Geographic Area of Cruise: West Coast Pacific Ocean
Date: July 24, 2026
Weather Data from Eugene, Oregon – Mahlon Sweet Field (KEUG)
Latitude: 44.13333° N Longitude: 123.21444° W Wind Speed: North at 8 mph Air Temperature: 28°C / 82°F
Introduction
Stacey
Hi! My name is Stacey Morris, Spanish & College/Career teacher at Churchill High School, in Eugene, Oregon. Tomorrow, I begin an incredible journey as a NOAA Teacher at Sea, and I couldn’t be more excited! This opportunity combines my love of education with the chance to experience science in action alongside NOAA scientists and crew members. I’ll be stepping aboard a research vessel to learn firsthand how ocean science is conducted and why it matters.
As an educator, I know that some of the best learning happens outside the classroom. My goal is to bring this experience back to my students in meaningful ways. I’ll be sharing what I learn about the many careers that make ocean research possible—not just the scientists, but also the officers, the engineers, deck crew, and others who keep a research mission running. I hope these stories will help my College Success students explore career pathways they may never have considered.
While I’m excited, I’m also nervous, as I know this adventure will push me outside my comfort zone, a lot! I’m looking forward to asking questions, learning from experts, making new friends, and experiencing life aboard a NOAA research vessel. Every day will bring new opportunities to discover something I can share with my students – I hope I can keep up with everything!
Stacey’s father
My father, who passed away just shy of 98 years old in March, was the one who inspired me to apply to NOAA. He was a high school biology teacher with a passion for marine science. We spent many vacations poking around in tide pools, and he was always curious about the creatures, critters, and plants surrounding us. He was so excited to hear that I was accepted, and I know that he is with me in spirit on this trip.
Throughout this voyage, I’ll post updates about the research we’re conducting, life aboard the ship, the people I’ll meet, and the amazing science happening at sea. Whether you’re one of my students, a fellow educator, family member, or simply curious about NOAA’s work, I invite you to follow along.
I just found out yesterday that I will be deploying three drifter buoys that we can track as they float and collect data. They will be decorated with CHS Lancer stickers, so even the fish will know our name. 🙂
Tomorrow the adventure begins, and I can’t wait to share the journey with all of you!
On Saturday, I will board NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker in San Francisco, a premier research ship equipped with cutting-edge technology for global fisheries study. I will be part of the Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey, collecting data on Pacific hake and other fisheries through acoustic data, biosampling data, eDNA, and ecosystem data to understand the health of our fisheries with a changing ocean. I will soon find out what that data collection looks like and how it is done (and what some of those words even mean!).
Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 4)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast
Today’s Date: August 23, 2025
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 44° 00.5’N
Longitude: 124° 28.0′ W
Wind speed: 15 kts.
Wave height: 2 ft.
Air temp.: 16° C (61° F)
Sky: Clear
Science and Technology Log:
When attempting something for the last time, it can be nice to end on a high note, or in other words, to go out with a bang. Our last CPS, coastal pelagic species, haul of this mission was a high note. Not only did we catch almost exclusively our target, but the speed and efficiency with which we processed the catch was the finest of this mission. While we were in the middle of processing, it struck me how we knew our roles and communication was no longer about how and what to do, but was clear and concise. It was a team communicating to get a job done.
I especially felt much more confident and helpful. I was able to sort the catch, collect and enter the data, collect the otoliths, and assist in the clean up. I am still not as fast as my far more experienced teammates on this excursion at collecting the otoliths, but I think they were surprised at how much quicker I was this time.
Mostly today we caught jack mackerel. We had so many that we needed to use the hopper and the conveyor belt to make the processing go more quickly. This was the first time that we needed to use it on this trip. It was fun to see how excited everyone was.
Using the conveyor belt.Holding a Jack Mackerel.
