Gulf of Maine – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

August 8, 2025August 11, 2025

Dorothy Holley: The Driver’s Seat!? August 6, 2025

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Dorothy Holley

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

July 31 – August 15, 2025

Mission: Northeast Ecosystem Monitoring Survey (EcoMon)

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Blog Post #4: August 6, 2025

Weather Data from Bridge:
Latitude: 43^o20.065’ N
Longitude: 067^o11.122’ W
Relative Wind speed: 6
Wind Direction: 66
Air Temperature: 19.6
Sea Surface Temperature: 16.91
Barometric Pressure: 1029.76
Speed over ground: 9.3
Water Conductivity: 4.13
Water Salinity: 32.04

Dolphins on the bow!

First, A blog-reader reader emailed to ask me why they put tennis balls on the chairs in the mess hall. Their guess was that it keeps the chairs from sliding. What do you think? Should I ask the captain? Thanks for reading and asking questions!

portrait photo of Dorothy, wearing a sweatshirt, very large orange work overalls, and a swim vest. she stands on a narrow side deck of NOAA Ship Pisces, one hand on the rail and one hand on her hip. — *After a CTD collection, Dorothy watches the sunset*

view of the bridge room of NOAA Ship Pisces: we see control panels with monitors and displays, a chart table in the center, and a line of windows surrounding the room. — The BRIDGE: where the driving happens……

Second, an answer to the math problem from the last blog: If I filtered water from 3 CTD Rosette bottles for 12-minute protocols at 100 stops, then I would spend 2.5 days just on that project. (Yes, I could spend a fraction of a day on a project.)

Science at Sea: This Summer EcoMon cruise is collecting data that will be analyzed to support NOAA’s mission to protect, restore and manage the use of living marine, coastal, and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management. Our planned path through the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from Rhode Island to Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine, is shown in the map below. NOAA Ship Pisces is a floating weather station, reporting temperature and weather data (available on the Windy app).

a map of the station locations. the x axis ranges from 76 degrees West to 64 degrees West and the y axis ranges from 35 degrees north to 45 degrees north. We see the coastline from North Carolina's Outer Banks to Newfoundland. sample locations are marked with blue dots (bongo only stations), red dots (911 + CTD deployments) and red dots with black circles (both). A few green dots denote bongo sampling locations near wind energy areas.

Once we embarked, NOAA Corp members and Scientists evaluated weather data to determine it was preferable to go north before heading south. So, we are now in the Gulf of Maine, one of the most biologically productive marine ecosystems and possibly one of the most rapidly warming.

Unique bathymetry (that’s topography, but under water) of the area is shaped by the mixing of cool freshwater from the Arctic, the Labrador Current, and over 60 Nova Scotia to Cape Cod rivers with warmer salty Gulf Stream currents. Referred to as a semi-enclosed sea, the Gulf of Maine has shallow and deep areas such as the Bay of Fundy and Georges Shelf. As our polar ice cap melts, the Labrador Current and the more-shallow rivers become warmer. Warming temperatures strengthen the Gulf Stream. The “bath tub” effect for the Gulf of Maine translates to warming at nearly three times the global ocean average. (Read more about the Gulf of Maine and Acadia National Park’s 60 miles of coastline and 18 islands in the U.S. National Park Service here )

We have had to maneuver around humpback whales and tons of lobster pots to reach our stops and collect data that will better help scientists understand and manage this important ecosystem. But when we talk about how fast we are going, those steering the ship use the unit of “knots” instead of mph. Why?!

screenshot of Google maps from Dorothy's phone showing the current location: the blue dot surrounded by solid blue (which is how the ocean appears on Google maps)

Screenshot Photos of Dorothy’s phone: Google Maps isn’t very helpful in the ocean!

