Geographic Area of Cruise: West Coast Pacific Ocean
Date: August 9 , 2026
Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 45°46.3’N
Longitude: 124°15.9′ W
Wind Speed: 12 kts
Air Temperature: 15.0°C
Science and Technology Log
Today we had safety drills, and I felt more confident knowing what to do in an emergency. They also checked fire hoses, and the fire response team practiced suiting up and going to their stations as quickly as possible. We were going to light expired flares into the air, but unfortunately we were unable to do so due to the waves and the acoustic sonar being in the water.
Safety drill with expired flares
Commanding Officer Erick Estela led us on a tour of the engine rooms to see how the ship runs. It also gave me a better idea of how the net is deployed. Here is one of the winches that connects to the doors that hold the net open underwater:
Winch that controls the net door, located in the engine room
This is the rudder indicator of the ship:
Ship’s rudder
The engineers have everything they need to keep things running smoothly. They have a number of work areas, including a welding area:
Welding station
This hallway shows some of the electronics that control the generators that power the ship:
Automatic ship controls
There are many backup equipment processes in case something goes wrong. Here is an area that an engineer can control propulsion if there was an issue on the bridge. Also, if the power goes out, there is an old-fashioned sound-powered “land-line” that you crank to call:
Engineer Operating System Location where engineers can control the ship in case of emergency
Sound powered telephone
Before I came on board, I was worried that we would have to take “Navy” showers, like my father used to talk about when he was in the service. These are where you only turn on the water to wash away soap and shampoo. Luckily, times have changed and NOAA makes its own water onboard! Here is a photo of one of the evaporators where fresh water is distilled from salt water. They have multiple units, but they usually don’t need to use all of them, unless people take extremely long showers.
Fresh water distilled on board
There are also HVAC systems and sewage pumps (they use bacteria to break down solid waste):
Organic waste material is processed by bacteria
There are a few areas of the ships that have watertight doors that close during a flooding event, so that you can remain safe.
Doors that can be closed automatically by the bridge in case of emergency
We also checked out the damage control lockers located on opposite sides of the ship. If there is damage done to the hull, materials for containing the leak are available, along with fire mitigation supplies.
Damage Control Locker
Oil leaks are mopped up with items located in these yellow tubs:
Spill clean-up materials
The Dive Locker has wet suits, an air compressor for dive tanks, and other tools necessary for staff that are certified. Once a month, they check the hull outside of the ship to make sure everything is clean and intact. Divers train once a month to maintain their skills and certifications.
Dive locker
Did you Know?
Every night, the chief of science, the chief engineer, the operations officer, the commanding officer, all of the deck crew, and the survey lead meet to go over the trawl plan for the night. Based on the days acoustic data, they go over fishing locations, the weather, if any vessels or buoys are in the area, the topography, and if there are any concerns or updates from the crew.
Then they do an operational risk assessment. Each person puts up a finger, with 10 fingers being the highest risk, and zero fingers being no risk. They rate Resources (Boat and Equipment, Supervision, Communication, and Support), Environment (Surf Zone, Remoteness, Ice, Rocks, Traffic, Shallow or Uncharted water), Team Selection (Experience, Training, and Familiarity), Fitness (Physical and Mental), Weather (Effects on mission and safety),and Mission Complexity (New or experimental, or restricts maneuverability). If the total score is high, that can affect whether trawling proceeds or how many trawls will occur that night.
Operational Rish Assessment Form used during meetings
Personal Log
Before I left Eugene to fly to San Francisco, I was excited to start my time with NOAA but also nervous about how well I would adapt and fit in on a research expedition. Admittedly, the fish trawling and sampling is rigorous and switching to a night schedule was tiring for the first few days. But everyone has been so patient and open to all of the questions I have (they even let me steer the ship!), even though I struggle sometimes with understanding some of their answers. I’ve learned an incredible amount about marine biology, fisheries, and NOAA, along with learning about the people behind the jobs on board. Now, near the end of my time on board, I feel that I’m more than capable in the wet lab, I’ve adapted to life aboard a ship, and I’m now part of an incredible crew and team. Maybe it’s time I switch to a science teaching position…? 🙂
Geographic Area of Cruise: Northwest Atlantic Ocean
Date: August 11, 2025
Weather Data from Bridge: Latitude: 3956.51 N Longitude: 07043.5 W Relative Wind speed: 17 Wind Direction: 336 Air Temperature: 23.6 Sea Surface Temperature: 24.965 Barometric Pressure: 1022.81 Speed Over Ground: 9.8 Water Conductivity: 5.326 Water Salinity: 35.03125
Miles and Dorothy launch the drifter!
