NOAA Teacher at Sea
Alex Eilers
Onboard NOAA Ship David Starr Jordan August 21 – September 5, 2008
Mission: Leatherback Sea Turtle Research Geographical area of cruise: California Date: August 27, 2008
Everyone! Here’s the latest from my adventures at sea.
Today the crew was busy testing equipment. We tested both long-line fishing gear and box trawl netting! Both
tests were successful and we are looking forward to the real thing – more to come on this subject later. The picture below shows Scott Benson holding the box trawl net “catch.” Although it looks like group of eggs, they are actually members of the jellyfish family know as ctenophores or “comb jellies.”
Jellies
We had a successful observation session today. I’ll introduce you to some of the “stars” of the day.
Common Dolphins were everywhere. We saw over 100 riding the waves on the bow of our boat. They move with great speed – especially when you are trying to take a picture of them.
Common dolphins
Risso’s Dolphins – This is an unusual looking dolphin with a rounded head – unlike the traditional dolphin we all know. These creatures have numerous scratches and scars over their body from other Risso’s and from the squid they eat. They are gray when born and gradually become white with age.
Fin Whales – OK – I must admit – We didn’t actually see the Fin Whale but we did see the whale spouts from the three that we spotted.
Jelly Fish – We were excited to see so many Jellies – a favorite food of the Leatherback. Most looked like “Moon Jellies” but without catching them we cannot be sure of the type since there are many species.
To Do… Research one or more of the animals highlighted above.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Nancy McClintock and Mark Silverman
Onboard NASA Ship Freedom Star June 7 – 14, 2006
Mission: Pre-closure evaluation of habitat and fish assemblages in five proposed no fishing zones in the South Atlantic. Geographical Area: South Atlantic Ocean Date: June 10, 2006
Kevin Joy and Craig Bussel, ROV crew navigator and pilot, install one of the cameras
Weather Data from Bridge
Visibility: Excellent
Wind direction: SSW
Average wind speed: 15 knots
Wave height: 4-6’ with higher swells
Air temperature: 73oF
Sea temperature: 79 oF
Cloud cover: 20%
Barometric pressure: 1010 mb
Science and Technology Log
The FREEDOM STAR traveled approximately 121.4 miles north toward the coast of North Carolina during the night of June 9. Operations for the morning were delayed due to the reporting of strong winds and currents in opposite directions and a tropical storm forming in the Yucatan/Honduras area and moving toward the western coast of Florida. Predictions are that the storm will cross the peninsula and track along the northeastern coast in our direction. If this occurs, Captain Exell wants to be back at Port Canaveral on Monday, which means shortening our cruise. Andy, NOAA Principal Investigator, has decided to scrap the North Carolina site, a man-made reef called the Snowy Wreck. The FREEDOM STAR traveled 50 miles from North Carolina to the South Carolina Site A. Today’s operations began at 1100 and Options 1 and 3 were successfully completed along with 2 camera arrays, 2 fish taps, 1 CTD, and 3 ROV deployments. However, Option 2 was scrapped due to lack of time. The ROV continues to record excellent images of the ocean floor and the species that inhabit it. Today’s dives yielded the greatest diversity of species and a larger number within a species. ROV dive #1 revealed several scamp (a type of grouper), soap fish, puffer fish, tattler fish, a field of sea urchin, and several lion fish. The lionfish is native to the colder waters of the Western Pacific and is thought to have been intentionally released in the Florida area.
Craig, ROV pilot, monitors the ROV transect as Stacey Harter, NOAA scientist, identifies and records species, and Freshteh Ahmadian, ROV crew, pilots the ROV.
Personal Log
I awoke this morning feeling great and looking forward to another busy day. Hearing the news of the tropical depression has put a somber overtone on the morning. Andy, the Principal Investigator, is rethinking our cruise plan and working out the best possible alternatives. There is talk about shortening the cruise and returning to Port Canaveral two days earlier. The weather outside is gorgeous, warm, very sunny, and it is hard to believe that such a big weather change is a possibility. Our workday began late because we scrapped the North Carolina Site and moved 50 miles south to South Carolina. It is nice to sit in the sun, interview the scientists and crew while waiting for our arrival. Speaking of the crew, they are great guys who love to fish and have fun by kidding around. However, they work very hard and are always there when needed and know exactly what to do. We are all settling into a routine and the deployment and retrieval of equipment is going very smooth. I get to help with almost everything and feel like I am playing a very important role in the name of science. Seeing a moray eel on the ocean floor is just awesome. It is amazing to watch these creatures moving in their habitat and not just as a picture in a book.
