will be writing about the scientists.
Science
On the science side, many different scientists are doing fascinating work on board. Here I will review just a few. Many of the scientists have PhDs and work in the exact field they researched in their graduate studies. Sabrina, Zach, and Melissa are fish biologists. They work directly in the lab, counting, dissecting, and investigating the health, population, and biology of the fish.
Sabrina, Fish BiologistZach, BiologistMelissa, Fish Biologist and Project Coordinator
Most of their work on this voyage is focused on two different types of fish populations: hake, and coastal pelagic species (CPS) (which include Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel, Jack Mackerel, Northern Anchovy, Market Squid, and Krill.)
In addition to the biologists, we have a research economist, a software engineer, and a satellite oceanographer on board. These three scientists have volunteered to be on the ship for both the adventure and to get a better understanding of how their work combines with other NOAA research.
Phoebe, Research EconomistCara, Satellite OceanographerMelina, Software Engineer
For example, Melina helped expand, adapt, and add functionality to a computer program called CLAMS: Catch Logger for Acoustic Midwater Surveys. The scientists work with this program in the wet lab to capture and record important data about the fish populations they are studying.
Homescreen for the CLAMS computer program
Personal Log
On the first day at sea, we practiced safety drills for fire/emergency and for the unusual occurrence of having to abandon ship. Being able to put on a survival suit is critical to an individual’s safety in the event of having to enter the water because it will protect them from hypothermia. In these photos, our crew is on deck and practicing drills to get into the survival suit. It is a bit like trying to put a chicken into a prom dress, but I managed to get it on with a little help and instructions from my crewmates.
Jojo works on getting her left arm into the survival suit
Next step is the hood…
Ta da!
Did You Know?
On board the NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada, there is a specialized acoustics lab that plays a vital role in scientific research. Currently, this lab is actively collecting meteorological, geophysical, and biological data from along the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Meteorological data includes information about weather conditions, such as wind patterns, temperature, and atmospheric pressure. Geophysical data refers to the physical characteristics of the seafloor, including its composition, structure, and topography. Meanwhile, biological data focuses on the living organisms found in this underwater environment—particularly the fish species being studied. Together, this data provides crucial information concerning the ocean’s dynamic systems that propel scientific work.
Biological data is especially essential for the scientists aboard the NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada. To collect this information, the ship uses sound waves that are sent down into the water to detect fish. When these sound waves encounter schools of fish, they bounce back and generate an image on a monitor. Chief Scientist Rebecca Thomas explains that this process is similar to the echolocation used by dolphins to navigate and locate food in the ocean.
Expanding on this, research fish scientist Steve De Blois describes how the resulting acoustic map helps identify different species. For example, hake appear as a green, wavy snake deep in the epipelagic, or sunlight zone; rockfish resemble haystacks near the seafloor; and coastal pelagic species (CPS) show up as a red ball closer to the surface.
Since the Shimada is focused on fish research, the scientists rely heavily on this acoustic technology to locate and study their target species with precision.
Mission: Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) Survey (Leg 3 of 5) Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean off the Northern California Coast working north back toward coastal waters off Oregon. Date: Friday, August 4, 2023
Weather Data from the Bridge Sunrise 0614 | Sunset 2037 Current Time: 0700 (7am Pacific Daylight Time) Lat 43 16.7 N, Lon 124 38.0 W Visibility: 10 nm (nautical miles) Sky condition: partly cloudy Wind Speed: 5 knots Wind Direction: 030° Barometer: 1020.3 mb Sea Wave height: 1 ft | Swell: 340°, 1-2 ft Sea temp: 13.7°C | Air Temp: 16.2°C
Science and Technology Log
On Wednesday night I stayed up to participate in the first CTD cast of the evening. What is a CTD? The short version: a water sample collection to measure conductivity, temperature, and depth. eDNA information is also collected during the CTD casts.