First, Janice from NC is asking about the drifters! In my first blog I mentioned the Global Drifter Program. Since 1979 countries have been placing and monitoring drifters around the world to better understand and make better predictions . Amanda, Miles and I launched the last of our drifters yesterday.
Sam Ouertani, CIMAS (UMiami/NOAA) Research Associate, provided the following answers to Janice’s questions: How long are the drifters collecting information? > Drifters typically collect data until the drifter runs aground, the batteries die, or the sensors die. Most drifters are able to collect data for 450 days, however they typically lose their drogue within a year. Without a drogue, data from drifters cannot be used to accurately estimate the surface current velocities, but drifters are still able to measure sea surface temperature and other parameters if equipped with additional sensors.
Are there cameras on the drifters? > Unfortunately, Global Drifter Program drifters don’t have cameras but several programs in NOAA have started to add cameras. The National Data Buoy Center has added cameras to almost 100 buoys. I believe the Arctic Buoy Program has started adding cameras to observe sea ice conditions, but footage is not yet available.
Do they collect data about depth of the ocean? >Drifters only collect data at the surface of the ocean; therefore they don’t measure any parameters below the surface, and they do not measure sea floor depth. Another NOAA program, Argo, collects temperature, salinity, and pressure below the ocean surface, but Argo floats do not reach the bottom of the ocean.
Where’s the deepest part? >The deepest part of the ocean is the Challenger Deep, 35,876 feet deep or over 6.7 miles deep, located in the Mariana Trench. Humans measured this depth by lowering a rope from a submersible vehicle.
Thank you Sam for such thorough answers, and thank you Janice for asking! You can find more information about the drifters we launched here.
Second, an answer to the math problem from the last BLOG: On the First Christmas Bird Count, 18,500 individual birds were logged by the 27 participants. On average, 685 birds were seen by each person. That’s a lot of birds! (The numbers 25, 89, and 1990 were not used to solve the problem.) How do you think that number compares to today’s counts?
Engineers Drew, Glen, and Eric on NOAA Ship Pisces
Science at Sea: If steel is heavier than water, how does the 1840-metric ton Pisces stay afloat? Her density, that’s how! The total volume of water she displaces (including steel, people, parts, and air) must have less mass than that same volume of saltwater. Saltwater’s density is 1.025 g/mL, that’s more dense than freshwater, making it easier for you to float in the ocean. You might remember the Titanic sank when it hit an iceberg, ripping the hull and allowing water to enter and add more mass to the ship.
I recently was given a tour of Pisces hull space by the fabulous Engineering Department. They literally make everything run.
Safety is paramount
With ear plugs safely protecting my eardrums, we traveled down into the engine space. Safety is paramount. Fire stations can reach any point on the ship with 2 different hoses. There are 2 or 4 of everything – fire hoses, engines, generators, AC units, proportion motors, you name it – because EVERYTHING needs a backup. There are traditional CO2 fire extinguishers, but I’ve never been to a school that had a CO2 flooding system like the engine room has. Carbon-dioxide (CO2) breaks the oxygen side of the fire triangle by displacing oxygen in the combustion reaction, effectively stopping the reaction. If you were taught to “stop, drop, and roll,” you learned another way to smother the fire. The CO2 flooding system is so powerful that it cannot be used without doing a full body count of the people onboard to make sure no one is in the engine room.
Engineer EricEngineer TravisDorothy tours the engine roomOily water separator
Engineers Eric (left) and Travis (right) show Dorothy how water, electricity, and power are provided
Our first stop was the water maker unit. The water needed for cooking, bathing, and drinking can be distilled from ocean water or processed through reverse osmosis. Both options are available on Pisces. Past the expansion tanks and power distribution units Engineer Eric pointed out the refrigeration system for our Chemistry lab above. We freeze chlorophyll samples taken in one of our CTD projects in an ultra low freezer maintained at -75oC. I was looking at the equipment that was making the freezer work. Air compressors, generators, and motors make the 600-volt electricity on board, step it down to 480 volts for the major machinery, and down even farther to 110 volts for the outlet in my stateroom to charge my cellphone.
