Gulf of Maine – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

June 17, 2026June 18, 2026

Amber LaMonte: Ctrl + Alt + Ecosystems to Equipment: A Side-Quest for the Techies, June 8, 2026

Amber posing inside a ship's bridge, with four NOAA Corps officers wearing dark blue uniforms. Amber is wearing her blue Teacher at Sea t-shirt. They are smiling, with windows showing a view of the sea in the background. — An honor to take a photo with (from left to right) XO Pestone, Lt Urquhart, Lt Zoller and CO Sinquefield

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Amber LaMonte

May 31 – June 10, 2026

Mission: Northeast Ecosystem Monitoring Survey (EcoMon)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Maine
Date: June 8, 2026

Data from the Bridge
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 11:44 PM
Latitude: 043° 33.456’ N
Longitude: 070° 38.739’ W
Doppler Wind Speed: 17.4 knots (kt)
True Wind Speed: 14.06 knots (kt)
Wave Height: 5’
Air Temperature: 9.44°C/49°F
Wet Bulb Temperature: 7.9°C/46.2°F
Bottom Depth: 168 m
Sky: Clear

For this post, I tried to step aside from my biologist bias (it was an insightful challenge) and highlight the technical aspects of running an ecosystem science operation. I have provided numerous links to illustrate the path to various careers and future research being conducted with NOAA.

A close-up view of the white side of a blue and white buoy with the text 'Class of 2028' written in black marker. — *Here comes 2028*

Last Buoy

Deploying the last buoy with my Shipmate Ave Cieplinski

Global drifter buoy #3, a.k.a. LaMonster, for those of the class of 2028 taking my course and ready to learn all about our planet and ocean! We are now in the Gulf of Maine after making our way through Georges Bank, where this drifter was deployed at 40°14.560’N 067°39.008’W on the southernmost station of this region.

The Gulf of Maine is a semi-enclosed sea bordered by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Beneath the surface, Georges Bank helps shape currents and separates the Gulf from the Atlantic south of Cape Cod. Just beyond this boundary, the cold Labrador Current and warm Gulf Stream meet. Inside the Gulf, coastal geography redirects these waters, forming a gyre that pushes cold water southward.

Map illustrating the general circulation patterns in the Gulf of Maine during the stratified season, with bathymetric contours marking areas of different depth. Blue arrows depict shallower currents occurring at less than 75 meters deep while red lines depict deeper currents occurring more than 150 meters deep. — Currents Map of the Gulf of Maine (Source: WHOI)

What I find most intriguing is how this balance is shifting; the Labrador Current now carries more freshwater from melting ice, while the Gulf Stream is moving north. These changes matter; many marine species depend on specific temperature ranges, so even small shifts in currents can reshape entire ecosystems. I chose to deploy at this location so that my students will hopefully see the data pattern showing how quickly the drifter moves into the Gulf Stream.

Science and Technology Log

Illustration of a data-collecting ocean drifter equipped with an antenna, surface float, sensors for measuring sea surface temperature, and a subsurface drogue, transmitting information via satellite. — Components of a Drifter
(Source: NOAA Global Drifter Program)

A global drifting buoy, or drifter, is an instrument designed to measure sea surface temperature along with variables such as atmospheric pressure, wind, wave height, and salinity. As these buoys move naturally with ocean currents, onboard sensors collect data and transmit it to satellites, allowing scientists to track their positions over time and map ocean circulation patterns. These drifters provide essential data to validate satellite data and improve forecasts. A critical feature of each drifter is its drogue, or sea anchor, which extends about 20 meters (65 feet) below the surface. Connected by a long tether, the drogue ensures the drifter follows ocean currents rather than being pushed by wind: without it, the instrument would drift like a lightweight object at the surface.

Through our participation in the Adopt a Drifter program, this technology becomes tangible for students. They can follow real drifters and analyze authentic data in near real time; in this way, they’re actively engaging with live information and thinking like scientists as they interpret it. I cannot wait for students to discover the origin story next year! At the time of writing this post, the LaMonster had made its way across a degree of longitude in only a few days.

