Dutch Harbor – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

July 25, 2024July 29, 2024

Nick Lee: Signing Off, July 21, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Nick Lee
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 29 – July 20, 2024

Mission: Pollock Acoustic-Trawl Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Eastern Bering Sea

Date: July 21, 2024

Science and Technology Log:

When I applied to the Teacher at Sea program, I was hoping to use my experience on one of NOAA’s cruises to enhance my AP Environmental Science class. Now, having just completed my time aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson, I’m looking forward to incorporating pollock and fisheries research into my existing curriculum. The scientists’ research involved concepts that are already a key part of the AP Environmental Science curriculum, like biodiversity, sustainable fishing, and ocean currents. I’m excited to engage my students this year with more real life examples and photos from the cruise!

View of mountains from the bridge. The water is calm, and the snow-capped mountains are partially obscured by dramatic gray clouds. — *View from the bridge on the last day of the cruise.*

I wasn’t expecting to see as many applications of computer science on the cruise – however, I was surprised to learn how much of the scientists’ job on the ship involves coding and statistical analysis. At any given time, it seemed like at least one member of the science team was coding in Python or R, creating new programs and data visualizations that would help make their research more efficient and effective. We relied on many different computer applications to collect both acoustic and trawl data, almost all of which had been coded by the scientists and their colleagues.

MACE MasterApp, developed by scientists to collect and analyze data. This is a screenshot that shows a grid of icons labeled with program names such as "CLAMS QC," "Species Finder," "Transect Events," "Depth Comparison," and "Pies." — *MACE MasterApp, the suite of apps the scientists use to collect and analyze data.*

Some of these programs didn’t even exist just a few months ago, but they were created when someone on the team recognized an area for improvement. This represents a broader mindset of adaptability and collaboration I noticed among scientists. On the ship, plans constantly changed in response to weather, delays, and equipment malfunctions. While these could be frustrating, the scientists always looked for ways to still complete their research, troubleshooting with each other and with the other ship departments.

The science team on my cruise. Nine people pose for a group photo along a deck railing. Beyond them, we see calm ocean waters, green hillsides, and snow-capped mountains. — *The science team on my cruise. From left to right: Mike Levine, Robert Levine, Dave McGowan, Abigail McCarthy, Taina Honkalehto, Moses Lurbur, Sarah Stienessen, Matthew Phillips, Nick Lee* (Photo Credit: Emily Resendez).

I also learned how the scientists had been adaptable in their own careers. Most of the scientists I had worked with had not intended to study pollock when they were younger, and some had not even planned on studying marine science. However, when interesting opportunities presented themselves, they took advantage, even when this meant learning about a new type of research or traveling to a new location. Having different academic backgrounds meant the scientists had different perspectives, and each was able to contribute their own ideas on how to improve the group’s research. On this particular cruise, scientists were testing out cameras and studying pollock behavior at night in the hopes of improving their data collection methods for future surveys.

Personal Log:

I just arrived back in Boston after a few long travel days – I took a small boat from the ship to Dutch Harbor, and then I flew to Anchorage, then Seattle, and then finally Boston.

Small boat being lowered from the ship. — From left to right: *Small boat being lowered from the ship and an eagle warning sign in Dutch Harbor (Photo Credit: Abigail McCarthy).*

Sign warning of eagles. It's a wooden sign resting on the ground in front of a fence, reading "DANGER NESTING EAGLES," with a silhouette of a person with their arms in the air to shield their head from an attacking eagle. Nick does his best to reenact the pose, but there are no live eagles in sight. — From left to right: *Small boat being lowered from the ship and an eagle warning sign in Dutch Harbor (Photo Credit: Abigail McCarthy).*

I’m still processing my experience as a Teacher at Sea, but overwhelmingly I feel lucky to have spent three weeks aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson and grateful to all of the people I met along the way.