Dorothy takes notes during her tour of the engine room
We continued inspecting the machinery that runs Pisces and enables our teams to fulfil our mission. Another piece of equipment that resembles an instrument from our chemistry lab is the centrifuge. It is used to purify the diesel fuel. These pull out the heavier impurities and store water, the lightest part of the mixture, underneath. You might have seen centrifuges at work in the dairy industry. Understanding the science of the engine room helps the science outside the engine room work even better!
Schematic (bottom left) of the 2 generators and 2 propulsion motors (down walkway on right). Water maker unit (top left) and refrigeration system (middle left) .
More information on Pisces: The ship is 206 feet long, is capable of trawling up to 6,000 feet, and can lift 8,000 pounds. She also has a “quiet hull” which helps reduce underwater sound. Maybe that’s why the whales and dolphins get so close?!
Feel the power!
You do the Math: If each of the engine’s cylinders displacement is 51 liters, and it has 12 cylinders, what is the total displacement of the engine? Compare this with a car engine which holds 2-3 liters. Check in the next blog post for the answer.
To increase the speed of the ship requires an increase in power, but this is not a directly proportional relationship. Doubling the speed requires the power to be cubed. Engineer Eric described the importance of understanding fuel use on ships, math is money! Large container ships easily spend $300,000 a day on fuel. Saving 1% translates to $30,000 savings.
Styrofoam science experiment…. submerged 500 meters…. inverse relationship between pressure and volume predicts the air pockets in the styrofoam will decrease when the pressure is increased. What do you think will happen?
Interesting Things: I am surprised by the ways I have been prepared for life on a boat by classroom life in a public school. At West Johnston High School, in Benson, NC, we have fire drills at least once a month. On a boat, we have safety drills at least once a week. The horn blows a series of long and/or short blasts to let us know if there is a fire, a “MAN OVERBOARD”, or if we need to “ABANDON SHIP!”
Everyone must get into their Gumby suit in less than a minute during an emergency fire drill. The FRB (Fast Reserve Boat) practices the man overboard rescue!
The Science team on NOAA Ship Pisces EcoMon Summer 2025
Career Spotlight: Meet NOAA Ship Pisces’ new CO! Commander Sinquefield.
Commander Sinquefield, NOAA Ship Pisces
Did you know there was a Change of Command last month? Our new CO brings a wealth of knowledge and a desire to be a good leader. He showed me around the bridge this week and shared some of his background (BTW, the view on the bridge is amazing!). CDR Sinquefield’s command philosophy is to respect yourself, respect your shipmates, and respect your ship. Likewise, take care of yourself, take care of your shipmates, and take care of your ship. He believes in personal communication and fresh air.
The things he likes about being CO? He likes seeing things you just can’t see on shore, the continuity of historical traditions (like the language, for instance the word “starboard,” has had meaning for 1000 years), training, the opportunity to put into action leadership skills that he was taught and learned through leaders he admired, and regulations. OK, regulations might be pushing it, but he did say he had great respect for the loss of life that has prompted many of the regulations in the shipping industry today.
Growing up in Mississippi, he joined the Coast Guard to complete the trifecta of working in cotton fields, chicken plants, and river tugboats. CDR Sinquefield worked on three different ships while in the Coast Guard, hauled more 80-lb batteries up Alaskan mountains to replenish navigation lights than he’d care to remember, and became familiar with NOAA projects that informed fisheries reports on the west coast. He left the Coast Guard as ship assignments became highly competitive as the service was taking older ships offline at a greater rate then they were being replaced. He left the USCG and he joined NOAA as a civilian, later joining NOAA’s uniformed service, the NOAA Corps.
CO teaches the teacher about maps available for navigation. ENS Howsman (top right) stands watch on the bridge. The center of the circular device (bottom right) spins so fast during cold weather it keeps the area ice free.
CDR Sinquefield was able to earn his commercial shipping license, but doesn’t plan on driving a Mississippi tug boat anytime soon. He stands firm with NOAA’s of 10,000 people, 7 line offices, 15 research and survey ships, and 10 specialized environmental data collecting aircraft. The extraordinary mammals – we’re talking seals and blue whales here – affirm his career choice every. single. day.
Personal Log
Life on is very different from life on land. We work 12-hour shifts. Everyone gets to walk to work – I take 53 steps (10 of them are down 1 staircase) from my cabin door to the door of the dry lab. I take 19 steps to the mess hall for lunch and dinner. There are 67 steps (up 3 staircases) from my door to the Flying Bridge where I see gulls, Mola mola, a full view of the sun in the day, and a sky load of stars at night. I am there now, working on this Blog post when I am not distracted by nature.