Interesting Things: Mariners (and aviators) don’t have road maps or Google maps to steer them. They must navigate using latitude and longitude readings, based on the circumference of the earth. One nautical mile is equivalent to one minute of latitude, and one nautical mile per hour is then called one knot. NOAA Ship Pisces cruises at around 8 knots between stops. My land-based brain is still trying to convert!

On the bridge, our NOAA Corps is constantly figuring out speed, time, and distance problems to make sure the Pisces is getting where it needs to be on time, or how we’ll pass with another vessel. LT Urquhart posts the stations for the following day in our “Plan for the Day” Communication.

You do the Math: If 1 knot = 1.15 mph, how long (in hours) will it take us to get to the next stop, 15 miles away? Remember, the ship is traveling at 8 knots. Check in the next blog post for the answer.

Career Spotlight

LT Karina Urquhart

LT Karina Urquhart is a part of the Ship’s NOAA Corps. In other words… She gets to DRIVE THE SHIP! (NOAA Ship Pisces currently has seven NOAA Corps officers, collectively called the Wardroom.) A fascination with the ocean and a strong work ethic developed through years of competitive swimming propelled her into this role. Growing up in Sanford, Maine, she began swimming in elementary school. While she appreciated the access to deep family roots, her mom also grew up in Sanford, she chose to leave Maine to attend college and continue swimming. (She didn’t especially enjoy academic studies, but figured the classes would take care of themselves. Right?)

Graduating from Clark University in Massachusetts with a degree in Environmental Science Conservation Biology and a minor in Studio Art, LT Urquhart returned to Maine summer beach lifeguarding and then found a USDA Pathways Internship in Washington, DC. The lifeguarding and internship experiences, especially spending 8-hour shifts with a colleague observing ocean currents and movements, set the stage for her NOAA Corp Basic Officer Training Class (BOTC) application. Once accepted, she was trained in ship handling and navigation to prepare her for her role as an Officer in NOAA.

BOTC provided many opportunities to sharpen her problem solving and perseverance skills. She often said, “I can do one more week of this,” and then, at some point, it got better. Her first ship assignment was on NOAA Ship Rainier, for 2.5 years, where she conducted hydrographic operations from Alaska to Guam. LT Urquhart took the technical foundation she gained from Rainier and then rotated into a three-year land assignment at NOAA’s National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) where she supported seafloor and lakebed habitat mapping. While working full time, she pursued a master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, from the University of Maryland.

As advice for people starting a new opportunity, LT Urquhart suggests leaning into the things that scare you the most because they’ll probably help you grow the most. It’s scary for a reason. If you feel stressed or overwhelmed, she suggests doing the thing that you don’t want to do first. Sometimes you just have to get over it and sometimes you have to be the person pushing yourself. LT Urquhart credits her experiences in NOAA with helping her distinguish between the challenges she can overcome, when to ask for help, and when to take a step back.

As one of two Operations Officers on board Pisces, LT Urquhart invests in the crew and scientists on our EcoMon mission, making sure we have what we need so that our mission runs as smoothly as possible. She prints the daily “Plan of the Day” listing the stops and times we’ll be collecting samples. She begins by asking “where do I think we’ll be at midnight?” and “Is this 24 hours worth of stations + transits?”. She credits our electronics and Navigation Officer (ENS Cheney) for doing much of the leg work (and math!) for the team. One tool she says that she couldn’t live without are the RADARs– the ship’s eyes that let us see objects and hazards way further than we can actually see. I’m personally glad that she has her camera. While taking pictures is not a part of her official duties, you may have noticed I’ve posted LT Urquhart’s photos in some of my blogs.

Currently, LT Urquhart is reading The Hero Within by Carol S Pearson and On Character by Stanley McChrysal. Two books she would highly recommend are Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man, by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic and The Curve of Time, by M. Wylie Blanchet. I enjoy reading her daily updates. Thank you for communicating so well!