Steve Matthews, NOAA scientist, and Nancy McClintock celebrate the success of another ROV deployment.
Question of the Day
Answer to yesterday’s question: There are many answers to this controversial question. If the MPAs designated on this cruise were established in the future, over fishing of five species of grouper and 2 species of tilefish might be prevented. Hopefully, this would protect them from endangerment or, possibly, extinction. Whenever one part of the “Web of Life” is affected, the entire “Web of Life” is affected. The designation of MPAs is a very controversial topic. Today’s question: How does the introduction of a non-native species of fish affect the biodiversity of the ocean ecosystem?
Interview with the ROV TEAM
Marta Ribera, NOAA scientist, records habitat description and fish species as observed on ROV monitors.
Craig Bussel
NURC (National Undersea Research Center), ROV Pilot Craig spent most of his early years in Missouri and became a certified scuba diver at the age of 16. While in the Army, he learned about hydraulics and was assigned (via the Army) to a Navy ship with a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) on it. This piqued his interest in ROVs and he went to work in California for a ROV manufacturer. After forming his own company repairing and operating ROVs, Craig began working for the National Undersea North Atlantic and Great lakes Center. The Hela ROV (formerly Phantom ROV) used for this cruise was originally built in 2002 by Deep Ocean Engineering. In 2005 Craig helped to redesign it to carry HD-TV (high-definition) and it was renamed Hela. “The best thing about my job is that I get to see things first and go places no one has ever been – it’s cool! We are professional explorers.”
Kevin Joy
NURC, ROV Navigator Kevin grew up in the New England area and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Environmental Design. He received a Master’s Degree in Geography from the University of Connecticut where he became proficient in GIS. He worked at a Consulting Firm in GIS that contracted with NURC (National Undersea Research Center) to build and maintain a GIS system. He is now an IT Group Leader at NURC and designs databases, websites, and programs using a long-range wireless network. In other words, he wears many hats. “The best thing about my job is that I never do the same thing twice.”
A dolphin, one of six (a pod), swims along the FREEDOM STAR and frolics in the wake created by the bow.
Freshteh Ahmadian
NURC, ROV Fresteh is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Nevada – Reno and is a Hollings Scholar, a scholarship program sponsored by NOAA. She has always been interested in robotics and is pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. This summer she is completing a 10-week internship with NURC. This is her first time being on a ship like the FREEDOM STAR. “This cruise has been very educational and I am learning lots of new things.”
ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle)
The original Phantom ROV cost $80,000. The redesigned Hela ROV is now valued at $250,000. It has 3 cameras (capable of 4), video fiber optic, scanning sonar, acoustic tracking system, and 4 ••• horsepower horizontal thrusters. It is rated to 1,000 feet depth with 1,500 feet of fiber optic cable. There are two daylight quality lights on the front. The pictures and videos taken by the ROV are archived and then given to the scientists for three years.
Weather Data from the Bridge
Visibility: 10
Wind Direction:90
Wind Speed: 14 knots
Sea Wave Height: 2-4 feet
Swell Wave Height: 5-7 feet
Sea Level Pressure: 1018.8
Cloud Cover: 2/8 Cu, As, Si
Temperature outside: 24.4
Dive expedition at Lincoln’s Head
Science and Technology Log
The plan of the day was to arrive back at Necker Island around 8:00 AM. (We were traveling back forth often between the middle of the island chain). Around 8:30 AM the AHI research boat was deployed to run survey lines around the more shallow areas. 9:00 AM brought the deployment of the HI #1 speed boat into the sea. The purpose of its voyage was to replace a SST buoy (Sea Surface Temperature buoy) and anchor an ODP (Ocean Data Platform) at Mokumanamana. I came along to photograph the work put in to these diving operations. The transport was rough as it was as warm as normal, and the seas were very choppy. We arrived at the rock outcropping, and using GPS navigational systems, located the coordinates for where the ODP was to be located on the sea floor. Divers prepared themselves (Scientist Jeremy Jones, Kyle Hogrefe, and Joe Chojnacki, along with ENS Sarah Jones) and all 4 descended about 75 feet under the water to find the device. After 30 minutes they resurfaced unable to find the ODP. They came aboard and regrouped.