Dorothy “working” on this BLOG on the Flying Bridge
One thing that is the same on a boat is the need to wash clothes (probably more frequently since everything had to fit in a carry-on bag and I needed that fleece sleeping bag just in case!). Here is a picture of the laundry room. The ship has 3 washers, 3 dryers, and all the detergent you need.
Dorothy checks out the washer and dryer on board. Detergent is provided. The most important rule when using is to clean out the dryer lint trap before AND after using. Extra Credit if you can tell me why!
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Coast, near Northern California
Date: September 2, 2024
Weather Data from the Bridge (Humboldt Canyon)
Latitude: 41.6º N
Longitude: 124.8º W
Wind Speed: S at 4.59 knots
Air Temperature: 15.1º C (59.18º F)
Conditions: Mostly Sunny
Science and Technology Log
One of the other interesting components of the EXPRESS Project is the use of MultiNets to study plankton in the mid layers of the water column. MultiNets are exactly what they sound like – a collection of nets that are lowered into the water to grab a sampling of plankton from the area. There are different ways of using MultiNets. Sometimes they are used horizontally, where they are dragged through the water to grab samples. For our mission, however, they are being deployed vertically.
MultiNet being lowered into the water with the ship’s winch
There are 5 nets that are each attached to a red canister. The net bags are all closed prior to deployment in the water, so that water flows freely through the frame. Upon the net frame being lowered to the deepest desired depth of study, the first net is opened to collect the water at that depth. As that canister is closed, the next one is opened at the new depth. This goes on as the MultiNet is pulled upwards until all 5 canisters have collected samples at the varying depths being studied. The MultiNet that is being used for this project also has a side net. The side net is used for capturing everything in the water column all the way up from 1000 meters upwards.
One of my favorite parts of the day is what I call “Show and Tell with Jenn,” where Jennifer Questel, the scientist deploying the MultiNet, goes through everything found in the collection from the side net. She pours small portions of the samples from the side net at a time into a glass dish to sift through and pull out the organisms of interest for separate preservation to study in a lab later.
Jennifer, sifting through the samples from the day’s collection
The jar of collected samples from the side net
The very first time she did this, I was so excited to see a few jellyfish and a lantern fish. I thought that was all that was caught. When Jenn went through the samples, however, she pulled out these incredible clear living organisms that I hadn’t even noticed floating in the sample water.
Examples of what Jenn found in her samples
I even got to hold a salp, which looks really squishy and slimy, but does not feel that way – it definitely has its own structure!
Holding a salp!
Personal Log
Captain Laura Gibson arranged for me to get a tour of the engine room. Although there is plenty of science in the ship’s day-to-day operations, too, I’m going to use the “Personal Log” section of my blog to discuss ship specifics, particularly since I’ve gotten so many questions about life on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
There are many systems that keep the ship operating. Obviously there is the engine that keeps the ship running, but there is so much that many people wouldn’t think of. For example, did you know that the water is put through a reverse osmosis system so that it is drinkable? I know we have a system like this in my basement for my house, but it is nothing compared to this system!
Reverse Osmosis System for the ship
There is a very important system on the ship that handles all of the waste from the toilets. It is a very sensitive system and it was reiterated many times that you CANNOT flush anything other than toilet paper down the pipes, or you will be very unpopular amongst the ship engineers! In fact, we learned that most ‘flushable wipes’ that you find are not flushable in any marine system. I imagine this is a system many of you would not have thought about, but it is a system that you definitely want to be working smoothly!
Engine room control board
The Chief Marine Engineer Rob Dillon has a digital system in which he can watch all aspects of NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada in action at any given moment. He is retiring in a month, and it was fun to hear his stories of working on steam ships first, then diesel, and also watching the transition to the digital displays. He has been all over the world, including making deliveries to the USSR before the end of the Cold War. I could have listened to his stories all day long!
Rudder Post – I could see the subtle turning as we were standing there!
The real fun was seeing the rudder control and the ship propeller. It was such a fascinating feeling to imagine what was happening in the water just on the other side of what I was seeing inside the ship!
Getting to the ship’s propeller shaft!