Personal Log

Here are some pictures of my cabin (called a stateroom). In the last blog, I posted some amazing pictures taken by my cabinmate Alyssa. Since we are working opposite shifts, we each feel like we have a private stateroom! While I think I am the oldest person onboard, Alyssa (a college student) is the youngest. I wonder if she can share more information on NOAA scholarships, internships, and volunteer opportunities available to college-aged students? Maybe we should ask….

view into a stateroom: we see two bunkbeads with curtains, a window with the curtain drawn, a desk chair, a suitcase. — Berths

view out the stateroom window: a plastic ducky with a sailor's hat sits on the sill looking outward — Berths

Photos: Home, sweet home on NOAA Ship Pisces!

Isn’t it nice to have so many great photographers in one place? It has been said that a picture says a thousand words. Come meet a member of the science team who has published two bird books in my next blog…

Beautiful sunset over the Atlantic

August 16, 2024August 19, 2024

Tonya Prentice: Time for Bongos, August 15, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Tonya Prentice

Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow

August 8 – August 24, 2024

Mission: Northeast Ecosystem Monitoring Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Date: August 15, 2024

Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 42.26980º N
Longitude: 66.08756º W
Wind Speed: 11 mph due N
Air Temperature: 15.4° Celsius (59.7° F)
Sea Temperature: 18.2 Celsius (64.8° F)

Science and Technology Log

Behind the Scenes: Collecting Plankton Samples on Our Mission
During this mission, we will be collecting plankton samples from over 120 stations in the Gulf of Maine and further south along the East Coast (see the figure below; Summer ECOMON Track Lines).

a political map of the waters of the northeastern shelf, focused on Newport, RI, extending as far north as Southern Maine and as far south as eastern New Jersey. a bright green icon approximately the shape of a vessel sits on Newport, surrounded by radial lines marking every 30 degrees. large blue dots throughout the coastal waters mark sampling stations. They are connected by straight black line segments showing the track of the survey. there are also some smaller black dots connected by bright green line segments. extra labels mark Georges Bank (east of Cape Cod), Maine, and Mount Desert Island. — Summer EcoMon Track Lines

But why focus on plankton? Plankton are the foundation of all oceanic food webs, crucial for the survival of larger fish, marine mammals, and birds. Any changes in plankton biomass can have ripple effects throughout the entire ocean ecosystem, impacting a wide range of species.

By studying plankton, we gain insights into the health of our oceans. The data collected from these samples will be invaluable in estimating the populations of certain fish species and identifying key spawning areas. Moreover, we can observe how fish populations are shifting or altering their habitats in response to environmental changes and other stressors. (NOAA Fisheries)

Collecting plankton samples during this mission is a collaborative effort, requiring the expertise of the NOAA Corp, engineers, deckhands, survey technicians, and scientists. Together, we work to deploy, retrieve, and prepare the plankton samples for research.

We use two types of Bongo nets for sampling: Baby Bongos, set in a 20 cm frame, and Big Bongos, set in a 60 cm frame. Each net has a specific purpose: one is labeled “I” for Ichthyoplankton and the other “Z” for Zooplankton. These nets, made from 333 µm mesh, are equipped with flow meters to measure the volume of water filtered during each tow.

Once the Bongo nets are lowered into the water, the Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) sensors immediately start gathering conductivity, temperature, and depth data. The nets are then lowered to about 10 meters above the sea floor and gradually pulled back to the surface. Care is taken to ensure the nets don’t touch the ocean floor, avoiding the need for a recast. Today, for instance, we collected samples from around 230 meters deep!

When the Bongo nets are retrieved, we promptly rinse down the nets to flush the plankton into the codends at the bottom of the nets. The nets are then untied, and the plankton are flushed into a sieve pan.

Next, we carefully rinse the plankton from the sieve into a glass jar, preserving the sample by adding 5% Formalin. The jar is then topped off with seawater, labeled with the station/event, and inverted several times to ensure the sample is well-mixed. On average, we collect about 32 jars of plankton per day.

Finally, the plankton are ready to be shipped off to a lab to be sorted and counted.