The crew of the ship were all kind and welcoming, and I was able to learn about the other departments on board. I was able to tour the engineering department, and I learned how the ship makes its own freshwater by evaporating seawater. I shadowed the survey technicians as they deployed CTDs (conductivity, temperature, and depth sensor), and I touched water samples they had captured from the bottom of the ocean. During one trawl, I joined the deck crew, and I was able to witness how they safely manage nets containing thousands of pounds of pollock. Finally, I was able to learn about marine navigation from the NOAA Corps Officers, and I was even allowed to (briefly) drive the boat!

Engineering control room. — From left to right: *Engineering control room, streaming the net with the deck crew (Photo Credit: Mike Levine), and learning to drive from NOAA Corps Officer Emily Resendez (Photo Credit: Savi Morales).*

Nick streaming the net with the deck crew. He wears a heavy reflective coat, gloves, and a hard hat. — From left to right: *Engineering control room, streaming the net with the deck crew (Photo Credit: Mike Levine), and learning to drive from NOAA Corps Officer Emily Resendez (Photo Credit: Savi Morales).*

I want to thank all of the crew and officers of NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson for making the past three weeks such a meaningful experience, and I want to thank the science team for letting me contribute to their research and answering all of my questions (special thanks to Robert Levine for editing these blog posts)! Finally, I want to thank Emily Susko and the Teacher at Sea Program for supporting me throughout this entire process.

Did you know?

Applications for next season’s Teacher at Sea Program open in November – more info can be found here!

July 3, 2024

Nick Lee: First Days at Sea, July 2, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Nick Lee

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

June 29 – July 20, 2024

Mission: Pollock Acoustic-Trawl Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Eastern Bering Sea

Date: July 2, 2024

Weather Data from the Bridge:

Latitude: 59° 54.8 N
Longitude: 171° 54.9 W
Wind Speed: 14 knots
Air Temperature: 5.0° Celsius (41° F)

Science and Technology Log:

We’ve been sailing for just under two days, and I’ve already had an opportunity to witness lots of science aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson!

We spent the first day transiting to the start of the survey – I am part of Leg 2 for this cruise, and so we are picking up where Leg 1 left off. Since we won’t be able to find every pollock in the Bering Sea, we will need to rely on a representative sample, and then our data will be used to estimate the total stock.

The map below shows the intended path of our cruise, and the vertical lines represent transects, or lines along which we will collect data, spaced 40 nautical miles (or 74 km) apart so that we can cover the entire region with the time we have. Since we just recently arrived at the start of our survey, I’m still learning about the different data the science team will be collecting – more on that in a future blog post!

nautical chart of the Bering Sea, showing the land of Alaska to the east and a portion of Russia in the northwest. The cruise trajectory is overlaid in bold blue or red lines, with north-south transects connected by shorter westward connections. The blue transects start in Dutch Harbor and head west; the red transects are farther west — Map of the survey with the portion that I’ll be participating in shown in red, and the portion that has already been completed in blue.

On our way to our survey site, I was able to launch a drifter buoy through NOAA’s Adopt-a-Drifter Program. Unlike some other buoys, a drifter buoy is not fixed to the ocean floor. Instead, they float and “drift” with the ocean currents. Importantly, drifters are equipped with some sort of drogue – an underwater anchor. This way, the surface float (and the drogue) will move with ocean currents, but won’t be influenced as much by wind.

illustrated diagram of a drifter buoy. a white ball floats at the water line; this is labeled "Surface float - designed for moving on the surface with currents." The float has an Antenna, labeled: "the drifters transmit the data they collect as well as their position via satellite." Data is depicted as a gray triangle extending up from the antenna to a satellite in the sky, which is communicating with a satellite dish on land. Beneath the float, down into the water, extends a black cable, thicker toward the float. It's labeled: "Sensors: Sea Surface Temperature sensor and various measuring systems." The cable connects to what appears to be gray cylindrical tube, waving in the water labeled "Drogue: The buoys have some form of subsurface drogue or sea anchor." — Drifter Buoy diagram (Image Credit: NOAA Adopt a Drifter Program)

Deploying a drifter is as simple as dropping it into the ocean! I was able to deploy our first drifter last night off the stern (back of the ship). Our drifter was wrapped in biodegradable packaging for a safe deployment, but once in the water it should have opened up and extended to its full length.

a repeating video clip of Nick starting to toss the drifter buoy over the rail of NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson. he is wearing a helmet and a life vest, and looking away from the camera. — Deploying an ocean drifter.