The ship’s propeller shaft – the cloth is there because they clean the shaft often to keep it running smoothly
Music Connection
Today’s music connection comes courtesy of Ensign Megan Sixt. I was visiting the bridge, and asking questions about the structure of the NOAA Corps (the uniformed service men and women who run the ship operations) and the science teams. Megan beautifully explained that the ship runs like a symphony orchestra – every person has their role, and each role is important. She talked about how there are certain roles on the ship that would be very difficult for her to do, and she is grateful for the people who do them so well on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
It is a very inspiring experience to watch the NOAA Corps and the science team collaborate. Both parties highly respect what the other is doing, and you can see that in every interaction. Everyone on the ship wants the mission to be successful and they all understand their individual role in making it happen. Just like in an orchestra where a trombonist would not be covering an oboist’s part, the people on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada know their role and do not try to tell other people what to do in their roles. It is so refreshing to be in a place where everyone appreciates and supports each other fully. The trust in each other and respect for each person is very high here, and it is a great lesson for the students I teach to hear about. There is rarely a collaboration that does not end in thanking the other person for their help, insight, or critique. The bigger picture – whether it is a scientific mission, or a symphony orchestra performance, is the ultimate goal that everyone focuses on.
Also, I want to share another audio clip with you all – this is what a group of albatross sound like. You can hear Popoki, as well, as we are recovering her from her dive.
This audio clip contains the sounds of the albatross
Student Questions
Part of the homework I had to do for the students I work with was to find out about squid in the area I am working. They will be excited to know that I saw one off the side of the ship tonight! I couldn’t get a picture of it, as the lighting was not great for an iphone photo. However, there also happens to be a squid in the lab for the freezer.
Pretty sure this guy wants to say hi to St. Bruno Wildcats!
The samples from the MultiNet have also included some tiny squid.
Jenn says this is paralarvae, probably from a squid, found in the side net collection
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: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Weather Data from the Bridge Sunrise 0613 | Sunset 2034 Current Time: 0900 (9:00 am Pacific Daylight Time) Lat 42 32.8 N, Lon 125 00.9 W Visibility: <1 nm (nautical miles) Sky condition: Overcast Present weather: Fog Wind Speed: 15 knots Wind Direction: 350° Barometer: 1017.9 mb Sea Wave height: 2 ft | Swell: 340°, 3 ft Sea temp: 16.6°C | Air Temp: 16°C Course Over Ground (COG): 090.2° Speed Over Ground (SOG): 9.9 knots
Science and Technology Log
Second Engineer Justin Halle provided a tour yesterday of the engine room and associated machinery kept running smoothly by the Engineering Department. Four Caterpillar brand diesel engines use about 1,800 gallons of fuel per day, although that number fluctuates depending on operations and weather. There are multiple fuel tanks in reserve that hold 5 – 15,000 gallons. A fuel manifold regulates fluid intake and a camera is fixed on fuel levels so the engineers can monitor them. Two valves per tank allow for filling or suction. Water evaporators separate sludge and water to keep fuel clean and bacteria free. We also looked up the exhaust shaft which vents out the top of the ship above the level of the flying bridge.
We viewed the propellor shaft that drives the main propulsion of the ship. A secondary means of propulsion is the bow thruster, but it is primarily used in close quarters situations such as docking and undocking. We did not view the bow thruster on our tour.
Two of the four diesel engines. OWS – oil & water separatorThe fuel manifold.The vacuum system that sucks our fluids down the drain. Second Engineer Justin Halle at the control panel.A tidy workbench.
There’s a whole water treatment system. The sewage part has a macerator that blends up, er, things just like the Ninja blender in your kitchen. Treated wastewater is vented to the ocean every few days, but cannot be pumped within three miles offshore or within marine sanctuaries. We consume approximately 1,400 gallons of water per day, and the ship can make potable water from seawater through reverse osmosis, evaporators, and water brought aboard from port. Water is treated with bromine, which is often used as an alternative to chlorine in swimming pools.
Workbenches and tools are kept tidy, with some tools and parts kept in a veritable library of large metal cabinets. An impressive control panel allows the engineers to look at the status of various systems at a glance. Performance logic controllers enable engineers to turn things on or off in the engine room from the control panel. Additional screens show a camera feed of potable water levels, the propulsion system, and the fire pump (only accessible down a hatch in the bow thruster space), which are all prone to flooding. Additional specifications for NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada can be viewed here.
Career feature
Matt fillets rockfish caught in the bycatch for a special lunchtime treat.