Steps for collecting plankton:

View from a side deck of NOAA Ship Bigelow as chain lowers nets into the water; the openings of the nets are two large round circles, and the fine mesh plankton nets extend down in cones from each ring. Two crewmembers wearing hard hats and life vests stand at the rail to guide the nets down. It is sunset, and the sun is almost at the horizon, creating a band of bright orange between the dark blue water and sky. — 1. Lowering the Bongo Nets into the water.

top down view of two pairs of bongo nets rising out of the ocean. The smaller pair are attached to the cable above the larger pair. Their fine-mesh nets extend in cones beneath circular openings. The sky and the water are gray. — 1. Lowering the Bongo Nets into the water.

Personal Log

Life Aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow: A 24/7 Operation

The NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow never sleeps, which means someone is always awake and hard at work. This is no cruise ship—everyone aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow has a vital role to play. Most crew members work 12-hour shifts, ensuring the ship’s operations continue smoothly around the clock. In addition, all the department crew are responsible for safety drills, and are trained in firefighting and lifesaving equipment.

As part of the science crew, I work from 3 am to 3 pm, while my roommate takes over from 3 pm to 3 am. Our team of scientists are constantly collecting and uploading data to support our mission. Engineers, deckhands, and survey technicians work shifts from 12 am to 12 pm or 12 pm to 12 am.

Engineers keeping everything running efficiently and addressing any technical issues that may arise. They are responsible for the safe and proper operation of a ship’s machinery and equipment and other mechanical and electronic equipment onboard.

Survey technicians assist in the operations, monitoring, handling, and maintenance of various scientific gear. This includes annotating records and recording data; assist in the staging and set-up during preparations for, and at the completion of oceanographic or fishery research. They also perform oceanographic or fisheries observations, measurements, and calculations, assisting in the preparations, installation, deployment and recovery of oceanographic or fishery research equipment. (NOAA Survey Department)

The Deck Department operates the cranes and winches to deploy scientific equipment, and maintain the material condition of the ship. Electronics Technicians maintain the ship’s computer network and vital emergency communication and navigation equipment.

The NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps) operate and navigate the ship, and monitor oceanographic and atmospheric conditions, ensuring our safety and guiding us through each phase of the mission.

And let’s not forget some of my favorite crew members—the stewards, who keep us well-fed with amazing meals and plenty of delicious snacks.

Given the non-stop nature of our work, it’s important to remember that someone is always sleeping. This means being mindful of your noise level: avoid slamming doors, walk quietly down the halls, and always use your “inside voice” when moving about the ship. When living and working in such close quarters, professionalism, civility, and respect are essential to maintaining a happy and welcoming work environment.

a bulletin board labeled Meet the Crew! Tacked to the board with colored push pins are printed photos of 26 people, grouped by department: NOAA Corps (8 people), Engineering Department (7 people), Electronic Tech Department (2), Survey Department (3), Deck Department (4), Steward Department (2)

Did You Know?
There are currently 42 species of dolphins and seven species of porpoises. (Whale and Dolphin Conservation). Check out these videos captured this week of both Bottlenose and Common Dolphins riding alongside the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow! Can you spot the difference between Bottlenose and Common Dolphins?

Bottlenose Dolphins

Common Dolphins

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

Susan Dee: To the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, June 1, 2018

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Susan Dee

Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow

May 23 – June 7, 2018

Mission: Spring Ecosystem Monitoring Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northeastern Coast of U.S.