*Screenshot from the interactive map of the Global Drifter Program (GDP) Array*

The data generated by these drifters are compiled into a comprehensive dataset providing hourly estimates of sea surface temperature and ocean currents. The buoys last around 400 days but scientists are already trying to improve the power capability, read here. Managed and quality-controlled by NOAA’s Drifter Data Assembly Center (DAC) at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), the dataset ensures accuracy and consistency. Rich metadata, such as deployment details, drogue status, drifter type, and identification information, further supports meaningful analysis and real-world scientific investigation such as used here.

Methodology & Careers

(1) Nick Vang, Survey Tech, in front of the continuous flow water system. (2) Computer view of the multi-beam sonar data. (3) Styrofoam cup before and after placement, along with the CTD at depths to illustrate the pressure. (4) Single beam sonar output viewed as the CTD and bongos are deployed. (5) Nick demonstrates the software needed to run and interpret the numerous radars on board.

Meet Nick Vang, a survey tech with NOAA currently serving as an augmenter, a role in which he not only runs operations in the acoustics lab but also coordinates with the science team, deck crew and bridge to ensure the execution of the mission runs smoothly. I just love that title “augmenter” and have decided to use it next in lieu of “teacher” ( I’m kind of joking, but not really; I probably will work it in at some point). This is because we know that, as teachers, we are not just running operations in one particular room on one particular day, but rather focusing on the bigger picture of the whole school year as our mission.

In the acoustics lab, the EM2040 is a high-resolution scientific multibeam sonar system used to collect detailed data from both the water column and the ocean floor. In simple terms, the system works by sending out a cone-shaped sound wave, often called a “ping”, toward the seafloor down to 300 meters. This sound reflects off the ocean bottom and returns to the ship, allowing onboard computers to calculate the distance traveled. From this information, a map of the seafloor begins to take shape.

The survey tech team refines the raw data by correcting factors such as tides, sound speed and vessel offset, ensuring the measurements align accurately. The techs go through a training program when hired that is specific to using the software used by NOAA ships. One area in which software has advanced is its ability to read any “noise” that is not the actual bottom and compute the depth accurately. The processed data is then transformed into a bathymetric model, a detailed representation of the seafloor, which is used to precisely determine optimal station locations.

conical white and red equipment in the engine room

a cylindrical piece of equipment with pipes and control panels attached

a folded up fire hose mounted on a hook beneath the words "Fire Sta No. 4"

A man wearing industrial ear protection gear on his head - above his ears - stands at a long control panel of screens, buttons, and lights, and uses his hands to illustrate a point about something

(1) The rotary vane hydraulic steering gear that controls the bow thruster. (2) Pumps for the RO (Reverse Osmosis) system. (3) An emergency fire station. (4) Chief Engineer Adam Butters leading the tour. (5) One of 4 diesel engines aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

The Pisces operates as a diesel-electric vessel, similar in concept to a hybrid car, thereby reducing emissions and supporting NOAA’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The vessel is also equipped with a bow thruster, which is especially useful when holding position. This system works with the dynamic positioning system to keep Pisces precisely in place, counteracting currents and eliminating drift.

We took a tour of the engine room and Chief Engineer Adam Butters guided us through some of the key systems that keep the ship running. The engines and equipment were impressive, and it was clear that the engineering team put in a lot of work to make our mission possible. The engine room was very loud and hot; we wore earplugs for protection, but I could not hear myself think. We started at the water maker unit, which uses reverse osmosis (RO), which turns ocean water into fresh water for drinking, cooking and bathing. Fun fact: this removes all the minerals from the water, so I added an electrolyte mix to my water bottle each day.