Matt McFarland, Chief Bosun
Give us a brief job description of what you do on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
We do a lot of fishing operations and I run all the gear. I run the nets and the winches. I put the nets out wherever the scientists are seeing the fish and we’ll go down to that depth. I’m responsible for the efficiency of the operation and safety of the six deck hands I have underneath me.
Note: Matt is also a “plank owner” meaning he was a member of the ship’s crew prior to the vessel being placed in commission. So, he has been with the Shimada before it was owned by NOAA and still belonged to the shipyard. The ship was built in Moss Point, Mississippi and Matt was a part of the crew when it was taken through the Panama Canal to serve in research operations on the West Coast.
What’s your educational background?
I grew up commercial fishing. After high school I went to a technical college for marine technology. So I can work at marinas, on boats and motors and this and that. After school I went back to commercial fishing for a while along with carpentry to supplement. Then about 2008 I decided I wanted to be a professional mariner and get my U.S. Coast Guard license. From there I found out about NOAA, joined in 2009 and have been here ever since. The Coast Guard license is about a three-week course; they teach you basic seamanship. In order to be in my position out on the ocean you need an AB, meaning able bodied seaman. The Ordinary Seaman (OS) is entry-level and I worked my way up over the years. So on the fishing boats we have different levels: general vessel assistant (OS), fisherman (the equivalent of an AB), the next step is skilled fisherman, then lead fisherman, then Chief Bosun is the leader of the Deck Department.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy the ocean. I love being out here. Growing up in commercial fishing, you work really hard and there’s no guarantee you’re going to get paid: if you don’t catch fish you don’t get a paycheck. So being here with NOAA means I get to continue to do what I love and if we don’t catch fish I still get paid. It’s a secure job. I have a passion for getting the science right and making sure things are getting done the way they should be done. We’re making regulations for the commercial industry and if our science is faulty, if we aren’t being efficient, then that’s not fair to them. I have family in commercial fishing, so it’s important to me. A lot of these guys are new to sailing and have never fished, so I’m passing on that knowledge. This isn’t as grueling as commercial fishing. It’s important to me to keep the industry going and get the science right.
What advice do you have for a young person interested in ocean-related careers?
Start with small trips. Make sure you like it. It’s not always beautiful out here. Some days there are rough seas, some people get sick, and for some people it’s just not for them. I would encourage youth to pursue it though. It’s a good way to get away from the news–you’re in your own little world out here. It’s a nice alternative lifestyle.
Do you have a favorite book?
I’d say Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling. The 1937 film version was actually done in my hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Gloucester is the oldest commercial fishing seaport in the United States. (The link will take you to some oral histories of Gloucester residents.)
XO Gibson considers a route using the nautical charts.
Laura Gibson, XO
Give us a brief job description of what you do on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
My job is the administrative side of the ship which includes staffing, budget, and spending a lot of time at my desk.
What’s your educational background?
I went to college in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I have a Bachelor’s in Science with a Geology focus.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy the camaraderie of the crew. Sometimes we’ll play games. I have a good time and feel like I’m doing a fine job when they are having a good time.
What advice do you have for a young person interested in ocean-related careers?
If you’re not opposed to sailing, check it out; there’s a high demand. It’s not the easiest lifestyle for everyone. You could be very successful at a young age in a maritime career. There’s a clear path forward. I was a merchant mariner before sailing with NOAA. They call it coming up the hawse pipe when you learn on deck how a ship works. I didn’t go to an academy but learned on the job. I accepted a commission with NOAA as a junior officer and started on NOAA Ship Pisces in Mississippi 14 years ago. While on the Pisces I helped with the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster. I was proud to be a part of the fleet of vessels that supported the aftermath of that event.
Do you have a favorite book?
The Gunslinger or Misery, by Steven King. I’m a King fan.
Taxonomy of Sights
Apparently there are more marine mammal sightings in Southern California and fewer as you head north. However, there have been whale spouts sighted every day. Our Chief Scientist says the humpback sightings pick up near Vancouver Island and waters north–although Leg 3 doesn’t extend that far..