The longer version: As is true of all operations, all departments collaborate to get the science done. The bridge delayed casting due to erratic behavior from marine traffic in the area. When that vessel moved away, the deck crew got busy operating the crane that lowered the CTD unit to 500 meters. The Survey Technicians, along with the Electronics Technician, had just rebuilt the CTD unit days before, due to some hardware failures at sea. The eDNA scientist prepared the Chem Lab for receiving samples that would confirm the presence of hake as well as other species.
When I arrived, Senior Survey Technician Elysha Agne was watching a live feed of the sensors on the CTD unit. Agne explained what was happening on the feed: There are two sensors per item being tested, then both sensors are compared for reliability of the data. There is one exception: A dual channel fluorometer, which gauges turbidity and fluorescence (which measures chlorophyll). Turbidity spikes toward the bottom in shallow areas due to wave action. Salinity is calculated by temperature and conductivity. Sometimes there are salinity spikes at the surface, but it’s not usually “real data” if just one sensor spikes. The CTD unit is sent down to 500 meters as requested by scientists. Measurements and water collection occur at 500, 300, 150 and 50 meters. The number of CTDs allocated to a transect line varies according to how many nautical miles the line is. For example, multiple readings at the 500 meter mark may be taken on a line. CTD casts west of the one done at the 500m depth contour are spaced every 5 nm apart. Scientists are not currently taking CTD samples beyond the ocean bottom’s 1500m contour line.
The main “fish,” called an SBE 9plus, has calibrated internal pressure. As it descends you can tell the depth the “fish” is at. Sea-Bird Electronics (the origin of the SBE acronym) manufactures the majority of scientific sensors used on board, with the exception of meteorological sensors. The Seabird deck box (computer) is connected to the winch wire. The winch wire is terminated to a plug that is plugged into the main “fish.”
The other day, the termination failed. Termination means the winch wire is cut, threaded out, and the computer wire plugged into the winch wire. The spot it’s terminated can be exposed to damage if internal wires aren’t laid flat. Tension and tears may occur anyway because it’s a weak point. The plug on the main “fish” where the winch wire cable connects broke too, so the whole CTD had to be rebuilt. The “Chinese finger,” the metal spiral that pulls the load of the CTD on the winch wire, was also defective, so modifications were made.
Broken plug on the “fish.”What you need for a moisture proof seal (electrical insulating compound).Niskin bottles in a pile while CTD unit is rebuilt.Termination failure.The main “fish” that the sensors are attached to..
When the CTD is at the target depth, Agne presses a button in the chem lab that logs a bunch of meteorological and location data. She remotely “fires” a bottle which sends a signal to the “cake” that sits on top of the CTD. The signal is an electric pulse to release a magnet that holds the niskin bottle open. If it pops correctly, water is sealed inside. Since two bottles of water were requested at each depth, a second signal is sent to the second bottle. There are 12 niskin bottles on the CTD “carousel.” After two were done at 500 m, the winch operator takes the CTD unit up to 300 m; Agne fires two more bottles there, then two more bottles at 200 m, 150 m, and 50 m. About two and a half liters of water are taken per bottle.
Samantha Engster, eDNA Scientist
Once the CTD unit returned to the surface, I got to help “pop the nipples” on the bottles to release the water into plastic bags. Back in the Chem Lab, eDNA Scientist, Samantha Engster, pours the water through a filter 1 micron thin. The filter is then folded in half and placed in a vial of Longmire’s solution until the eDNA can be analyzed in a lab back on land. Microscopes are not used for DNA analysis. Phenol-chloroform is used to remove proteins from nucleic acids. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique is then used to perform gene expression. This is the third hake survey that has been done in conjunction with eDNA analysis.
While the CTD “fish” and all its sensors are collecting oceanographic data, Engster collects environmental data from the water samples. Surface water samples are also taken at the underway seawater station courtesy of a pump hooked up near one of the chem lab sinks. The eDNA verifies abundance and distribution of hake. When information from these water samples is partnered with data from the echo sounders, and “ground-truthed” with physical hake bodies in the net, the data set is strengthened by the diverse tests.