Date: June 1, 2018

Weather From Bridge

Latitude: 41° 25.4′ N
Longitude: 068° 16.3′ W
Sea Wave Height: 1-2 ft
Wind Speed: 16 kts
Wind Direction: SE
Visibility: Hz
Air Temperature: 12.5°C
Sky: OVC

Science and Technology Log

After completing a southern route past Long Island, New Jersey and Delaware, the Henry B. Bigelow headed north to the Gulf of Maine (GOM). The first sampling stations in GOM were located on the continental shelf close to the slope. After sampling in the Northeast Channel of the GOM, stations will be dispersed throughout the Gulf of Maine. Phytoplankton is continuously imaged through the Imaging Flow Cyto Bot and collection is going well. Below is a recent image taken. Can you find Thallasonemia or Ceratium?

phytoplankton 3 — *Image of Phytoplankton taken by IFCB*

At various stations instead of towing bongo nets with a CTD attached, a CTD, Rosette, is deployed with niskin bottles. CTD contain sensors that measure Conductivity (salinity), Temperature and Depth. The data gathered provides profiles of chemical and physical parameters of the ocean.

CTD with 12 canisters on deck — CTD on bottom of instrument with 12 Niskin bottles forming a rosette.

CTD Rosette entering-water.jpg — CTD, commonly known as Rosette. Note the rosette shape at top of bottles

The great feature of the rosette is its ability to collect water using Niskin bottles as hydrographic instruments. Opened bottles are lowered into the ocean and at the desired depth a bottle is closed and brought to the surface without mixing with other water so pure samples can be taken at different depths. Back on board, water is taken from the Niskin bottles and nutrient, chlorophyll and carbon dioxide tests are run on the samples.

taking water samples susan — Susan taking water samples from niskin bottles to perform chlorophyll tests at 3 different depths.

chlorophyll extraction — Chlorophyll extraction set up

Georges Bank is in the southern part of the Gulf of Maine. The bank separates the Gulf of Maine from the Atlantic Ocean. It is a huge shoal that is 100 meters higher than the surrounding ocean floor and is a very productive area of the continental shelf. The mingling of the Labrador current from the north and the Gulf stream on the eastern edge plus sunlight in shallow waters, creates an ideal environment for phytoplankton and zooplankton. Once a bountiful fishery, it is presently recovering from over fishing. Federal Fishery regulations aim to ensure recovery of the area and future sustainability. The data samples collected will give a good idea of the recovery of this area. The pink line below shows the route taken by our ship in the southern Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank.

When we were near the Northeast Channel in the Gulf of Maine, Latitude 41° 53.2′ N and Longitude 65°47.0′ W, I deployed a satellite-tracked Drifter Buoy decorated with our school name May River Sharks. The drifter buoy will send GPS and temperature data to a NOAA website and students will be able to track its path. This area was chosen to deploy because the Labrador current from the north meets with the Gulf Stream and hopefully the buoy will get caught up in one of the currents. It will be fun for students to track the buoy path in the fall. Wonder where it will go???

Susan&Buoy — Susan decorating Buoy- May River High School Sharks

DCIM100GOPROG0021640. — Buoy splashing into water

buoy floating — Oh where, oh where, will you go?

Personal Log:

So far this trip the weather has been great. Seas have been calm and temperatures good. I have fallen into a nice routine each day. My shift concludes at midnight; I go to bed till 9:00AM; work out; shower and get ready for next 12 hour shift. I eat lunch and dinner each day and a midnight snack. The days are long but never boring. The crew aboard the Henry B Bigelow is awesome. Internet is sporadic but I was able to face-time with my daughter. Technology is a big part of this whole operation. All the programs collecting temperature, salinity and phytoplankton rely on computer programs to run. Second to the chef, the IT person is invaluable. They are trouble shooting problems all day to make sure the collection of data is working. During the longer steams from station to station, I have the opportunity to talk to crew and other scientists. Each person is excited about science. I have never been involved in real science research and I find each day to be fascinating. There is so much time and effort put into collecting the samples. This cruise will collect samples from over 100 stations that will be analyzed and supply much data to give a good picture of the state of our Northeast coastline waters and fisheries.

Today was the last day of school for the year for May River High School. Graduation is Tuesday and my thoughts will be with everyone. Congratulations to all my students, especially the seniors.