Day 8. Bycatch highlights: splitnose rockfish, a 43-lb squid, the egg case of a skate, and a single lamprey. In the evening: whale spouts from the flying deck, and an aerial show from a brown booby (a seabird not normally seen this far north; it may have been a sub-species called Brewster’s brown booby) attempting to land on the jack staff and then on the bow–with limited success in a 24 knot wind Day 9. Saw Humpback flukes as they dove. Day 10. Beautiful shades of ocean blue…
Brewster’s brown booby photo taken by Nick, OSU Marine Mammal & Bird Observer
You Might Be Wondering…
How’s the food?
I am told our Chief Steward, Ronnie Pimentel, is one of the best in the NOAA fleet. Ronnie and Rich Lynch (Second Cook) tirelessly serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Creamy breakfast grits, blueberry pancakes, pulled pork sandwiches, soups, peanut butter cookies, lamb chops, taco Tuesdays, pizza night, yuuuum. Ronnie has been with NOAA for a year, and prior to that served the Navy 21 years as a Steward. Ronnie spends about $15,000 a month on food, which varies depending on the length of the voyage. Food is stored in two freezers (one large, one small) and two chill boxes (one large, one small). He typically uses about 300lbs of frozen vegetables, and has about one case of each type of food, like one of apples, one of bananas, etc. Depending on the size and tastes of the crew he’ll pack 60lbs of bacon, and various cakes for tempting treats.
tasty dinner
tasty breakfast
Floating Facts
NOAA Corps is the eighth uniformed service in the United States, although it is not an armed force—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force—and falls under the Department of Commerce, not the Department of Defense (DOD). Interestingly, the U.S. Coast Guard is not under the DOD either, but acts as a military branch and federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security. The Public Health Service is the other unarmed, but uniformed service.
NOAA Corps has the same benefits and rank system as the military. Currently NOAA Corps has three admirals. Read more about one of the admirals here. Officers are “active duty” meaning they have full-time employment and may be directed to go where they are needed. The term “billet” refers to the current job in which an officer is placed. Members of the Corps do a rotation of two years at sea and three years on land.
Personal Log
I have clean clothes! While using the washer and dryer machines on Sunday I saw why cleaning the lint traps is taken so seriously.
Clean the lint trap, save lives
Washing machines and dryers
Humor is the best medicine, and a great way to reckon with being cooped up on a ship for two weeks with 33 people. While reading through some posted protocols in the acoustics lab I came across this gem in the last row of “Shimada Sonar Frequencies.”
Shimada Sonar Frequencies
Another bit of humor comes from the bridge, where there used to be eight camera buttons. For the record, there are NO torpedo tubes aboard NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.
Repurposed camera buttons
I am attempting to collect permissible items from the catch, such as hake young-of-the-year, to take back to my classroom and incorporate in lessons for students. In doing so, I’m getting a crash course in properly preparing wet specimens. My first lesson was that freezing is the best route until items can be processed. This site was helpful to me in figuring out what additional tools I needed to do it properly. While I brought several glass vials for collecting, I did not bring formalin, isopropyl alcohol, or needles. So, for the duration of the research cruise my specimens are in the freezer. I live close to my port of return and so have a personal vehicle to transport items home. For future Teachers at Sea: If you are flying, there are limits in checked baggage. There are also strict rules for shipping. Start your research about shipping hazardous fluids here with FedEx, or here in a publication from Oregon State University.
Librarian at Sea
Librarians specialize in acquiring, organizing, and disseminating information for their target populations. The NOAA Central Library provides access to seminars, journals, NOAA publications, and daily weather maps to name a few. Then there’s NOAA’s Photo Library, which has over 80,000 searchable images in its online database. If you type in “hake” there are 114 results. I anticipate incorporating both databases into future lessons for my students.
A squid and I contemplate life in the Wet Lab.
LampreyPorbeagle shark photo taken by Nick, OSU Marine Mammal & Bird Observer
Hook, Line and Thinker
The title of today’s post comes from Siletz Nee-Di, an endangered language spoken by some of Oregon’s First People. In 1977, The Confederated Tribes of Siletz were second in the nation and first in Oregon to regain federal recognition. What is now Newport, Oregon was originally home to villages and family groups of the confederation—whose descendants still live in the area.
NOAA Fisheries includes tribal, indigenous, and underserved communities in their strategic priorities for 2023. (See strategy 1.5 in the document available here.) Oregon’s Senate Bill 13 (Tribal History/Shared History) directs educators to include curriculum about contemporary indigenous communities. I am interested in knowing more how NOAA Fisheries partners with local stakeholders in Oregon.
If access to your family’s traditional fishing grounds—a primary source of food and revenue—were suddenly cut off, what would you do to regain entry to those waters?