I also had the opportunity to deploy a second drifter buoy during this mission. The last one was deployed during the night, but this one was during the day. This one was marked with a special message, “GO PACK GO!”, as well as the names of my students and my children. I cannot wait to see where they go and how long they are at sea. According to the global drifter array, the closest one right now is from South Korea and has been in the water over 1400 days! I hope this one can match that. If you or someone you know would be interested in participating in the Adopt a Drifter program, you can find more information on how to participate by clicking the link.
The drifter is ready to be deployed.Drifter overboard!
The end of this mission is here and my work is finished. There is much work ahead still for many of the scientists on board with me using the data we collected while at sea. Analyzing the data plays a huge part in helping to make informed decisions about commercial fishing and keeping the pacific CPS populations healthy.
Personal Log:
In The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the sea comes the end of our fellowship.” Often it can be bittersweet when a chapter in your life comes to an end. This is a small part of my life but an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime. I am saddened to see it come to an end, and I am eager to get back home too. I learned a lot and I met great people. I think what I will miss the most is learning about so many new creatures and being in one place with so many experts in their fields. I will definitely not miss fighting sea sickness though.
This was a terrific program and I am honored that I had the opportunity to participate in the Teacher at Sea program. I started this project looking for a new adventure to bring back into my classroom and to try to inspire my students to go out and do new and exciting things for themselves. I feel that with the friendships I have made and the knowledge I have gained I am ready to enhance my lessons for my students for years to come.
Last morning at Sea.
On our way back home.
Back in Newport with some of the scientists.
Did You Know?
There are more than 33,000 different types of fish species. That is greater than all of the other vertebrate species (mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles) combined, and there are likely more fish still to be discovered.
Can you identify this species?
*Hint – I am holding one in the picture above. It’s a Jack Mackerel. Jack mackerels are the biggest of the CPS that we are looking for on the West Coast Pelagics Survey. You can identify them by their dark blue-green coloration on top and their silver below.
Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 4)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast
Today’s Date: August 20, 2025
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 42° 37.1’N
Longitude: 125° 02.4′ W
Wind speed: 22.6 kts.
Wave height: 3-4 ft.
Air temp.: 16.1° C (61° F)
Sky: Fog
Science and Technology Log
Today I had the opportunity to participate in science in a new way than I have before on this mission. I was able to deploy a drifter as a part of the NOAA Adopt-a-Drifter Program. A drifter is a tool that NOAA uses to acquire data from all over the ocean to aid with weather forecasting.
“The modern drifter is a high-tech version of the “message in a bottle.” It consists of a surface float and a drogue (sea anchor), which are connected by a long tether. Drifters average their data over a window (typically 90 seconds), and transmit ocean data to an orbiting satellite. Each drifter transmitter is assigned a unique code, referred to as the drifter ID, which makes the identification of each drifter possible.”
Ready to deploy the drifter. If you look closely, it’s labeled with my school’s name: River Trail School of Agricultural Science.
The drifters collect data on ocean surface temperature, wind speed and direction, salinity and barometric pressure.
The Adopt-a-Drifter Program offers schools, scientists, and other interested parties the opportunity to follow a specific drifter’s trajectory and sea surface conditions. While there are many schools that participate in the program, there are not many teachers that have the unique opportunity to deploy the drifter themselves. It is a lot of fun for students to follow along with their drifter, but having deployed the drifters myself will make it even more exciting for my students.
There is an expression that applies to how I like to teach and to how I will incorporate this experience into my classroom that goes, “Tell me and I may forget. Show me, and I might remember. Involve me, and I’ll learn.” Bringing this experience into my class and having the students follow along as the drifter does its job will provide a learning opportunity that will stick with them for years to come as well as foster a love for science that may inspire them for a lifetime.