Once deployed, the drifter transmits its location via satellite, and scientists are able to use this data to better understand ocean currents. You can track my drifter’s trajectory here!

In addition to a GPS that tracks location, drifters are often equipped with sensors for temperature, pressure, salinity, and more. Below is the path my drifter took in its first day after deployment, and the sea temperatures it encountered.

a map of a small section of the ocean between 191.2 to 192.0 degrees W and 55.4 to 56.2 degrees N. A series of colored squares form a small spiral in the middle; the squares range in color from orange to purple. Beneath the map there's a key explaining that the colors indicate temperature, ranging from purple (6 degrees Celsius) to red (7 degrees Celsius.) — Drifter trajectory and sea surface temperature.

I also was able to observe the deployment of a CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) sensor. CTD measure some of the same properties as drifters, but CTDs are lowered down into the water and then raised back into the boat. This means that CTDs only collect data at one geographic location at a time, however, they collect data throughout the entire water column, from the surface down to the ocean floor (~80 meters at our last deployment). CTDs can also collect water samples at different depths, allowing scientists to study them further. NOAA has a great resource on CTDs here!

view of the conductivity, temperature, and depth probe (in the center of a cylindrical metal apparatus) suspended from a cable just beyond the railing of the ship; it is about 10 feet above the ocean's surface at this point. in the distance, the sky is gray and cloudy, and the ocean is gray and calm. — CTD being lowered to collect data.

Personal Log:

When I applied to NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program, I was told that one thing that was required of all its participants was flexibility. This is especially true for cruises leaving from Dutch Harbor, where bad weather and flight cancellations are common. On this leg, a series of travel delays meant that we left port a day later than expected. However, this meant that I was able to spend some time exploring Dutch Harbor!

Dutch Harbor is one of the most remote and beautiful places I’ve ever visited. During my wanderings around the town, I spotted whales, a fox, and plenty of bald eagles. Alaska’s military history is also apparent in the hills surrounding Dutch Harbor, which are full of World War II bunkers.

view of calm blue ocean waters from a green hillside; in the distance, two ships are visible — Views from Dutch Harbor (left), inside a World War II bunker (center), and one of many bald eagles (right).

view under the archway of a bunker - there's sand underneath and open vegetation beyond — Views from Dutch Harbor (left), inside a World War II bunker (center), and one of many bald eagles (right).

Since we left port, there’s been a lot to adjust to about living on a ship. The ship is a bit of a maze – lots of narrow hallways and hidden staircases. After making a lot of wrong turns, I’m starting to get a sense of the layout.

Work happens on the ship at all hours of the day – I’ve been assigned the night shift (4 pm – 4 am), so as a natural morning person, I’ve completely changed my sleep schedule! Because someone is always working, that also means that someone is always trying to sleep, so I’ve learned to be careful about not letting doors slam behind me.

view of a stateroom: two berths (bunk beds), a chair, a window with curtains, a hiking backpack and a bag. — My stateroom for the next three weeks.

This morning, we practiced our first set of safety drills. To simulate what would happen if we needed to abandon ship, everyone was required to don a survival suit (also called a “Gumby suit”). It was quite a process to put on the suit – luckily one of the other scientists, Mike, gave me some pointers ahead of time!

Nick poses, thumbs up, for a photo in the survival suit; it covers his mouth and nose — Gumby suit

I’m looking forward to learning more about life at sea over the next few weeks!

Did You Know?

NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson was named after an Alaskan fisherman and activist who worked to improve the industry for other Alaskans (https://www.omao.noaa.gov/marine-operations/ships/oscar-dyson )

September 23, 2019

Phil Moorhouse: The Rest of the Story, September 22, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Phil Moorhouse

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

August 27, 2019 – September 15, 2019

Mission: Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations.