Read about a Washington state tribal leader who fought for fishing rights and will soon have a U.S. Navy ship named after him.
“What’s good for the fish is what’s good for the people.”
Map of Ancestral Tribal Homelands along the Oregon Coast
Flag of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
A Bobbing Bibliography Favorite books among the science crew:
Nick – The Earthsea Saga, by Ursula K. LeGuin Ethan – The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, by Alice Schroeder Liz – A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold Jake – In the Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss Sam – Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens
Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak to Yakutat Bay)
Date: 8/1/2019
Weather Data from the Gulf of Alaska: Lat: 59º 18.59’ N Long: 146º 06.18W
Air Temp: 14.8º C
Personal Log
We made it to Prince William Sound the other day, but I was asleep by the time we got all the way up. The part I did see, near the entrance, was pretty, but fog and clouds blocked the majority of the view. One of the beaches we attempted to fish by had what looked like an old red train car washed up on it. We wondered where it came from and how it got there!
Sunrise the day before we headed into Prince William Sound.
We are sailing the last few transects of the trip now and headed towards a small bay, called Broken Oar Bay, near Yakutat. Once we arrive, we need to calibrate the instruments used for collecting data and compare the results to the start of the trip. This will let the scientists know that their instruments are stable and making consistent measurements.
While calibrating we may have an opportunity to get a glimpse of the Hubbard Glacier at the head Yakutat Bay. The Hubbard Glacier is approximately 6 miles wide and when it calves, makes icebergs 3-4 stories tall. Fingers crossed we get to see it!
On a side note, I have been drawing while on the boat. Here are some photos!
One of the squids we caught… it was just a tiny little guy, about 2 cm.
Gus Beck, lead night fisherman, sat down with me yesterday and explained the main types of commercial fishing methods. Now I won’t get them mixed up.
This is my favorite one! Abigail’s drawing of a prowl fish. They have the best facial expressions.
Science and Technology Log:
The majority of my time has been spent above deck with the science and deck crews. Yesterday, I took the opportunity to head down below and learn some of the ways Oscar Dyson is kept running smoothly.
Some of the deck crew that are responsible for putting the nets out. Danielle, one of our senior survey techs, is up top and controls the movement of the net.
There are several areas/rooms that hold different types of equipment below deck. One of the largest rooms is the engine room, where not 2 or 3, but 4 engines are located. At night, 2 of the engines are needed since the ship sails slowly for camera drops. During the day, when traveling along the transects and fishing, 3 engines are used. Engines 1 and 2 are larger with 12 cylinders and 3 and 4 are smaller with 8 cylinders. These engines are attached to generators. The engines give moving force to the generators, which they then convert into kilowatts/power and as a result, power everything on board. Also, I learned that the boat has at least 2 of every major piece of equipment, just in case!
Two of the engineers, Kyle Mulkerin and Evan Brooks, who gave me a tour below deck. They are standing in front of engine #1.
The engine room also stores the water purification system, which Darin had mentioned to me the other day. He knew the ship converted seawater into potable water, but wasn’t exactly sure how the process worked. Here is a brief summary.
Seawater is pumped onto the boat and is boiled using heat from the engine.
Seawater is evaporated and leaves behind brine, which gets pumped off of the ship.
Water vapor moves through cooling lines and condenses into another tank producing fresh water.
The water is then run through a chemical bromide solution to filter out any left over unwanted particles.
The finely filtered water is stored in potable water holding tanks.
The last step before consumption is for the water to pass through a UV system that kills any remaining bacteria or harmful chemicals in the water.
Notes from Evan Brooks on how to convert seawater into potable water. I wish all my student’s notes were this neat and organized!
After the engine room, Kyle and Evan took me one level deeper into the lower engine room. There are a few other lower areas but, being a bit claustrophobic, I was happy we didn’t explore those. The lower engine room (or shaft alley) holds the large rotating shaft which connects directly to the propeller and moves the ship. It was neat to see!
Heading down into the lower engine area.
We rounded out the tour in a workshop that holds most of the tools on board. The engineers help fix things from engines to air conditioners to plumbing. This week I may even be able to see them do some welding work.
Did you know?
If a large piece of equipment needs to be replaced, they do not take it apart and lug it to the upper deck and off the boat. Instead, they cut a giant hole in the side of the ship and get the parts in and out that way. I had no idea!