Deploying the drifter
Earlier today I also had the opportunity to help collect water from different depths to get eDNA (Environmental DNA). We used a CTD rosette (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) to take samples of water from various depths of the water column. Each of the tubes is open when it is dropped in the water. Then when it reaches the desired depth, a button is pushed to trigger magnets to shut the tube. This can be done individually for up to twelve tubes on the rosette. When it is brought to the surface the water can be collected and analyzed. We took 2.5 liters of water from each sample and ran them individually through a special filter that collected the DNA from the water. I think collecting eDNA is genius. Fish leave all sorts of DNA in the water. By taking the DNA out of the water, it is possible to tell what types of fish were in the various depths of the samples taken even though we did not see or catch them. It reminds me of a detective searching for clues.
Collecting water from the CTD rosette.Collecting the filter with the DNA on it after filtering the water.
We also had a haul of hake fish with a few rockfish mixed in. We even got some lampreys. In many people’s opinion, hake are not the most beautiful fish, but they are very important. We eat hake in imitation crab, fish sandwiches, and fish patties. It is also used in some cat foods. It is important that we have good data about hake populations to keep them healthy and bountiful. We separate the fish into different groups, identify what they are, weigh and measure the catch, and record the data. We have computer programs to enter the data. There are a number of procedures we have to follow to record the data properly. Once you have the hang of it, the processing can move pretty quickly.
Personal Log
I am off the dock and officially back at sea again. In a way, I am a Teacher at Sea twice. 🙂 My body definitely adjusted much more quickly this time around. Just as I suspected, everyone is eager to get going. The hauls are coming in and business has picked up. Even though the processing of each haul is moving efficiently, extracting the otoliths takes a developed feel. I’m getting there, but don’t quite have the hang of it yet. My hands are definitely starting to smell a little fishy no matter how many times I wash them.
Everyone has been very helpful, and I am learning a lot of new things. It feels a little weird though, because while it seems like we are just getting started, the finish line is just around the corner. We return to Newport on the 23rd. I’ve already done my last load of laundry onboard. The last few dirty things I’ll do at home. I hope the person who sits next to me on the plane doesn’t mind a faint smell of fish though, because I’m not sure it’s fully coming off for a little while.
Even though we still have two full days of science work to be done, I have started reflecting a little on everything that has transpired on this mission. I think the key takeaway so far has been to be flexible and stay ready. We have plans in life, but they do not always happen how we expect them to go. You have to be able to adapt and keep a positive attitude to make the most out of whatever opportunity you have.
I played a lot of sports growing up. One thing I could not control is playing time. I learned though, that while you may not always get as much playing time as you think you deserve, you just have to make the most out of the opportunities you do have. For example if you are only put in for five plays in a particular game, during those five plays you can still be the best player on the field. No matter what you do, give glory by giving your best. Vince Lombardi once said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
I wonder how the mission would have been different without the obstacles we had to overcome. Who knows? But in the end, the what ifs don’t really matter. With the opportunities we’ve had, we’ve gotten a lot done and made great experiences. While we’ve been busy, last night and this morning I had a chance to see the stars at night and the sunrise in the morning. I couldn’t help but feel reminded of Psalm 19. I know a lot can happen in the final two-plus days, so I shouldn’t close the book quite yet. I am excited to see what is still to come as we get to the end of the mission.
Caught a glimpse (and a photo!) of a shooting star and the Milky Way.The sunrise over Oregon.
Did You Know?
During the daytime many CPS (coastal pelagic species) fish swim about on their own in search of food, but at night they tend to school together for defense.
Can you identify this specices?
If you guessed Pacific Hake also known as Pacific Whiting, way to go! Some key identifiers are the hake’s round body and silvery color with black speckles on their back. Their average size is up to 3 feet in length.
Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 4)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast
Today’s Date: August 18, 2025
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Location: Newport, Oregon
Wind speed: 4.1 kts.
Wave height: 6-7 ft.
Air temp.: 15.5° C (60° F)
Sky: Clear
Science and Technology Log
Today we are heading back out to sea., emphasis on back. We had to make a brief stop back in Newport due to a malfunction with the fog horn. Since it had been very foggy, it was not safe. We had to wait in Newport for maintenance.
NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada back in Newport.