Answers to Phytoplankton Identification:

Thallasonemia- upper left corner

Ceratium- middle top

May 22, 2015August 21, 2021

DJ Kast, Interview with Jessica Lueders-Dumont, May 22, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Dieuwertje “DJ” Kast
Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow
May 19 – June 3, 2015

Mission: Ecosystem Monitoring Survey
Geographical area of cruise: East Coast
Date: May 22, 2015, Day 4 of Voyage

Interview with Jessica Lueders-Dumont

Who are you as a scientist?

Jessica Lueders-Dumont is a graduate student at Princeton University and has two primary components of her PhD — nitrogen biogeochemistry and historical ecology of the Gulf of Maine.

Jessica Lueders- Dumont, graduate student at Princeton cleaning a mini bongo plankton net for her sample. Photo by: DJ Kast

What research are you doing?

Her two projects are, respectively,

A) Nitrogen cycling in the North Atlantic (specifically focused on the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank but interested in gradients along the entire eastern seaboard)

B) Changes in trophic level of Atlantic cod in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank over the history of fishing in the region. The surprising way in which these two seemingly disparate projects are related is that part A effectively sets the baseline for understanding part B!

She is co-advised by Danny Sigman and Bess Ward. Danny’s research group focuses on investigating climate change through deep time, primarily by assessing changes in the global nitrogen cycle which are inextricably tied to the strength of the biological pump (i.e. biological-mediated carbon export and storage in the ocean). Bess’s lab focuses on the functional diversity of marine phytoplankton and bacteria and the contributions of these groups to various nitrogen cycling processes in the modern ocean, specifically as pertains to oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). She is also advised by a Olaf Jensen, a fisheries scientist at Rutgers University.

In both of these biogeochemistry labs, nitrogen isotopes (referred to as d15N, the ratio of the heavy 15N nuclide to the lighter 14N nuclide in a sample compared to that of a known standard) are used to track nitrogen cycling processes. The d15N of a water mass is a result of the relative proportions of different nitrogen cycling processes — nitrogen fixation, nitrogen assimilation, the rate of supply, the extent of nutrient utilization, etc. These can either be constrained directly via 15N tracer studies or can be inferred from “natural abundance” nitrogen isotopic composition, the latter of which will be used as a tool for this project.

Nitrogen Cycle in the Ocean. Photo credit to: https://wordsinmocean.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/n-cycle.png

On this cruise she has 3 sample types — phytoplankton, zooplankton, and seawater nitrate — and two overarching questions that these samples will address: How variable is “baseline d15N” along the entire eastern seaboard, and does this isotopic signal propagate to higher trophic levels? Each sample type gives us a different “timescale” of N cycling on the U.S. continental shelf. She will be filtering phytoplankton from various depths onto filters, she will be collecting seawater for subsequent analysis in the lab, and she will be collecting zooplankton samples — all of which will be analyzed for nitrogen isotopic composition (d15N).

Biogeochemistry background:

Biogeochemists look at everything on an integrated scale. We like to look at the box model, which looks at the surface ocean and the deep ocean and the things that exchange between the two.

The surface layer of the ocean: euphotic zone (approximately 0-150 m-but this range depends on depth and location and is essentially the sunlit layer); nutrients are scarce here.

When the top zone animals die they sink below the euphotic zone and into the aphotic zone (150 m-4000m), and the bacteria break down the organic matter into inorganic matter (nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4) and silicate (Si(OH)3.). In terms of climate, an important nutrient that gets cycled is carbon dioxide.We look at the nitrate, phosphate, and silicate as limiting factors for biological activity for carbon dioxide, we are essentially calculating these three nutrients to see how much carbon dioxide is being removed from the atmosphere and “pumped” into the deep sea. This is called the biological pump. Additionally, the particulate matter that falls to the deep sea is called Marine Snow, which is tiny organic matter from the euphotic zone that fuels the deep sea environments; it is orders of magnitude less at the bottom compared to the top.