A school of dolphins encircled our boat while tactics were being discussed. In effort to conserve air and because the current was strong and pulling them under the water, they decided to only send 2 divers to try to locate the ODP a second time. Joe Chojnacki and Jeremy Jones resurfaced again after the second try only to be frustrated. The pinger was losing and gaining pings erratically and was found to be useless.
In a last attempt the driver of our boat, Keith Lyons, decided to drive the boat over top of the boat’s GPS coordinates, instead f referring to the diver’s handheld GPS, and asked the divers to put the pinger right into the water to see of they picked up any signal. The pinger again was unreliable. Finally, Joe Chojnacki stuck his head over the boat, and looking through his snorkeling mask saw the ODP right below us! Kyle Horgrefe and ENS Sarah Jones scrambled to gear up and went below to tie off a buoy to the ODP so they could resurface and know its location. The last dive required 3 of the divers to replace the ODP with a new data platform. An ODP gathers information but that information can only be used once its been retrieved from the ocean’s bottom; unlike a Sea Surface Temperature Buoy which can relay information in real time because it stays on the surface and satellites receive the information all the time. The divers connected a bag, like balloon, to the new ODP to move it into place and reposition it over the former data platform. The dive was completed but air tanks were low so we drove back to the HI’IALAKAI and exchanged air tanks, dropped off ENS Sarah Jones, and myself. The 3 divers continued on to replace a SST buoy. I didn’t stay aboard for the remainder of the dive because of the rough seas and I was freezing because I didn’t have a wet suit.
Lincoln’s Head (volcanic rock) near dive site
Personal Log
I awoke and ate breakfast. I then began to prepare to go on a dive operation with 3 scientists and ENS Jones this morning. I slathered on SPF and a bathing suit, shorts, and a rash guard (thin shirt often worn by surfers as protection from salt water irritation). I donned a hard hat and life vest and borrowed a snorkel and fins from members onboard in case we were in shallow enough waters to snorkel and so I could see the divers working. We loaded the HI #1 speed boat with tons of equipment and were lowered to the ocean on a pulley system. The sea was extremely rough and the boat finally broke free from the ship to the rock outcropping where the dives were to be performed. The rock outcropping is nicknamed Lincoln’s Head because the side view looks like Lincoln’s profile. We arrived and performed the diving operations aforementioned in the science log. It was exciting to see the work being done and how precarious diving can be. It requires a lot of equipment and effort, especially when weather conditions are less than ideal.
Dolphins swam right up to the boat at one point and the divers saw sharks down below. They assured me they were just curious and not very big sharks! Other than that the divers said we were in too deep of water to snorkel and the water was churning because of underwater currents. I couldn’t dive so I sat onboard and photographed the trip and proceeded to get wet from sea spray. Tern birds flew overhead the entire time biting at the buoy, lines, antennae on the boat, and the air bubbles that surfaced from the divers. The birds mistake anything out of place for food. Because I wasn’t doing the dive work I got very cold and decided to return to the ship when we dropped off ENS Sarah Jones.
I didn’t get to snorkel this day but hopefully I’ll have another chance in the next 2 weeks. I spent the evening trying to warm myself and recover from the bumps and bruises incurred from getting on and off the HI#1. Everything is very slippery on those boats and it’s easy to lose you balance. Plus, every time we ride up next to the ship, we get doused with water coming out of the bottom of the ship.
QUESTION OF THE DAY for my fourth grade students: The 2 devices (the SST buoy and the ODP) are put in the ocean by divers so that scientists can gather information about the conditions in the ocean over a long period of time. By now, in class, you are beginning to learn about different ecosystems in science class. Cause and effect: What are some examples of conditions that could change in the ocean ecosystem that could be discovered from the data being collected by these buoys (name at least 3)? Try to think how weather or man can affect an ecosystem. Here is an example to get you started ……
ocean temperatures could gradually be getting warmer…….. killing the coral reef……..loss of habitat for fish