Next, he showed us the systems that support the lab. He pointed out the refrigeration system that keeps chlorophyll samples frozen at -80°C. It was interesting to see the equipment that powers everything behind the scenes. The ship’s electrical system is also complex, producing 600 volts of electricity, which is stepped down to power large machines and even further for everyday outlets like the ones in our rooms. In addition, we saw a centrifuge that cleans diesel fuel by separating impurities and water using specific gravity.

a NOAA Corps officer stands on the bridge, facing to the left of the photo. he holds a sextant up to his eyes with his right hand and uses his left hand to adjust the settings.

a NOAA Corps officer looks on as Amber drives the ship, each hand on a different lever

A NOAA Corps officer in a blue uniform looks down at a control panel on the bridge. we can see calm blue ocean through the windows in the background.

two NOAA Corps Officers stand on the far side of the bridge

two NOAA Corps officers stand on the bridge looking down at a display screen

(1 ) CO demonstrates use of a sextant. (2) ENS Keene-Connole supervising. (3) CO supervising. (4) Mrs. LaMonte, XO Pestone, Lt Urquhart, CO Sinquefield and Lt Zoller. (5) Lt Zoller. (6) Original Rolls-Royce equipment. (7) CO Sinquefield and Lt Zoller explaining sample station positioning

For me, it was an honor to chat with the commissioned NOAA officers aboard for this survey. My visit to the Bridge included a demonstration of the sextant lesson CO plans to teach as the ship makes its next sail to the Canary Islands, instructions for some of the basics in driving the ship and an explanation of how to read the ship’s navigational screen during sample station deployments.

I’ve learned that the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps) is one of the nation’s eight uniformed services and its officers play a key role in carrying out NOAA’s mission. With a relatively small group, about 360 officers, they support a wide range of scientific and operational programs both at sea and in the air.

While some officers earn a 4-year STEM-based degree, others attend maritime colleges that offer personalized education with career-ready placements. After being selected, officer candidates train at the NOAA Corps Training Center at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy before being commissioned as ensigns. From there, many begin their careers at sea, with about 80 percent of officers serving aboard NOAA ships at some point.

What stood out to me most is the variety in their careers. Officers rotate between sea, aviation, and land assignments every few years, building experience in different roles while supporting NOAA’s work from multiple angles.

Personal Log

First Light Timelapse

I continue to be absolutely amazed at the first light of each day. Each morning, I determine the travel orientation of this ship and which deck, bow or stern, port or starboard, I should visit for the best view.

A breakfast plate featuring pancakes topped with maple syrup, crispy bacon, quinoa, and scrambled eggs, with a glass of orange juice and a bottle of organic maple syrup in the background. — A very nutritious breakfast

And the food in the galley continues to be excellent, I had a chance to chat with both cooks (Mike x2) and they both absolutely are very appreciated by the crew. Mealtimes on the ship are special, as nearly everyone stops their tasks for a welcome break and nourishment. Several times, the bridge would announce over the radio that they were holding the start of the station until after mealtime.

Diagram of a boat showing directional terms: port (left side), starboard (right side), stern (back), and bow (front). — https://www.boaterexam.com/boating-resources/boat-terminology/

Did You Know?

My students are familiar with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as I open the year by teaching about them, that while the world has ONE ocean, I highlight the importance of designating our oceans as distinct sections. The MPA distinction allows students to jump right in, looking at some of the charismatic marine fauna and learning what it means to be a stakeholder. Below is a map of the MPAs located within our national waters and an overview of Stellwagen Bank, a sanctuary where we conducted some of our samplings.

Map of the Pacific Ocean highlighting various National Marine Sanctuaries, including locations like Olympic Coast, Greater Farallones, and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale. — Map of U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries (Source: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/ )

Topographic map showing the Gulf of Maine and Stellwagen Bank area with geographical features and locations labeled. — Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/pgallery/

The nutrient-rich waters of Stellwagen Bank have long made it a cornerstone of New England’s maritime story, supporting productive fisheries and returning whales, making it a whale-watching destination. This is where I was able to witness mother-calf pairs forage and learn with security and protection. This ecological vibrancy highlights the power of marine protected areas to sustain both wildlife and human use. Within federal waters, the 842-square-mile sanctuary stretches from south of Cape Ann to north of Cape Cod and is New England’s only national marine sanctuary.

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.