Therefore, we have not been doing any fishing since my last post. However, now that it has been repaired we are on our way again. It will take about 15 hours until we are back at the transects that we need to survey. We are all very excited to begin fishing again. In the meantime, in order to learn more about what it takes to be a full time NOAA scientist, I thought it would be a good idea to interview one of the scientists working with me on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada about his role on this mission.
Meet Gary Longo – Research Scientist 2 NOAA Southwest:
Gary Longo in Newport.
Why is your work important?
My work is important because it helps inform management and stock assessors of population structure within federally managed fisheries, because understanding population structure is critical to effective management.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
My favorite part of my job is getting to the point that you see results from data analysis, because often to get to that point it involves time in the field, collecting samples, extracting DNA in the lab, and preparing libraries for sequencing, analyzing the data, and finally starting to see the picture with the results of all your hard work.
Where do you do most of your work?
Most of my work is done at the Southwest Fisheries Center in La Jolla, California. However the species: pacific sardine, northern anchovy, lingcod, and various rock fish species, that I focus on in my work are generally distributed in the northeast Pacific.
What tool do you use in your work that you could not live without?
My computer, for running analysis and writing up results.
If you could invent any tool to make your work more efficient and cost was no object, what would it be and why?
An autonomous vehicle that hunted fishes and was non lethal but took tissue samples and sequenced each sample’s genome.
When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in science or an ocean career?
When I was at the Monterey Bay Aquarium I realized that my heart wasn’t into medicine, which I was studying at the time. I was a member at the aquarium and went there all the time and I thought this is what I want to do.
What part of your job with NOAA did you least expect to be doing?
Extra paperwork.
How do you help wider audiences to understand and appreciate NOAA science?
I try to explain things that I would want my grandmother to understand. Generally speaking when I am on hikes or birding I speak with curious people and try to engage with them.
How did you become interested in communicating about science?
I became interested when I became a teacher’s assistant in grad school and an instructor in ichthyology at UC Santa Cruz.
What’s at the top of your recommended reading list for a young person exploring ocean or science career options?
One of my favorites is Song of the Dodo by David Quamman. That’s a great book about island biogeography and the importance of habitat connectivity
What do you think you would be doing if you were not working for NOAA?
Using my dive masters to share my passion of diving with interested folks.
Do you have any outside hobbies?
I enjoy surfing, birding, hiking, and scuba diving.
Gary and the other scientists working on board NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada have been amazing. They are all very passionate about their work, and very knowledgeable about everything we are studying on this mission. It is inspiring to work with people who care so much about their work.
Personal Log
Maybe some of you have heard the expression, “Hurry up and wait.” I have heard that off and on at various times throughout my life. This part of our mission has seemed to embody the sentiment behind the expression like few other times I have experienced.
Getting ready for this mission seemed like a whirlwind with balancing my life at home with my family and trying to prepare mentally and physically for my time on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada. Once I was in Newport things slowed down a little while adjusting to life onboard and making our way out to our first transect. Then business really picked up and everything was full of excitement and energy. Processing our first catch was a time filled with enough adrenaline to make all of us forget that it was one in the morning.
Then when the fog horn went out of commission everything came to a proverbial screeching halt. Hurry up, now wait. The initial feelings of frustration, restlessness, and even anxiety were pervasive. There were even temptations to gripe and have a “woe is me” type of attitude. Unfortunately, in life sometimes we have to deal with setbacks due to circumstances that are beyond our control.
I work through tough or frustrating situations in life by taking a step back to gain some perspective, and remembering that there are things outside of my life that are bigger and more important. My hope is built on nothing less. All other ground is sinking sand. When I put my life in a better perspective, I know there will be brighter days, and the things that were bothering me no longer seem so pressing.