The CTD unit fixed and ready for the next deployment. Sensors reattached to the “fish.”The “cake” that sits on top of the unit that seals off the water samples.
Career Feature
Note: A handful of the people I have met aboard are experienced “Observers.” NOAA contracts with companies that deploy observers trained as biological technicians. Find out more here.
Engineers Evan McNeil (Right), and Evan Thomas (Left).
Evan McNeil & Evan Thomas, Engineers
Give us a brief job description of what you do on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
Evan M. I’m a manager over our engineers. Below me is the second engineer. We have three third engineers, a junior engineer, and an oiler, also called a GVA (General Vessel Assistant), or wiper. I set the pace of work everyday. I assign all the jobs. Traditionally the Engine Department is under the First Engineer, but technically the Engine Room is mine. The Chief Engineer and the Captain (NOAA Corps Commanding Officer in this case) are in charge of the safety of the whole ship. The Chief Engineer also directs jobs to me that need to get done and I’ll delegate those jobs out.
Evan T. Third Assistant Engineer, soon to be Second. I mostly fix stuff that is broken.
What’s your educational background?
Evan M. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Engineering Technology with a minor in marine science from California Maritime Academy. I grew up near Bodega Bay, so my background is oriented toward the ocean. I really enjoy it.
Evan T. Graduated from Cal Maritime, 2019. I grew up in Southern California, Redlands, a desert that somehow grows oranges. I applied to all the engineering schools in California, and Cal Maritime was one of the few that replied back. I said “Yeah, I could see myself doing this.” And here I am! What do you enjoy most about your work?
Evan M. I enjoy who I work with. It makes work go by quickly. I enjoy our schedule and our time off. This is what I enjoy about my NOAA job and about sailing jobs in general. Shore leave is a type of leave. There’s also annual leave and sick leave. We call it going on rotation or off rotation. Off rotation is usually for a month, and on rotation is usually two months. Every ship is different but that’s how it is for the Shimada, a two-on, one-off schedule. If you talk to other sailors they’ll tell you ratios for time on and time off. For example, I did Leg 2 of the hake survey, I’m on Leg 3, and then I’m off.
Evan T. Learning new equipment, new ways to do things.
What advice do you have for a young person interested in ocean-related careers?
Evan M. If you are interested in going straight to being an officer, I would go straight to a maritime academy. It’s a very niche thing to know about. No one knows what they want to do at 19. NOAA’s always hiring. If you are interested in being an engineer, you start out as a wiper, then you can work your way up in the engineering department pretty easily.
Evan T. Imagine being stuck in an office and you can’t go home for a month. Find something that will distract you when you are out on the ocean for weeks at a time. Hang out with people, play games, read a book. You have to be ready to fight fires, flooding, that sort of thing.
If you could invent a tool to make your work more efficient—cost is no concern, and the tool wouldn’t eliminate your job—what would it be and why?
Evan M. A slide that goes from the bridge to the engineering operations deck.
Evan T. I would go for an elevator on the ship.
Do you have a favorite book?
Evan M. Modern Marine Engineering volume 1
Evan T. My 5th grade teacher wrote their own book that I found entertaining. I also liked Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain.
Vince Welton, Electronics Technician
Vince Welton
Give us a brief job description of what you do on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
I’m an electronic technician. I deal with everything that has to do with electronics, which includes: weather, navigation, radars, satellite communications, phone systems, computers, networking, and science equipment. All the ancillary stuff that doesn’t have to do with power or steering. Power and steering belongs to the engineers. What’s your educational background?