Cycling — Visual Representation of the aphotic and euphotic zones and the nutrients that cycle through them. Photo by: Patricia Sharpley

Did you know that the “Deep sea is really acidic, holds a lot of CO2 and is the biggest reservoir of C02 in the world?” – From Jessica Lueders- Demont, graduate student at Princeton.

One of the most important limiting factors for phytoplankton is nitrogen, which is not readily available in many parts of the global ocean. “A limiting nutrient is a chemical necessary for plant growth, but available in quantities smaller than needed for algae and other primary producers to increase their abundance. Organisms can grow and reproduce only when they have sufficient nutrients. For algae, the carbon source is CO₂and this, at least in the surface water, has a constant value and is not limiting their growth. The limiting nutrients are minerals (such as Fe⁺²), nitrogen, and phosphorus compounds” (Patricia Sharpley 2010).

Conversely, phosphorus is the limiting factor on land. The most common nitrogen is molecular nitrogen or N2, which has a strong bond to break and biologically it is very expensive to fix from the atmosphere.

Biological, chemical, and physical oceanography all work together in this biogeochemistry world and are needed to have a productive ocean. For example, we need the physical oceanography to upwell them to the surface so that the life in the euphotic zone can use them.

Activities on the ship that I am assisting Jessica with:

Zooplankton collected using mini bongos with a 165 micron mesh and then further filtered at meshes: 1000, 500, and ends with 250 microns, this takes out all of the big plankton that she is not studying and leaves only her own in her size range which is 165-200 microns.
She is collecting zooplankton water samples because it puts the phytoplankton that she is focusing on into perspective.

The last of the mesh buckets that's filtering for phytoplankton. Photo by: DJ Kast — The last of the mesh buckets that’s filtering for phytoplankton. Photo by: DJ Kast

- Aspirator pump sucks out all of the water so that the zooplankton are left on a glass fiber filter (GFFs) on the filtration rack.

Aspirator pump that is on the side sucks out all of the air so that the plankton get stuck on the filters at the bottom of the cups seen here. Photo by: DJ Kast
Bottom of the cup after all the water has been sucked through. Photo by: DJ Kast
Jessica removing the filter with sterilized tweezers to place into a labeled petri dish. Photo by: DJ Kast

Labeled petri dish with GFF of phytoplankton on it. Photo by: DJ Kast

Video of this happening:

Phytoplankton filtering:

Jessica collecting her water sample from the Niskin bottle in the Rosette. Photo by DJ Kast

Up close shot of the spigot that releases water from Niskin bottle in the Rosette. Photo by DJ Kast

DJ Kast helping Jessica collect her 4 L of seawater from the Niskin bottle in the Rosette. Photo by Jerry P.

DJ and Jessica collect her 4 L of seawater from the Niskin bottle in the Rosette. Photo by Jerry P.

Chief Scientist Jerry Prezioso and Megan Switzer next to the CTD and Rosette Photo by: DJ Kast

May 21, 14:00 hours: Phytoplankton filtering with Jessica.

In addition to the small bottles Jessica needs, we filled 4 L bottles with water at the 6 different depths (100, 50, 30, 20, 10, 3 m) as well.

We then brought all the 4 L jugs into the chemistry lab to process them. The setup includes water draining through the tubing coming from the 4 L jugs into the filters with the GFFs in it. Each 4 L jug is filtered by 2 of these filter setups preferably at an equal rate. The deepest depth 100 m was finished the quickest because it had the least amount of phytoplankton that would block the GFF and then a second jug was collected to try and increase the concentration of phytoplankton on the GFF.