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak – Aleutian Islands)

Date: September 22, 2019

Weather Data from Richmond, Virginia

Latitude: 37 44.36 N
Longitude: 77 58.26 W
Wind Speed: 5 knots
Wind Direction: 195 degrees
Air Temperature: 31 C
Barometric Pressure: 1018 mBar
Sky: Clear

Conclusion

Wow, it’s hard to believe that my time on the waters of Alaska aboard the Oscar Dyson are over. It was an experience I will never forget. I just hope that I can instill in my students the idea that all kinds of things are possible when you follow your interests.

It has taken me several days to reacclimatize to life on land. Standing in front of my class, I have caught myself swaying. It also took several days to readjust my sleep schedule. (I don’t get rocked to sleep anymore and my hours are completely different.)

There were so many things I will miss and never forget: all of the unique experiences and sights I got to see, starting with my side trip to Barrow and swimming in the Arctic Ocean before the start of the expedition, getting to explore some of Kodiak before we left port, all of the open sea and species that were part of the random samples, the little coves we snuck into when storms were approaching, getting a “close-up” of the Pavlof volcano, and getting to explore the native land around Dutch Harbor where we were able to watch Salmon spawning and Bald Eagles doing their thing.

Arctic Ocean swimming partners
Spires marking the opening of Castle Bay where we hid out from the storm.
Pavlof Volcano and Pavlof’s Sister
Shelikof Strait
Bald Eagle fishing near Dutch Harbor
Bald Eagles were common site. This one perched on a Russian Orthodox Steeple.

It was also interesting talking to and learning from the ship crew. There are some interesting stories there about how they got to NOAA and what they have experienced since then.

Oscar Dyson crew preparing the nets for the next trawl.
Survey crew, Megan Shapiro checking out a smooth lumpsucker.
Ensign Lexee Andonian and 1AE Alan Currie managing the trawling equipment off the ship stern.
Survey Chief Phil White and Megan Shapiro monitoring the trawl nets in the water.
Engineer crewmember Gavan Roddey showing me the water purification system.
Scientists and Survey Crew working together.

At the top of the list though would have to be the connections I made with the scientists I spent almost three weeks with. Being able to go out into the field with them and talking about what they have seen and learned over years of research has really reenergized my love for science in general. Starting my shift looking forward to seeing what each Bongo station would bring up or what each trawl would bring to the sorting table, made for an expedition that went much too quickly. It was interesting listening to my fellow scientists comparing how the numbers and ages of pollock caught at the various stations compared to what they had found in the Spring and in previous years.

Overall, this has been an experience I will never forget. I have learned so much about Alaska, the ocean, marine species, global warming, and scientific technology. My time as a Teacher at Sea aboard the Oscar Dyson is something I will never forget and hope I can pass the excitement and experiences on to my students.

July 9, 2019July 12, 2019

Meg Stewart: Aleutian Islands, Bald Eagles, Wildflowers, and Bunkers, July 8, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Meg Stewart

Aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

July 8 – 19, 2019

Mission: Cape Newenham Hydrographic Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea

Date: July 8, 2019

Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 54° 59.104 N
Longitude: 166° 28.938 W
Wind: 21 knots SE
Barometer: 1006.6 mb
Visibility: 10 nautical miles
Temperature: 53° F or 11.5° C
Weather: Partly cloudy, no precipitation

Science and Technology Log

Today, we left the port at Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Alaska and headed toward Cape Newenham. The mission for the Cape Newenham project is to gather detailed ocean depth data in order to knit together a comprehensive and highly detailed surface chart of the seafloor near Cape Newenham. I will talk about that process in my next post.

A view of Dutch Harbor, Unalaska. The surrounding hills are volcanic, with just a thin layer of soil, and not a tree to be seen.