When I was in high school my father had an electronics shop and I worked with him. He was career Air Force and an electronics technician as well. My senior year of high school I was also taking night classes at a college in Roseburg, Oregon in electronics. I joined the U.S. Air Force and was sent off to tech school and a year’s worth of education in electronics. Then there was a lot of learning on the job in electronic warfare. I worked on B52s. I was a jammer. In order to learn that you had to learn everybody else’s job. That’s what makes mine so unique. You had to learn radio, satellite, early warning radar, site-to-site radar, learning what other people did so I could fix what was wrong with their electronic tools. I went from preparing for war to saving the whales, so to speak. Saving the whales is better!
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy the difficulty of the problems. We’re problem solvers.
What are the challenges of your work?
Problems you can’t fix! That’s what disturbs a technician the most, not being able to solve a problem.
What advice do you have for a young person interested in ocean-related careers?
The sciences are important no matter what you do. Having curiosity is the biggest thing. My hope is that education systems are realizing the importance of teaching kids how to think. Young people need to grow the ability to ask questions, instead of just providing answers.
If you could invent a tool to make your work more efficient—cost is no concern, and the tool wouldn’t eliminate your job—what would it be and why?
I think AI has phenomenal potential, but it’s a double-edged sword because there’s a dark side to it as well.
Do you have a favorite book?
The Infinity Concerto, by Greg Bear The Little Book of String Theory, by Steven S. Gubser
What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen at sea?
Actually seeing a whale come out of the water is probably the coolest thing. Watching that enormous tonnage jumping completely out of the ocean. If you look out the window long enough and you’ll see quite a few things.
Markee Meggs, Able Bodied Seaman
Markee Meggs
Give us a brief job description of what you do on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
I’m an AB, or Able Bodied Seaman. The job looks different on different ships. On the Shimada I stand watch and look for things that don’t show up on radar. Most ships you drive—only NOAA Corps Officers drive on the Shimada—I can drive rescue boats, tie up the ship, and do maintenance on the outside. I’m a crane operator. On a container ship you make sure the refrigerated containers are fully plugged in. On a refueling ship (tanker) you hookup fuel hoses. Crowley is a major tanker company. On RoRo ships (roll on, roll off) you work with ramps for the vehicle decks, transporting cars from overseas.
AB is a big job on a cruise ship. I did one trip per year for three years, then got stuck on one during the pandemic in 2020. On the cruise ship you stand watch, do maintenance, paint, tie up the ship, drive the ship. There’s even “pool watch” where you do swimming pool maintenance. You also assist with driving small boats and help guests on and off during a port call.
I’m a member of SIU (Seafarers International Union) and work as an independent contractor for NOAA. I like the freedom of choosing where I go.
What’s your educational background?
I’m from Mobile, Alabama. I spent four years in the Navy (my grandad served on submarines during World War Two), one year in active Navy Reserves, then eight years as a contractor supporting the Navy with the Military Sealift Command. I spent a year as a crane operator in an oceaneering oil field, and have an Associate’s Degree in electrical engineering. On the oil field job we used an ROV to scope out the ocean floor first. After identifying a stable location I laid pipe with the crane, and took care not to tip over the boat in the process! My first NOAA ship was the Rainier, sailing in American Samoa.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I most enjoy meeting different types of people. Once you’ve been to a place you have friends everywhere. I also love to travel—seeing different places. It’s a two-for-one deal because once you’ve finished with the work you are in an amazing vacation place.
What advice do you have for a young person interested in ocean-related careers?
If ships interest you, do the Navy first. They pay for training, and your job is convertible. Becoming a merchant mariner is easier with Navy experience than coming straight off the street. There is a shortcut to becoming a merchant mariner, but you’ll have to pay for classes. Finally, always ask questions! Yes, even ask questions of your superiors in the Navy.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen at sea?
The coolest things I’ve seen at sea have been the northern lights in Alaska, whales, volcanic activity, and rainbow-wearing waterfalls in Hawaii.
Do you have a favorite book?
Some of my favorite books are Gifted Hands, and Think Big, both by Ben Carson. Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story was turned into a film with Cuba Gooding Jr in 2009. Another book that made an impression was Mastery, by Robert Greene. Its overarching message is “whatever you do, do well.”