Phytoplankton filtration setup. Photo by DJ Kast

The filter and pump setup up close. Photo by DJ Kast

Up close shot of the GFF within the filtration unit. Photo by DJ Kast

Jessica keeping an eye on her filtration system to make sure nothing is leaking and that there are no air bubbles restricting water flow. Photo by DJ Kast

Here I am helping Jessica setup the filtration unit.Photo by Jessica Lueders- Dumont

The GFF with the phytoplankton (green stuff) on it. Photo by: DJ Kast

There are 2 filters for each depth, and since she has 12 filtration bottles total, then she would be collecting data from 6 depths. She collects 2 filters so that she has replicates for each depth.

Here they are all laid out to show the differences in phytoplankton concentration.

The 6 depths worth of GFFs. See how the 30 m is the darkest. Thats evidence for the chlorophyll max. Photo by: DJ Kast

She will fold the GFF in half in aluminum foil and store it at -80C until back in the lab at Princeton. There, the GFF’s are combusted in an elemental analyzer and the resulting gases run through a mass spectrometer looking for concentrations of N2 and CO2. The 30 m GFF was the most concentrated and that was because of a chlorophyll maximum at this depth.

Chlorophyll maximum layers are common features of vertically stratified water columns. There is a subsurface maximum or layer of chlorophyll concentration. These are found throughout oceans, lakes, and estuaries around the world at varying depths, thicknesses, intensities, composition, and time of year.

May 8, 2014August 20, 2021

Chris Henricksen: Standing My First Watch, May 8, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Chris Henricksen

Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow

April 29–May 10, 2014

Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Maine

Mission: Spring Bottom Trawl & Acoustic Survey

Date: May 7, 2014

Air Temp: 9.1°C (48.38°F)

Relative Humidity: 73%

Wind Speed: 10.83mph

Barometer: 1011.7mb

Science and Technology Log

My section stands watch from midnight to noon–twelve hours on, twelve hours off. Today I stood my first watch, acting as one of three “recorder” on the fish sorting line. A recorder’s role is to assist his assigned “cutter” by entering requested measurement data (e.g., length, weight, etc.) of individual fish into a computer database. The cutter processes fish by identifying the species, then performing any number of actions (i.e., cuts, as in, with a knife) in order to retrieve information about particular fish for later use by scientists. Such data will consist of measuring, weighing, and sexing the fish, as well as checking the contents of its stomach. Other particular data may be gathered, such as collecting otoliths (ear bones) from the head of the fish.

photo of net prep — Preparing the net for our first trawl

After getting underway, the captain called a series of drills, one of which was abandon ship. During this exercise, I reported to the aft deck of the ship, donned a “Gumby” survival suit, which is bright orange/red, keeps you warm while in the water, and helps you to stay afloat. Following that, we had a collision drill. In a disaster scenario, everyone has a muster station, so that we can be counted, and then help control the situation, if need be.

photo of abandon ship drill — Abandon Ship Drill

Today was my first of about a dozen watches I will stand. It went smoothly, but there was considerable down time. The first stations (the areas in which the nets are lowered and trawling begins) were about 25 nautical miles from one another, so it took a couple of hours to steam from one station to the next. During this time, I was able to relax, grab a bite, or hang out with other members of my watch. Personal Log The food aboard ship is very good, and there is plenty of it. Between mealtimes, the cook makes sure that plenty of drinks and snacks are available, so there is no reason to go hungry aboard the Henry B. Bigelow. The ship has a huge library of DVDs with many new movies. We can also watch TV thanks to a satellite connection (DirectTV). The only things I am not allowed to do are 1) re-enter my stateroom after going on watch, as there is always an off-watch shipmate trying to catch some shuteye, and 2) make a surprise appearance on the bridge, which is where the NOAA officers navigate and steer the ship. That’s for safety, and I am sure they would welcome me, as long as I called ahead first. I am tired, but feeling pretty good. I boarded the ship wearing an anti-motion sickness patch, fearing that, after twenty years of not being at sea, I might be susceptible to seasickness. The medicine made me feel awful, so I took it off, and now feel much better! I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy the rocking of a ship. It’s an especially good way to fall asleep–gently rocking…