Heading out to sea again has reinvigorated everyone onboard. We are chomping at the bit, and I think we are just going to rip it. Pull back and let the big dog eat. There is an excitement that is palpable. Being with people who care deeply about their work is a blessing. I want to take back as much as I can from this experience to my classroom for my students, but I want to remember that desire to do my work and do it well most of all. Hopefully, very soon we will be so busy processing catches and recording data that I will be nearly too tired to write, but when I do I’m sure I’ll have lots to say. Let’s hurry up!
Heading back out to sea!
Did You Know?
An otolith is a small structure found inside fish which helps them detect sound and keep their balance. Otoliths grow inside fish throughout their life and can be used to determine their age, almost like a tree, by counting the growth rings. Pretty cool!
Can you identify this species?
Mola Mola, aka. Ocean Sunfish
In my opinion, one of the coolest fish names, mola mola. They are also referred to as an ocean sunfish. Mola mola have a jellyfish based diet and can grow to be very large, on average 2200 pounds and six to seven feet wide. I spotted this one from the flying bridge on our way back to Newport. I speculate it was a little more than half those sizes.
Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 4)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast
Today’s Date: August 13, 2025
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 42° 06.3’N
Longitude: 124° 35.0′ W
Wind speed: 2.4 kts.
Wave height: 1-2 ft.
Air temp.: 12.3° C (54° F)
Sky: Fog
Science and Technology Log
While I was sleeping, the net that we helped set out was brought back in with a haul of hake. Exactly what the morning crew was looking for! It was almost entirely hake, which made the processing extremely straight forward. Some might be inclined to think that this is exactly what science is supposed to look like.
Fast forward to my shift again and shortly after we woke up, there was a haul that was ready to be brought in. We were all very excited for our first chance to process a catch. Well, this time when the net was brought up, it was awfully full. We were excited about the possibility of going through the catch and finding our target CPS, Coastal Pelagic Species. However, it was almost entirely full of krill, and did not have a single specimen of what we were looking for. Now, some might think that this means our haul was a failure and/or it was bad science.
Those people would be wrong. While the first two hauls of this leg of the survey are diametrically different, they are both good. Science requires good data. Data is good when it is reliably accurate. It doesn’t matter if it is larger numbers or zeros. So, in our case, while we didn’t get the information we were looking for, we now know that what we did had a result of zero for our targeted CPS . We also know that where we fished resulted in a catch of krill. This is knowledge that we can use next time to help us get what we are after.
About to empty the first catch.A lot of krill.
In the second catch we did get a few different species. We caught: North Pacific krill, moon jellyfish, and a handful of eulachon. The eulachon were all weighed and measured for length.
Personal Log
Today is my brother’s birthday. Happy birthday! I am feeling much better. I continue to take the sea sickness prevention medicine, but I think I have found my sea legs. I am starting to feel like I know my way around NOAA Ship Shimada more and more, or at least the places I am supposed to go. 🙂 I was happy to make it from my bunk, down past the wet lab and acoustics lab, through the hall, past the mess, down some steps, through a room I never need to stop at, and to the laundry on my very first try! Our ship even has two places to work out. I am not brave enough to try a treadmill when the boat is rocking, but I did take an opportunity to do some jump rope.
I am amazed by the engineers who think through everything that needs to be done to make a ship like ours work. It is a maze of rooms, cords, and more, but all of it is well thought out and has a purpose.
I was a little disappointed today. We had a little extra time in between work during my shift so I went out to check on the stars, but it was foggy out so I could only see a few feet away. But I am learning a lot and having a ton of fun. It will be interesting to see what it will be like when we are getting more and larger hauls in a single shift.
Also, it’s a big deal back in Milwaukee, but the Brewers have won 11 games in a row. One more tonight means free burgers in the city! When I spoke with my wife and kids, they were definitely hoping for a win tonight. Let’s go Brew Crew!
Measuring a fishEnjoying my work in the wet lab
Did You Know?
The eulachon is also known as the candle fish. It got the name from the fact that it is so oily that if you dry the fish out, you can light the tail on fire and it will burn like a candle. In the past, the eulachon was prized for its oil. The oil will even be solid at room temperature, similar to butter.