Julia Clemons, FEAT Team Lead
Julia Clemons
Give us a brief job description of what you do on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
I am the Team Lead of the FEAT (Fisheries Engineering and Acoustic Technologies) Team with the NWFSC (Northwest Fisheries Science Center). The primary mission of our team is to conduct a Pacific hake biomass survey in the California Current ecosystem and the FEAT team was born specifically to take on that mission from another science center. The results of this survey go into the stock assessment for managing the fishery. Fisheries and Oceans Canada are partners in this survey. Hake takes you down many paths because their diet and habitat are tied to other species. For example, krill are a major prey item in the diet of hake, so understanding krill biomass and distribution is important to the hake story as well. Rockfish also have an affinity for a similar habitat to hake in rockier areas near the shelf break, so we use acoustics and trawling to distinguish between the two.
What’s your educational background?
My undergraduate degree from University of Washington was in geological oceanography. I began with NOAA in 1993 and worked for the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory’s Vents program to study hydrothermal systems. This involved a diverse team of scientists: chemical and physical oceanographers, biologists, and geologists. I got my Master’s in Geology at Vanderbilt but shifted to NOAA Fisheries in 2000 working in the Habitat Conservation and Engineering (HCE) Program where we looked at habitat associations of rockfish. We looked at ROV and submersible video of the rocky banks off Oregon to identify fish and their geological surroundings. The HCE program shifted its focus to reducing bycatch by experimenting with net modifications and I moved to the FEAT team.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I think one of the most important components of Team Lead is to be a supporter—supporting the facilitation of good science, supporting people. I also think about what I can do to support the overall mission of NOAA Fisheries. That’s my favorite thing, supporting others. I love when the focus is not on me!
What advice do you have for a young person interested in ocean-related careers?
Think about ways you can put yourself in the right place at the right time. Ask about volunteer opportunities. Ask questions, explore, think about what you want to do and look at people who are doing that—ask them how they got to that position.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen at sea?
When I was with the NOAA Vents group in 1994 I got to go to the bottom of the seafloor in the submersible Alvin. I was in there for nine hours with one other scientist and Alvin’s pilot. You think you’re going to know what it looks like, because you’ve seen video, and you think you’re going to understand how it feels, but then you get down there and everything is bigger, more beautiful, in all its variation and glory. We navigated to a mid-ocean ridge system that had an eruption the year previously. There was bright yellow sulfur discharge on black basalt rocks… after all those hours looking at ROV video, to see it in person through the porthole was incredible.
Do you have a favorite book?
The 5 AM Club, by Robin Sharma. I’m a morning person, and this book lays out how to structure those early hours and set you up for a successful day. When I was little I loved The Little Mermaid story by Hans Christian Anderson—the original, not the Disney version. I grew up in Vancouver, Washington and was always asking my parents, “Can we go to the beach?”
Taxonomy of Sights
Day 11. Three lampreys in the bycatch! Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus). Day 12. Blue Whales! I guess they read my blog post about the Gordon Lightfoot song. What may have been a blue shark came up near the surface, next to the ship. Strange creatures from the deep in the bycatch: gremlin looking grenadier fish. Day 13. Pod of porpoises seen during marine mammal watch.
Blue Whale. Photo by Nick Metheny, marine mammal and bird observerGrenadier Fish
You Might Be Wondering…
How often are safety drills?
Weekly drills keep all aboard well-practiced on what to do in case of fire, man overboard, or abandon ship. Daily meetings of department heads also address safety. One activity of monthly safety meetings is to review stories of safety failures on other ships to learn from those mistakes. Each time a member of NOAA Corps is assigned a new tour at sea they must complete a Survival-at-Sea course. The Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring division (FRAM) also requires yearly Sea Safety Training for the scientists. “Ditch Kits,” found throughout the ship, contain: a rescue whistle, leatherman, food rations & water, and emergency blankets. Additionally, there are multiple navigation and communication tools in the ditch kit: a traditional compass, a handheld Garmin GPS, a boat-assigned PLB (personal locator beacon) registered with the Coast Guard, and a VHF radio with battery backup providing access to marine channel 16.