Dutch Harbor is a small town with a relatively deep port. The Ship Fairweather has a draft of 15.5 feet. “Draft” is the vertical length between the surface of the water and the bottom of the ship, which is called the hull. A ship’s draft determines the minimum depth of water a vessel can safely navigate and dock at a port. However, though the Fairweather has a 15.5 foot draft, the crew prefers a 20 foot depth of water at a port.

Map of Bering Sea — This overview map shows where Dutch Harbor is in relation to Alaska, the Pacific Ocean, the Aleutian Islands, the Aleutian Trench and Russia. The A-B line is shown for the cross sectional line in the next figure. Cape Newenham is out next destination.

Dutch Harbor is part of Unalaska Island, which is one of the string of Aleutian Islands. The Aleutian Islands are part of the notorious Ring of Fire that marks the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate. As the Pacific Plate moves and grinds past some plates (like along the North American Plate at the San Andreas Fault) or pulls away from other plates (like the Antarctic and Nazca plates, creating the East Pacific Ridge) or plunges beneath other plates (like the Philippine and Indian-Australian plates, where we get deep ocean depressions called the Mariana Trench and Tonga Trench, respectively), we see active volcanism (which is the “fire”) but also lots of earthquakes. The Aleutian Islands are volcanic in origin – the island chain is a volcanic arc – and are a result of oceanic crust of the Pacific Plate being subducted under the oceanic crust of the North American plate. The deep depression at this tectonic boundary – also called a subduction zone – is called the Aleutian Trench.

Referring to the A-B line shown in the overview map above, this cross section shows the mechanics of the subduction zone at the Aleutian Trench at Unalaska Island.

Aleutian Trench tectonic map — This is a tectonic map of the Aleutian Trench area (the symbol shown as a dark black curved line indicates a subduction zone). The map shows the relative motion of the Pacific and North American plates. It is clipped from the New York State Earth Science Reference Table

Looking at a schematic drawing of the side-view, or cross section, of the Aleutian subduction zone, we can visualize what this looks like beneath the surface. The older and more dense oceanic crust of the Pacific Plate is plunging under the younger oceanic crust of the North American Plate – the more dense material sinks down or subducts – and the less dense material stays floating on top, and this process is all due to gravity. With time, as the oceanic material is drawn deeper into the subduction zone, it becomes hotter, starts to melt and then comes back up to the surface as volcanic material and a string of volcanoes forming parallel – and in this case, forming an arc – to the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.

Personal Log

Arriving at NOAA Ship Fairweather — Arriving at NOAA Ship *Fairweather*

I arrived at Dutch Harbor on July 6, after 14 hours and three legs of air travel. Fortunately, I made all my connections and my luggage arrived at the tiny Dutch Harbor airport. I was picked up by welcome smile for a nice person from the Ship Fairweather, got to the port and settled in to my stateroom. The “stateroom” is my sleeping quarters or room. I have it all to myself, it is very comfortable with a sink, a small bed, drawers and a closet to fit all my stuff, and there’s a TV that I haven’t yet figured out how to work.

My stateroom or sleeping quarters. Caution: panoramic photos make everything look larger than they really are.

Did You Know?

On my second day in Dutch Harbor, I went out with some new friends from the ship on a lovely hike on nearby Bunker Hill. I saw so many beautiful wildflowers along the trek and an enormous number of bald eagles. I had no idea that bald eagles would be so plentiful here, but they were everywhere. It was amazing! But the other interesting thing about this hike were the bunkers. In June 1942, Dutch Harbor was bombed by the Japanese Navy (six months after Pearl Harbor) during World War II. At the time of the raid, Alaska was a U.S. territory, and following the bombing, the bunkers of the now-known-as Bunker Hill were built to help defend not only Alaska but the west coast of mainland U.S. And here I thought Dutch Harbor was only known for Deadliest Catch!

Our hiking crew being watched with eagle eyes.
So many different wildflowers and I still forgot to get a photo of the lupines.
An intact WWII bunker on the top of Bunker Hill.
A T-shirt spotted at the local grocery store.