After a tour of the engine rooms, I learned that the diesel engines also have built in Emergency Diesel Generators (EDG). If you look up at the lights on the mess deck you’ll see some of the light fixtures have a red and white “E” next to them. This label indicates which would be powered by the generators, and which would not.
An individual Personal Locator Beacon is also assigned–in addition to ditch kit and lifeboat supplies. Teacher at Sea Gapp, trying on an immersion suit.
Floating Facts
The NOAA Corps is not a part of a union, however there are unions that advocate for other NOAA employees. Licensed engineers are a part of MEBA, The Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association. Non-licensed positions are represented by SIU, Seafarers International Union. Both of these unions are a part of AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the U.S.
I had been curious whether there was a database that housed an inclusive list of NOAA Fisheries field research, and NOAA did not disappoint. You can find the Fishery-Independent Surveys System (FINNS) here, and browse as a guest. I’m now brainstorming how I might use the database with students—perhaps as a scavenger hunt—to have them practice their search skills. You can search by: fiscal year, fiscal quarter, science center, survey status, and platform type.
Which Cook Inlet species is the subject of Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) 2023 research, which is underway in a small boat? Hint: Raffi
Another tool I’m looking forward to using in the classroom is NOAA’s Species Directory, which can serve as a scientifically sound encyclopedia for ocean animal reports conducted by students.
Librarian at Sea
“The sea is a desert of waves, A wilderness of water.”― Langston Hughes, Selected Poems
This quote from Hughes’ poem, Long Trip, had me thinking about the surface of the ocean. I have seen the surface in many states over the past days: soft folds, jagged white-tipped peaks, teal, turquoise, indigo. Sometimes there are long snaking paths of water that have an entirely different surface than water adjacent. Whether it is due to currents colliding, chemical process, biological process, temperature difference—I cannot say. If I were to anthropomorphize the phenomena, I’d say these lines are wrinkles, as the ocean creases into different expressions. A hint of what lies within and beneath.
It also has me thinking about the interviews I’ve conducted with the people on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada. I started with a superficial name and title, a face on a board near the Acoustics Lab depicting all hands on Leg 3. When I sat down to talk with people representing Scientists, Engineers, Deck Crew, Electronics, Officers, Survey, and Steward, I began to unspool colorful stories from a broad spectrum of life experiences, many from divergent habitats, all who have converged here to do in essence what the concierge at my Newport hotel said to me as I walked out the door, “Keep our oceans safe!” A tall order in so few words. From shore we’re a small white blip on the horizon; up close there’s a frenzy of activity, a range of expertise, a conviction that our actions can improve living for humans, for hake, and for all the species in Earth’s collective ecosystem.
A wilderness of blue water.
Hook, Line, and Thinker
We opened up a hake in the Wet Lab today to find it had a green liver. Why? Parasites? A bacterial infection? An allergy to krill? There’s always more beneath the surface, more stories to suss out. This is what makes science exciting, what makes living with 30+ strangers exciting. It’s what I enjoy about teaching.
How do the albatross know when we’re hauling back a net full of hake? They seem to appear out of nowhere. First a couple, then maybe 40 of them materialize around the net, squabbling over fish bits.
Have you ever discovered something unexpected and wondered about its origins? How could the scientific method support you in finding out an answer… or to at least develop a theory?
A Bobbing Bibliography
Known as “charts” at sea and “maps” on land, NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada has a small library of charts. Find out more at NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. Paper charts are actually being phased out. “NOAA has already started to cancel individual charts and will shut down all production and maintenance of traditional paper nautical charts and the associated raster chart products and services by January 2025.”