Quote of the Day

“Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.” Sylvia Earle

July 16, 2018July 16, 2018

Lee Teevan: The Unexpected Happens, July 13, 2018

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Lee Teevan

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

July 1-10, 2018

Mission: Acoustic Pollock-Trawl

Geographic Area of Cruise: eastern Bering Sea

Date: 13 July 2018

View of the Oscar Dyson on our last morning in Dutch Harbor, AK

Weather Data from Norfolk, VA

Latitude: 36.8508° N

Longitude: 76.2859° W

Tide Heights: 2.76 ft & 3.35 ft

Wind Speed: 19 km/h

Wind Direction: NE

Air Temperature: 28°C, 82°F

Barometric Pressure: 1028.1 mb

Sky: Clear

Humidity: 76%

“If you’re awake at 6:00 a.m., you’ll get to see the Oculus as I prepare it to glide around in the Bering Sea!” With this promise from Dr. Chris Bassett, I made sure I was ready at the appointed time on our last day on the ship.

The launching of the Oculus was not on Chris’ schedule for that day beforehand; our expedition was ending earlier than expected. That setback, however, did not diminish the drive to pursue science. The resilience and perseverance of the science team to readjust was apparent. Through the mist of disappointment, the scientists continued to do as much as possible to continue our mission of the pollock survey.

Science and Technology Log

Developed at Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in partnership with the University of Washington’s Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean and the University of Washington Seaglider Fabrication Lab, the Oculus is an ocean glider which samples abiotic factors in the ocean such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen at different depths.

Inner component of the Oculus which regulates buoyancy.

After setting the Oculus upright, Chris connected it via the Internet to a computer operated by a scientist at the University of Washington. This scientist is going to be sending coordinates to the Oculus and guiding it at various depths in the Bering Sea. Chris explained that the Oculus has the ability to adjust its buoyancy quickly and is able to carry out a more reliable survey than other gliders. Through the data remotely sent by the Oculus, scientists can gather a more accurate picture of ocean dynamics such as water column layers and ocean mixing.

Unfortunately, I was not able to observe the launch of the Oculus as I had to leave for the airport.

Personal Log

The week I spent on the ship was a whirlwind of experiences. I was just hitting my stride being completely awake for my 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. work shift and efficiently measuring the length of the pollock in each trawl.

At the end of the last trawl, I held a pollock, out of its element of water. Its dense, streamlined body shimmered with iridescence. One eye stared, unfocused on the strange surroundings. I too would be out of my element were it not for the 208.6 ft. boat on which I was standing. Being on the boat was a constant reminder that my species is alien to this ocean habitat and that to explore it, we have to use technology such as the Oculus, underwater cameras, and acoustic technology as well as physical trawls. Together, these different means of exploring combine information so that we can evaluate our interactions with the ocean and its inhabitants.

The view of the horizon from the deck of the Oscar Dyson.

At times, the ocean had a disorienting effect. When on the deck, I looked out from all directions and saw nothing but ocean capped by a dome of stratus clouds. Under this lid of heavy clouds, the sun gave no clue to discern our direction or time of day.

Marine Careers

Karla Martinez, Junior Unlicensed Engineer, on duty on the Oscar Dyson.

With her philosophy of focusing on the positive, Karla Martinez enjoys her time on and off duty on the Oscar Dyson. As a Junior Engineer, Karla is responsible for ship upkeep and repairs. On our last day of the trip, I spoke to her as she changed air filters in all of the staterooms. Karla began working as a NOAA Junior Engineer three years ago after seven years in the U.S. Navy. Since working for NOAA, she has traveled extensively and makes sure she visits each place the Oscar Dyson docks. Karla is on the ship for at least 7-8 months of the year, and she makes the ship feel like home by getting to know people.

Karla Martinez, Tourist, off duty in field of flowers, Unalaska, AK.

For young people who are interested in a career like Karla’s, she advises asking many questions and studying technology as much as possible. In high school, students should take the ASVAP test before entering the military. Once admitted to the military, students should get trained. Karla states that students should talk to their counselors and find out all they can.